Time Out with Diano Pachote: 2014 Justin-Siena High graduate

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life? Diano Pachote: By far the most enjoyable part of competition through athletics was and still is the level of play it brings out of my opponents. I love to compete and challenge the guy across from me and when that person meets me with the same energy it makes it worthwhile, knowing you're getting the best out of your opponent while giving everything you have. D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school? Pachote: I've been playing football at Chapman University, an NCAA Division III school that is part of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC). In my first two seasons I started at fullback for the Panthers and as I enter my junior year I wish to transition more to the primary ball carrier. Other than football, I have been furthering my education with a major in Strategic and Corporate Communication and a minor in Integrated Educational Studies.   D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Justin-Siena High? Pachote: It's hard to narrow it down to one favorite class so I'll have to leave it between a junior year English class on Survival/Science Fiction literature taught by Mike Douglass and a Statistics class I took senior year with current head football coach Brandon LaRocco. D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Justin-Siena High?   Pachote: As a team, nothing will beat winning against San Marin at home for the second time that season in the pouring rain for a Section Championship. Individually, it was my very first game on varsity my sophomore year against Saint Mary's College High School of Berkeley and on my second touchdown of the night I was running up the sideline into the endzone and a cornerback was there to meet me at the goal line. with about 5 yards space between us I saw him lower his head and shoulders and I just jumped over the top of him into the endzone. It was then one of my fellow classmates gave everyone in the student section my phone number and I received so many texts my phone broke, but that was definitely an unforgettable welcome to Varsity. D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics? Pachote: I don't like to say I am a different person since leaving high school but I believe I have certainly developed and grown exponentially as an individual. The root of that growth has definitely come from Chapman football and how it forced me to grow up and learn more about being responsible and what it really meant to represent the school while under a microscope. Justin-Siena prepared me to handle that but after moving out of Napa into a foreign environment, I didn't have the same support and familiarity I always had so I was able to join a new family. D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people? Pachote: The men in my family are amazing, particularly my grandfather, my dad, and my cousin Eddie Aguayo. Eddie laid the framework for me and set the bar for what a Brave was supposed to be like. Without his guidance, I would not have had the same experience at Justin-Siena. D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet. Pachote: Without a doubt it would be Jackie Robinson. He lived an amazing life in a time where he was not accepted as a human and be broke through the resistance and has allowed the best competition, regardless of skin color, to thrive and define a new era of competitive sports where everyone is included.

Time Machine: 2004 football Upper Lake at Calistoga

Regardless of win-loss record, Homecoming games in high school football can be a blessing or a curse.

The outcome is either another step on a journey to a great season or if you have a mediocre-to-bad season, winning that game can be bright light in an otherwise forgettable season.

The 2004 Calistoga High football team went 4-6, which on the surface is approaching respectability. The margin of victory in the four wins was 14.5 points. However, when the Wildcats lost, they were a hot mess. The margin of defeat in the six losses was 37. 2 points. The narrowest of those defeats was a 22-6 loss at St. Vincent (Petaluma).

In Week 6 of the 2004 season, Calistoga defeated the Upper Lake Cougars 20-7 to even its record at 3-3.

Setting the scene: After a 2-1 start, the Wildcats had consecutive ugly losses (30-0 to Berean Christian-Walnut Creek; 40-6 to Point Arena).

The Wildcats were 1-9 in 2003. This era of Wildcats’ football was a team that had its share of talent but was not long on discipline. The other problem Calistoga faced was the league it was competing in at the time.

The Wildcats have faced re-alignment more times than I can count. Calistoga, whose enrollment is about 200 or so, moved from North Central League III where they played schools of comparable but mostly lower enrollment. The Wildcats moved to the NCL II with St. Vincent, which is a private school with an enrollment of 400. The league also included Middletown and Upper Lake, which have enrollments of over 400. Tomales was also in the league with an enrollment of about 180 but in football, the Braves were a perennially strong team. To be fair, even with more discipline, that team would have gone 5-5 at best because the league was so daunting.

Thumbnail sketch of the game: Thanks to a minor offensive adjustment, a big play on special teams and a 'bend but don't break' defense, the Wildcats made the 2004 edition of Homecoming night a special one in defeating Upper Lake Cougars.

The crowd was not filled to capacity but was one of the bigger and more enthusiastic ones in recent memory — and for good reason.

The backfield tandem of Shane Kohler (16 carries for 82 yards, two touchdowns) and Anthony Shorrock (14 carries for 70 yards) spearheaded a Calistoga (3-3 overall, 1-0 North Central League I) ground game that produced 235 yards behind the blocking of center Fidel Mendoza, guards Luis Nunez and Eric Mora, tackles Shane Calkins and Andrew Watkins and tight end Jeremy Campbell.

For a rare, and frankly much-welcomed time this season, quarterback Vince Gutierrez actually saw daylight when looking to run. Gutierrez accounted for 59 yards on seven carries.

Anyone who is still uncertain as to whether or not special teams is one-third of football just like offense and defense should rent a film of this game.

Gavin Richard returned the opening kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown. Richard took the kickoff in the middle of the field and raced toward the left sideline and back to the middle. Luis Bravo was one of a handful of Wildcats to deliver key blocks.

The extra point was no good and the Wildcats led 6-0. Upper Lake's offense could not muster a first down on its opening series. Then, after a short punt, Calistoga took over at the Cougar 31.

Kohler then scored on a 20-yard touchdown run. The extra point was no good and the Wildcats led 12-0 with 8:36 left in the opening period.

Calistoga had been plagued by slow starts in its previous two games, a 30-0 loss to Berean Christian (Walnut Creek) and a 40-6 loss to Point Arena.

In this case, however, it was the opponent having to play catchup.

In the Point Arena loss, Wildcats head coach John Antonio opted to pair Shorrock in the backfield with Kohler and split the ball-carrying chores in the process. That method worked in allowing the Wildcats to churn out consistent yardage.

Calistoga's lead swelled to 20-0 on Kohler's 4-yard run and subsequent Gutierrez-to-Shorrock two-point conversion.

On the defensive side, the Wildcats applied pressure in sacking Cougars quarterback Brenden McCarthy five times. Campbell had two of those sacks while Shorrock, Mora and Kohler each had one. Nunez and Mora each added a fumble recovery while Richard intercepted three passes and Kohler one.

The Wildcats defense yielded 199 total yards but Antonio agreed that total was somewhat misleading because of the five sacks. Upper Lake running back Curtis Smith tallied 169 of those yards. Smith scored the Cougars' lone touchdown midway through the third period.

What did it mean: In the long run, very little, the Wildcats went 2-5 the rest of the season. The John Antonio head coaching era would end after just two seasons. However, if you like a team persevering in spite of itself, this was a good win to enjoy. To be fair, though, this is Div. V high school football, even the best teams will have flawed wins.

Calistoga football has continued to be like the stock market, pockets of ups and pockets of downs.

Antonio briefly returned to his alma mater (St. Vincent, Petaluma) as an assistant before becoming the head coach of Richmond High. Antonio, who is a full-time patrol officer with the Petaluma Police Department, later went on to coach Piner (Santa Rosa). The Prospectors went 22-32 under his guidance but steadily improved in each season. Piner scored a 43-29 CIF North Coast section Div. IV playoff win in 2013 over St. Patrick’s (Vallejo). It marked the Prospectors’ first postseason win in football since 2003.

Time Out with Kenneth Jones: 2014 American Canyon

Vince D’Adamo: What have you enjoyed most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Kenneth Jones: As a kid, I would have to say that winning was definitely the aspect I enjoyed the most about athletics. The points and the numbers were all such a huge deal and I only wanted to be the best kid out there, just like Allen Iverson. In high school, I still loved to be successful and do well, however, I started to realize how great of a networking tool athletics can be. I’ve met people from everywhere and some friends for life either on my team or rival teams, which has been the greatest part. Growing up you don’t really realize what’s going when you’re out there meeting other kids and students making connections that could potentially last the rest of your life. Sports have given me some of my best friends and have helped to push me to perform the best I can at whatever I am participating in. Winning still feels amazing though, until this day.

D’Adamo: What have you been up to since graduating from high school?

Jones: Since graduating I decided to attend UC San Diego and have been running on the Track & Field team ever since. Also, I have been recently named as one of the captains for the team. While at school I have been in a number of extra-curricular activities with multiple leadership roles including the Pre-Dental Society, Flying Samaritans organization, Black Student Union, Triton Athletic Council, Student Government, and other roles within athletics. Academically, I am a Human Biology major while following the pre-dental track and I fall more in love with each and every class I take. I have been working on a project. It is Wolfpack Alumni Association (WPAA), which has been in the works now for about two years. It should be in full effect over the next couple of years as it is primed for the Class of 2013 and 2014 to have made it the full four and five years after leaving the high school. I

would definitely stay tuned for this.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class here at American Canyon High?

Jones: This is a tough question, I don’t want teachers coming after me for answering this one. I would have to say….. that my favorite class at the high school would have to be Mr. Olson’s Government and Economics class, it just taught me so many life lessons and Mr. Olson has definitely served as a mentor during my college decision and post high school. I literally learned how to be a citizen in America and found out I can’t be President out of high school like many said I would try. I don’t think I can go and fail to say anything about band class because music has been passions of mine all of my life. I had too many great experiences in that class with all of my teachers, classmates, and the music it’s all still unforgettable.

D’Adamo: What was it like being part of history at American Canyon High as the school opened?

Jones: Being a part of American Canyon High as the inaugural class to graduate for the first full four years was amazing. Starting so many traditions and still seeing those traditions carried over the years will be the real treat. It was a give and take process being the true “guinea pigs“ for the school and the staff, but I wouldn’t have traded it for the world. It allowed me to have the public speaking and leading abilities, which have helped throttle me into the leadership roles at the University level.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since high school and how much of that growth do you trace to athletics?

Jones: I’ve grown immensely as a contributing member of society, as a member of my family, and as a friend to my loved ones. I’ve matured a lot on my decision making, despite me seeming to be flawless in high school, which is something that I’m extremely grateful for. I trace back all of this growth back to God, he’s provided me the abilities and attributes to thrive against adversity. He has put me in places with my back against the wall whether that’s the sports world or life as a normal person and has been there with me every step of the way. I’ve always felt that people have respected what I’ve had to say, and I think that wisdom and maturity comes from traveling and networking through athletics. I highly recommend parents to allow their children to do any sports, it can be humbling and develops a lot of discipline and maturity, that can throttle your child into adulthood.

D’Adamo: Within your family who have been the most influential people?

Jones: I would have to say everyone in my immediate family has been such a big influence on my life, whether it’s an extra-curricular, athletics, or academics; they always have what’s best for me in mind. My mother, father, and sister all contribute something different, however each balancing each other out playing to the strengths and weaknesses of each other. Despite them being my biggest influences they remind me to keep my ears open to the world and use everything I do as a lesson from which I can learn.

To be humbled by the world and learn with an open heart and mind for all things I pursue. My family, my other cousins, brothers and sisters, and aunts and uncles, have been behind me one hundred percent of the way keeping my morale high and mind in the right place to be as successful as I can be. I owe all of these people the world and they will never be forgotten as I transition into adulthood and begin my own family and life apart from them.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports, that you would most like to meet.

Jones: OK, this person is going to sound really really really cliché, and you would think that I would pick anyone else, but it’s okay I think he’s fitting for the times we are in now. I would really really like to meet Martin Luther King Jr. Yes, I know this is a typical answer, however the movement he lead, is something I want for our world today. I know it’ll never be perfect, but it seems no one person can step up in our society today and stand up and push for equality amongst us all. Not to say this person isn’t out there now, however one strong

person can be the catalyst through this journey and allow for supporters to have a positive model to follow and advocate for.

In life you tend to want to meet a lot of people, two people I really look up to are J.Cole, the Dreamville artist, and Barack Obama. Lyrically I’ve looked up to J.Cole for a very long time as he has be the light for me in a lot of dark times. Listening to his music or interviews were so relatable to me and I think he has some of the most influential lyrics and an amazing awareness of what’s important in his life and how it has helped him and how it could help his listeners. Obama… well he speaks for himself. Doesn’t everyone want to meet the President someday?

Time Out with Jerod Kansanback: 2014 American Canyon High graduate

Vince D’Adamo: What have you enjoyed most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Jerod Kansanback: Athletics has always been a huge part of my life. No matter what sport it was I just loved to compete. I dedicated most of my time to football as I loved all the different aspects of the game. I enjoyed playing High school football most with all the different people and memories I made over the years. Overall, competing in sports ingrained many life lesson and skills that I still use today to be successful.

D’Adamo: What have you been up to since graduating from high school?

Kansanback: After I graduated from high school, I still hadn't decided if I wanted to go to college even after applying and being accepted to many. I ended up enlisting in the Marine corps and working for the city of American canyon for about 6 months before I shipped to boot camp. I am currently deployed to Australia and plan to finish my degree while I'm in the Marine Corps.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class here at American Canyon High?

Kansanback: Humanities class with Elizabeth Goff. I had her as teacher ever since 7th grade and she is definitely one of the best teachers I’ve been taught by. It's not just about grades with her and she actually takes pride in job and cares for her students. Anybody that has her at American Canyon High School is lucky.

D’Adamo: What was it like being part of history at American Canyon High as the school opened?  

Kansanback: It's pretty unique being able to be part of the opening classes in a brand new school. You're given the opportunity to mold the school and traditions how you want to and  create a legacy for each class after you. I know I take pride in all the hard work the football program put in to put American Canyon on the map for a city known for its dominance in football.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since high school and how much of that growth do you trace to athletics?

Kansanback: I've definitely grown a lot since graduating high school. Everything I was taught in the football program from working hard to unselfishness I brought with me to the Marine Corps and it made for an easy transition. Head coaches Larry Singer and Ian MacMillan played an important role always challenging me to become better even when I thought it wasn't possible. Everybody that I played with and was coached by during those four years of High school gave me something to take with me into life and grow from.

D’Adamo: Within your family who have been the most influential people?

 

Kansanback: Without a doubt my parents. I can go to them for advice about anything. No matter what they always supported my goals and what I wanted to do. Whether it be my mom coordinate parent volunteers so we could eat team dinners or my dad driving countless miles to watch us take on an opponent somewhere we never heard of. I wouldn't be as successful as I am today without their hard work and wisdom, and I can only hope to be a parent like them to my children.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports, that you would most like to meet.

Kansanback: I would most like to meet Ray Lewis because he was an inspiration to me playing football as a linebacker and he's a very knowledgeable man.

Time Out with Brian King: Napa High athletic director

Vince D’Adamo: Be it as an administrator or coach, what have you enjoyed most about being involved in athletics?

Brian King: My coaching career has mostly been at lower levels - I started off with JV Basketball at three different schools (Atwater, Patterson and then Napa), and I have coached my son in CYO the last three years. The reward at those levels is definitely to see an athlete get better and contribute to a team in ways that maybe they didn't see possible at the beginning of a season. To have a team goal and work together to achieve that and when I was coaching JVs, to prepare kids for the varsity team the next year - the big show.

As athletic director my role is different as I am here to support the coaches and the athletes. By far my best moments have been watching a coach that I have had some sort of role in supporting, hiring, etc. working their craft with the kids and seeing them out on the court/field/pool developing young men and women. Finding good coaches is such a big part of what I do, so when we manage to nab one and get them on board, I am ecstatic to see them go about their business and work with the athletes. Kelly Van Winden, whom you blogged about, is a perfect example. When you walk into her practice or you sit in on a team meeting, you are blown away by the confidence and the skill set that she brings to our program. That is very rewarding to me and keeps me coming back year after year.

D’Adamo: It is often said that athletics and academics coexist, how much have you found that to be true?

King: There is zero doubt that athletics and academics co-exist to create excellence.  Our best teams have had the highest GPAs. Case in point, our football section championship in 2007 - 49 out of the 53 player on that team had a 3.0 GPA or higher. Good students make for smart athletes, and smart athletes are more inclined to dedicate themselves to a cause and do the work necessary to succeed. That doesn't mean that every 4.0 athlete is going to be heading on to the next level in college to be a star, but our better students tend to be our leaders on campus, and that a leadership generally translates to the team aspect to form a tight knit group with a common goal.

D’Adamo: Beyond victories and defeats, when bringing in a coach, what are common denominator qualities you seek?

King: My mantra has always been that we need coaches in our programs that will lead young men and women. Barb Franco used to always say, “Of course we want to win games - that's why we have a scoreboard,” but she was quick to point out that we need other intangibles first, such as the leadership piece.  

Another common denominator I look for is the ability to communicate. A coach can go 27-0 but be a horrible communicator and the players/parents will tolerate him/her. A different coach could go 0-27 yet effectively communicate their vision and philosophy with the community and people with embrace them. As a society we thirst for someone to outline their plan and effectively communicate that with us, but to often that never happens. When someone comes along that can lay it out for their team and lead them towards the vision described, people are all too eager to jump on board and follow.

D’Adamo: From the student-athlete perspective, what life lessons do you hope they learn from sports?

King: I was reading Andrew Pieper's blog that he wrote for you and I thought he nailed it on the head. Andrew is a perfect example of a student-athlete that wasn't the biggest or the fastest, but he was a hard worker. He was also an excellent student and as a result he enjoyed tremendous success on the field and will always be remembered for his accomplishments at Napa High. Andrew remembers the moments he had with his teammates and the lessons he learned from his coaches; no doubt he will carry those with him the rest of his life.

I also have been strongly influenced by a former Napa High parent who once told me this; “Twenty years from now none of these kids will remember the score on a Tuesday night in the spring of a game they played against Armijo. But they will remember the fun times they had and the friends/coaches they spent that spring with.” Point being here, when kids become adults, and those adults look back at their time as a Napa High athlete, I hope they can remember two things:  that they had a great time being on that team and that they got better athletically as they went along the way.  That to me sounds like a successful season!

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

King: I certainly am blessed to have a family backing me, allowing me to do the job I do.  I spend a lot of evenings at Napa High, and those evenings mean that someone has to be carrying the slack at home and keeping the machine turning. My wife, Camille, and I have formed a partnership for 21 years now and she has been an amazing support for me.  We are both in education so we understand the system - she is my sounding board on a lot of issues I come into. We are very different in so many ways which allows us to balance each other and offer a different perspective. Through my time as A.D. she has developed a passion for Napa High Athletics as well, which translates well to the present when my oldest child begins this fall and will compete for the Indians.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet. What would intrigue you about meeting him or her?

King: I hope I don't disappoint by not selecting a sports figure....but if I could have dinner with just one person (not currently in my circle of peeps) I would choose CS Lewis.  At different times in my life he has had a profound influence on me through his writings on man's search for meaning and exploring spiritual issues.  Sometimes he makes my brain spin inside my head with his ideas and theories, but boy could that guy go deep!  

Coincidentally I was just in the U.K. this summer and one of the places we visited was the pub that Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein used to frequent, The Eagle and Child.  I am sure I would have been out of my league in most of their conversations, but I do enjoy exploring the deeper side of life and looking at the big picture.

Road back to the playoffs clear cut for the Raiders in 2016

After being in the abyss for much of the last 14 years, expectations are high for the Oakland Raiders entering the 2016 season.

Since 2002 when the reached the Super Bowl only to lose 48-21 to Tampa Bay, the Raiders have cornered the market on terrible in going 66-145. The franchise had consecutive 8-8 seasons in 2010-2011 but has posted nary a winning record since 2002.

In head coach Jack Del Rio’s debut in 2015, Oakland improved from 3-13 to 7-9 but achieved something meaningful. The Raiders served notice to other teams that they were no longer an automatic victory for the opposition. For further evidence, in 2014, Oakland was outscored by an average of 12.4 points per contest. In 2015, the Raiders were outscored by an average of just 2.5 points per game.

While I’m not a believer in the term “moral victory,” I do believe some losses are more honorable than others and considering the Raiders had more than a decade full of dishonorable losses, you have to start somewhere.

The 2016 season, however, will come with expectations. Translation, being competitive will not be good enough.

After years of swinging and missing on first-round draft picks and free agent signings, Oakland has rebuilt its roster through the draft with cornerstones such as quarterback Derek Carr, defensive end Khalil Mack, wide receiver Amari Cooper and offensive lineman Gabe Jackson to name a few. Oakland has since used free agency to patch more holes such as offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele, linebacker Bruce Irvin, safety Reggie Nelson and cornerback Sean Smith.

On paper, the Raiders roster appears much better. Couple that with the fact that the rest of the AFC West appears to be trending down bodes well for Oakland. The Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos figure to have a Top 5 level defense despite the losses of defensive tackle Malik Jackson and linebacker Danny Trevathan. Though retired quarterback Peyton Manning was just a shell of himself, the Broncos will miss his leadership. Denver is still capable of a deep postseason run.

Kansas City’s path to an 11-5 season coupled with its first playoff win since 1994 was nothing short of amazing. The Chiefs recovered from a 1-5 start to win 11 straight despite losing its best offensive (Jamaal Charles) and defensive (Justin Houston) players to injury. While Andy Reid and Alex Smith are solid in their titles of head coach and quarterback respectively, both have likely reached their ceiling.

San Diego has a quarterback past his prime in Phillip Rivers and too many question marks to be a threat in the AFC West.

Another reason the Raiders are trendy pick to win 10 or more games and return to the postseason is the strength of schedule. Beyond the Chiefs and Broncos, Oakland faces just one team (Carolina) that reached the postseason in 2015.

In my judgment though, preseason strength of schedule is one of the most meaningless stats in all of creation. What a team did last season has zero bearing on what it will do this season.

The obvious answer to the Raiders getting back to the postseason is winning division games. Oakland went 3-3 in such contests last year. It would behoove the Raiders to go at least 4-2 against such foes this year.

However, I can think of two other stretches of games that will be defining:

Sept. 11 @ New Orleans

Sept. 18 vs. Atlanta

Sept. 25 @Tennessee

Oct. 2 @ Baltimore

The opponents do not look daunting as they combined for a 23-41 mark in 2015 but you are looking at three games in the Eastern Time Zone and for a West Coast team the adjustment is significant because the kickoffs are 1 p.m. local time but 10 a.m. Pacific Time. You can argue that the change is as mental as it is physical. Between 2003-2014, Oakland went 14-46 (28% winning percentage) in the Eastern Time Zone that represented 10 a.m. kickoff times. The Raiders went 2-3 in such games last season. That record is a small sample size that looks pedestrian but the last time Oakland won two such games in a season was 2005.

The key in this stretch is making sure they win the Atlanta and Tennessee games and getting no worse than a split against New Orleans and Baltimore. Atlanta is often good but very seldom great. The Falcons are also a dome team that struggles in outdoor games. Since entering the NFL in 2008, the Falcons are 52-20 at home in quarterback Matt Ryan’s starts 22-25 on the road. The Titans have quarterback Marcus Mariota as a strong building block but it’ll take time before they see any real progress from their rebuilding efforts.

New Orleans is in much the same category as Atlanta. The Saints are in rebuild mode and figures to be a mid-level club. Oakland is superior on paper but the venue alone makes this a high alert situation. In the Drew Brees quarterbacking era, the Saints are 51-29 at the Superdome and 43-37 on the road.

Baltimore went 5-11 last season but was eviscerated with injuries, most notably to quarterback Joe Flacco. While even a healthy Ravens team has question marks, this game comes on the back end of consecutive cross-country trips.

In this stretch, 2-2 is floor regarding expectations but 3-1 would pack a greater punch.

Oct. 23 @ Jacksonville

Oct. 30 @ Tampa Bay

Another stretch of back-to-back Eastern Time Zone games. The Raiders might as well spend two weeks in Florida without bothering to fly home. The opponents are not only in the same state but in similar positions, rebuilding but Jacksonville is closer to contention than Tampa being in the weak AFC South. The matchup against Tampa Bay would fall into the “look ahead” spot in that it comes the week before what figures to be a highly anticipated Primetime game at home against Denver. In this stretch, Oakland must do no worse than a split, 0-2 and kiss the playoffs goodbye.

The road back to the postseason is clear. Stay healthy and handle business.

Time Out with Andrew Pieper: 2008 Napa High graduate

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life? Andrew Pieper: I most enjoyed the relationships that I built with both teammates and coaches during my athletic career. I am still good friends with many of the people I played with and still stay in contact with many of the coaches that coached me. I also enjoyed the valuable lessons that athletics taught me among those being lessons in hard work, being goal oriented and working as a team to achieve success. D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school? Pieper: After high school I continued my baseball career at Napa Valley College where I played for two years and from my exposure at the JC, received a scholarship to play at Missouri Western State University. After graduating from Missouri Western with a degree in Business Administration, I moved back to Napa and started working as an accountant at a local firm. D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Napa High? Pieper: My favorite classes at Napa High were U.S. history with Brian King and Economics with Mike Warrington. D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Napa High? Pieper: My favorite athletic moment at Napa High was our last drive on offense at the Section Championship game in 2007. We needed to get a couple of first downs to clinch the win and so we just kept handing the ball off to Jake Croxdale. He scratched and clawed for every yard he could get which eventually lead us to victory. Jake was the hardest working and most determined athlete I've ever had the privilege to play with and in that drive I could just see it in his eye that he would not be denied the championship. I'll never forget winning that title with some of my best friends that I still have to this day. D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics? Pieper: I feel I have grown very much since graduating high school, and I owe a lot of that growth to what I learned from athletics. I was lucky to have some of the best coaches. From Matt Stewart, who was my coach at 13 years old playing River Rats, to Troy Mott who coached our section championship team and many in between. My coaches throughout the years have all influenced me immensely. All of the coaches I've had have taught me the valuable lessons in life. All have emphasized the value of hard work and putting your best foot forward everyday, no matter what. The influence they have had on my present self is exponential and I owe all my coaches a great deal of thanks for molding me into the man I am today. D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people? Pieper: My father has been and still continues to be, the most influential person on me. He is the hardest working person I know and would do anything to ensure that my sister and I have a happy and successful life. He has taught me so many valuable lessons that I hope to pass on to my future children. Not to discount my other family members, who have also played crucial roles in my development over the years. I am lucky to have all of them in my life. D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet. Pieper: The historical figure I would most like to meet is Jerry Rice. He embodies what it means to be a true professional. He wasn't the biggest he wasn't the fastest, but he was going to outwork everyone, every time.