Week 5: Napa Valley high school football around the horn

Ahead of interlocking against each other, Napa Valley high school

football teams that took the field on Friday came up winners one more

time. 

When the Napa Grizzlies host the American Canyon Wolves meet for a

pivotal Vine Valley Athletic League contest at Memorial Stadium on

Friday, it will feature two Napa Valley teams taking on each other. That

trend will increase significantly the final four weeks of the regular season.

From there, the conversation becomes about pursuing league titles and

achieving higher seeds for the CIF North Coast Section playoffs. 

Napa had bye while American Canyon blanked the Sonoma Valley

Dragons 68-0. The Vintage Crushers blitzed the Casa Grande (Petaluma)

Gauchos 39-15. The Justin-Siena Braves dominated the Petaluma Trojans

33-10. The St. Helena Saints blasted the Clear Lake (Lakeport) 47-14.

The Calistoga Wildcats hammered the Potter Valley Bearcubs 48-6. 

Here is a closer look in alphabetical order: 

AMERICAN CANYON

Looking back: For the second time in as many weeks, the Wolves shut

out their overmatched opponent. For the second time in as many seasons,

the Wolves defense limited Sonoma’s offense to under 50 yards of total

offense. As for the Wolves offense, they gained 449 yards on 46 plays.

Camren Lee and Kaave Gaviola each scored two touchdowns. Ezekiel

Anderson, James Larson and quarterback Vance Eschenburg each scored

one touchdown. Eschenburg accounted for 197 yards from scrimmage.

He carried 10 times for 65 yards and completed 11 of 20 for 132 yards,

three touchdowns and nary an interception. 

Looking ahead: The matchup between the Wolves and Grizzlies is a

compelling one. I hesitate to say it is a VVAL title elimination game but

a win puts you in position to control your own fate while a loss means

you have to win out and get help. This game has a “rubber meets the

road” feel. Napa has been knocked for its lack of strength of schedule,

and rightfully so. However, neither team has faced a schedule that

resembles Murderer’s Row. According to calpreps.com, American

Canyon’s strength of schedule is only slightly higher than what Napa

possesses, minus-20.4 to minus-22.2. 

CALISTOGA

Looking back: Between rushes and pass attempts, quarterback Christian

Caldera had seven attempts for 145 yards and four touchdowns. To further

illustrate his impact, three carries, 65 yards three touchdowns. On the

passing side, 2 of 4 for 80 yards and a 40-yard touchdown pass to Isaac

Garcia. Fernando Rios and Christian Pederson also scored rushing

touchdowns for Calistoga. The Wildcats recorded a backhanded shutout

because the lone Potter Valley score was Russell Fansler returning a

fumble for a score. The Wildcats intercepted three passes and allowed 54

yards of total offense (minus-15 rushing) on 36 plays. 

Looking ahead: The Wildcats are in a similar position as last season after

four games, they were also 3-1 -- and later 4-1 -- only to fizzle down the

stretch. Calistoga lost three straight before closing with a 56-0 win over

Roseland Prep (Santa Rosa). The Wildcats host Laytonville on Friday.

The Warriors are the epitome of a mixed bag at 2-2. Laytonville has wins

over Potter Valley (46-0) and Roseland Prep (59-12). Those two teams

have a combined record of 0-6. The Warriors two losses are against South

Fork (44-8) and Tomales (32-24). Those clubs are a combined 5-3. 

JUSTIN-SIENA

Looking back: Hudson Beers to Miles Williams. Same song, different

verse. That pair hooked up on two scoring connections. Beers completed

15 of 27 for 268 yards. Williams was on the receiving end for seven

grabs for 147 yards. On the rushing side, Noah Young had nine carries

for 72 yards including a 26-yard touchdown run. As a unit, Justin rolled

up 349 yards of total offense. Defensively, the Braves owned the

proceedings in allowing just 194 yards of total offense. 

Looking ahead: Justin’s brief time in the VVAL had been marked by

warning track power. This time, they hit a three-run homer that landed

about 20 rows into the bleachers. The Braves are now 2-4 in one

possession games against VVAL teams. Justin takes on Sonoma in what

figures to be a compelling matchup because some Sonoma kids attend

Justin. The Dragons were 6-0 winners in last year’s contest. From a big

picture standpoint, the Braves need Friday’s win to get a top half of the

bracket seed for the NCS Div. VI playoffs because Napa, Vintage and

American Canyon await. 

ST. HELENA

Looking back: Ivan Robledo continued to put up video game like

numbers and catapulted his way into the Saints record book. Robledo

recorded a school record 280 yards rushing on 14 carries and six

touchdowns. The 280 yards broke Sebastian Segura’s record of 270

established in 2013. The six touchdowns tied the single-game record

set by Tom Blanchfield in 1960. Backfield mate Cody DiTomaso

compiled 108 yards on seven carries and a touchdown. Defensively,

the Saints sacked Cardinals’ quarterback Darius Ford four times and

intercepted him twice, one courtesy of Robledo and Sergio Hernandez.

St. Helena limited Clear Lake to 83 yards on 29 carries. 

Looking ahead: After two straight weeks of logging traveler mileage

to Lake County, the Saints return home to face a Willits team that is 4-1

overall and 2-0 in the North Central League I. St. Helena, Willits and

Middletown are in a three-way tie for first place in the NCL I. Willits

defeated Cloverdale 34-14. The two teams have one common foe, if

you believe in that theory. Willits defeated Clear Lake 20-6. For those

thinking big picture, Salesian (Richmond) and St. Helena appear on a

collision course for the top two seeds in NCS Div. VII. 

VINTAGE

Looking back: The only way the Crushers did not score was recording

a safety or they would have scored for the cycle. Offensively, the

Crushers amassed 328 yards on 40 carries. Mauricio Castro ran for a

touchdown. Jacob Aaron threw two scoring passes, one to Castro and

another to Cutler Low. Bill Chaidez threw a touchdown pass to Sam

Neal. Vintage’s defense was also prominent in the act with Jayden

Benjamin returning a fumble for a score. The Crusher defense allowed

just 135 yards on 74 plays. The only Gaucho scores came in the fourth

quarter with the game out of reach. 

Looking ahead: Coming off a bye following their 21-13 loss to

Bellarmine Prep (San Jose) on Sept. 13, the Crushers could not have

asked for a better bounceback performance. That momentum would

appear to have a real chance to continue against Petaluma on the road.

The Trojans are 1-5 and have lost their last four games by a combined

score of 125-17 including its aforementioned loss to Justin. With four

games remaining, the Crushers’ objective is to raise another VVAL

banner in order to get potentially the No. 3 seed for the NCS Div. II

playoffs. 

Week 4: Napa Valley High School football around the horn

It is commonly believed that when league play begins in high school
sports, the seasons become defined. After all, postseason fates are often
decided based on how teams fare against league foes. 

Four Napa Valley high school teams opened the league portion of their
schedule on Friday night. In the Vine Valley Athletic League, the
American Canyon Wolves and Napa Grizzlies overmatched their
opponents. The former whitewashed the Petaluma Trojans 34-0 and the
latter pasted the Sonoma Valley Dragons 62-19. The Justin-Siena Braves
lost to the Casa Grande (Petaluma) Gauchos 41-34. In the North Central
League I, the St. Helena Saints remained unbeaten by defeating the
Kelseyville Knights 48-27. 

The Vintage Crushers and Calistoga Wildcats each had bye weeks. The
former hosts Casa Grande on Friday while the latter takes on Potter Valley
in a home contest. 

Here’s a closer look in alphabetical order:

AMERICAN CANYON

Looking back: Throughout its school history that spans one decade,
American Canyon’s hallmark has been its explosive offenses. While the
offense did not disappoint on Friday, the defense put the clamps on the
Trojans. The Wolves yielded just 54 yards on 36 plays and have given
up only 36 points in five games. The Trojans registered just one net yard
of offense in the first half. While the Trojans offense was stuck in neutral,
Ezekiel Anderson spearheaded American Canyon’s offense with 129 yards
on 11 carries and two touchdowns. James Larson, Vinnie Espejo and
Kaave Gaviola also found the end zone. 

Looking ahead: The Wolves are 5-0 for the first time since 2016. That
season, American Canyon went 11-2 reaching the CIF Sac Joaquin Section
Div. III semifinals. While it’s a long way to extrapolate how 2019 will
transpire, the Wolves have big goals on the table. American Canyon hosts
Sonoma Valley on Friday. In last year’s matchup, the Wolves overwhelmed
Sonoma 47-0. The Dragons are 1-4, having lost its aforementioned game
to Napa. Speaking of Napa, which has a bye, American Canyon will travel
to Memorial Stadium for what figures to be a pivotal VVAL contest. 

JUSTIN-SIENA

Looking back: Things looked promising in the early going thanks to two
first quarter touchdown passes with Hudson Beers connecting with Miles
Williams (86 yards) and Solomone Anitoni (88 yards), giving the Braves a
13-0 lead. The Gauchos, however, replied with 27 unanswered points.
Beers completed 17 of 36 for 358 yards, two touchdowns and two
interceptions. On the rushing side, Noah Young had 112 yards on 13 carries
and a touchdown. Blake Hoban also reached the end zone for Justin.

Looking ahead: To use a baseball term, the Braves have had warning track
power since joining the VVAL. Including Friday’s loss to Casa Grande,
Justin has gone 1-6 against VVAL counterparts with four of those losses by
seven points or fewer. The Braves (4-1) host Petaluma on Friday. The
Trojans enter the contest with a 1-4 mark with its lone victory coming
against winless Santa Rosa. In last year’s meeting, the Trojans dealt the
Braves one of their one possession losses, a 31-28 defeat. 

NAPA

Looking back: Road games at Arnold Field in Sonoma have a throwback
appearance -- grass field that is a combination, baseball and football venue.
The Grizzlies recorded their first VVAL in school history. The league formed
last season, in which Napa was winless. The Grizzlies put the game out of
reach immediately, scoring 27 points in the second quarter on the way to a
41-6 halftime lead. Six different Napa players reached the end zone with
Brock Bowers scoring four followed by Benito Saldivar, Chris Horton, Cole
Rasmussen, Trey Dennis and Isaiah Newton each scored once. Newton also
threw four touchdown passes. 

Looking ahead: Napa enters its bye week with a 4-1 record, more wins
than the previous two seasons combined. The Grizzlies return to action on
Oct. 4 when they host American Canyon in what amounts to a pivotal game
in VVAL competition. Before the season, it was generally believed that the
VVAL race would come down to reigning league champ Vintage and
American Canyon with Napa potentially being in the mix. The Grizzlies can
put themselves smack dab in the picture with a win. American Canyon won
last year’s game 35-7 with the Wolves scoring two fourth quarter touchdowns
to seal the win. 

ST. HELENA

Looking back: Kelseyville drew first blood with Jacob Jensen’s 25-yard
touchdown run but it was all Saints thereafter in Lake County. The three-
headed monster rushing attack of quarterback Daniel Martinez (22-187-2),
Cody DiTomaso (20-157-1) and Ivan Robledo (9-130-3) befuddled
Kelseyville. Wide receiver Jake Mendes connected with George Cutting for
a 22-yard touchdown pass. The pivotal moment came late in the first half
with St. Helena leading 22-13. The Knights reached the Saints 5-yard line
but turned the ball over on downs. The Saints answered with a 95-yard
scoring drive. 

Looking ahead: For the first time since 2015, the Saints have opened the
season 4-0. Though St. Helena will face stiffer tests in the future, health
permitting, an NCL I title is on the table as well as potentially a deep run
in the North Coast Section Div. VII playoffs. The Saints last league title
was in 2014, when they won a share of the crown with Fort Bragg.
St. Helena will travel to Lake County again on Friday, when it visits Clear
Lake (Lakeport). The Cardinals (1-3) lost 20-6 to Willits. The lone Clear
Lake score was a 25-yard interception by Travis Howe. 

There is no place like Nebraska

Reporter’s note: This is the third in a series of three stories detailing
my trip to Lincoln, NE, as I am a 1997 University of Nebraska graduate.
The first two stories were photo driven and geared toward meeting up
with friends for what amounted to a class reunion. Those two editions
are below: 

http://vincedadamo.blogspot.com/2019/09/nebraska-trip-in-pictures.html

http://vincedadamo.blogspot.com/2019/09/rekindling-friendships-in-
lincoln.html

Sometimes the simplest pleasures are the best. 

To give you context, I am a Napa, CA, native. Napa is my hometown.

Lincoln, NE, is my college hometown, having graduated from the
University of Nebraska in 1997.

I moved back to the Napa Valley in 1998 and made my fourth trip
back to Lincoln past this weekend (first since 2008) for the
Cornhuskers’ 44-8 win over the Northern Illinois Huskies. 

The Cornhuskers are like a fallen champion trying to rebound after
a couple of ill-fated eras consisting of athletic directors Steve
Pederson and Shawn Eichorst, two of the biggest weasels on Planet
Earth, and head coaches Bill Callahan and Mike Riley. Tom Osborne,
who is a legendary coach turned AD, and Bo Pelini were like oil and
water from a personality standpoint but worked well in conjunction
with each other. However, now former chancellor Harvey Pearlman
was the weak link in the chain. Pederson, Eichorst and Pearlman
are the O.J. Simpson of Nebraska. They would not be welcomed. 

At the present time, chancellor Ronny Green, athletic director Bill
Moos and head coach Scott Frost seem to be in lockstep with one
another. 

With all of its storied tradition, the Huskers are coming off back-to-
back 4-8 seasons. Two straight seasons without a bowl game? That
would be like Tiger Woods not making the cut on the PGA Tour.

This trip represented the opportunity to see old friends and co-
workers as well as watch the Cornhuskers on Saturday. Admittedly,
there are plenty of people much worldlier than me.

On the other hand, you’d be amazed by how many people have
never ventured out of their backyard. I love the Napa Valley but
costliness might drive me away at some point. 

All I’m saying is that if you love the Americana atmosphere of
college football, you can’t beat the Midwest and Southeast. It’s
somewhat similar to the idea of going to a baseball game at
Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium or an NFL game at Lambeau
Field.

To the state of Nebraska, the Huskers are their NFL, NBA, MLB and
NHL team rolled into one — they wouldn’t want it any other way.
Since the past 20 seasons have been a roller coaster, Husker fans
are leaning on Frost. He arrived in town on the white horse and was
hailed the savior. He may very well be that man but he’ll need some
time. 

The foundation he inherited was an abject disaster. Frost spent his
first season tearing down the foundation that was ill-suited for a good
house to be built. The Huskers went 4-8 and started 0-6. The latter
scenario, however, weeded out deadweight. 

Walking through the halls of the stadium, you just sense that
programs like Nebraska value their history, as the walls are adorned
with past All-Americans, Heisman Trophy winners, National
Championship trophies, bowl game trophies, etc.

That reason is one why I am a proponent for high schools to have
their own Hall of Fame. If you are a young player seeing a picture of
former Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier, how could you not be
inspired?

Gameday was a frenzy as fans from every corner of the state flock
the stadium like herds of cattle. This atmosphere coming from a
storied program coming off back-to-back 4-8 seasons.

Fans, players and coaches were like caged-up tigers for the 7 p.m.
kickoff ready to release the negative vibes of recent years and the
previous week’s 34-31 overtime loss at Colorado.

Let’s just say if you are a business in downtown Lincoln that sells
liquid (especially the adult variety) on gameday, money will flow into
your cashbox like a sieve. Yours truly and my friends contributed to
that retirement fund. 

Jason Page, who is the friend I attended the game with, and I met
various friends from our time as students. Including Page, I hadn’t
seen some of these friends in 21 years. 

One reason for the instant love affair fans have with Frost is that he’s
the native son. He’s a Nebraska native who led the Huskers to their
last National Championship in 1997. Frost had various coaching
stops before returning home. Frost inherited an 0-12 Central Florida
team. The Golden Knights went 6-7 in his first season and 13-0 the
following year. 

The role of a football head coach at Nebraska is not limited to
breaking down film and coaching players. It is about taking the state
under your wing.

To Husker fans, Frost represents the best hope at the program’s
return to prominence. Frost often evokes the same frustration the
fans have felt as the program has been mostly average the last 20
years with a few duds in between. 

Moments before kickoff, the players and coaches come onto the
field for the “Tunnel Walk” as the decibel levels rise to fever pitch.
My vocal chords have just now recovered from all of the screaming
I did.

After the Huskers conclude the finishing touches of their season-
opening win, both teams get a healthy round of applause from the
fans. Yes, that includes the opponent.

Folks here have always clapped for the opponent leaving the field
after the game. That gesture is very refreshing. You want to kick
their tail during the game but when the game is over, the game is
over.

That’s what makes college football in Mid-America refreshing. There
is nothing these folks would rather do. They enjoy the simple
pleasures.

True, they might not have beaches or a bustling nightlife, but to them,
simpler is better.

To take it a step further, a prime rib dinner at Misty’s means more
than elegant dining.

The elitists of the world would say, “Well, what else is there to do in
those states anyhow?”

Sorry to break this to you, but they’d laugh you out of the room after
hearing that because they feel no such deprivation.

They have golf courses and movie theaters, just like California.

I might be biased, but for a slice of college football Americana, I
believe that “There is No Place Like Nebraska.”