Vintage plays lock down defense to take consolation title, Windsor edges Napa on final day of Wine Valley
By Kyle Foster
Twitter: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews
Finishing strong in a tournament can lead to momentum with the next game being just a few days away.
But for the two local teams in the Wine Valley Tournament, only one would end with a victory header into next’s week action.
In the consolation game, Vintage handled Bethel-Vallejo 50-31.
The Crushers (5-2) got off to a bit of a sluggish start, but after the second quarter started they plowed past the Jaguars (1-2).
“Third game of a three-day tournament. It is what it is,” Vintage head coach Ben Gongora said. “We got the AM breakfast club game. It took us a few minutes to get warmed up, so that’s ok.”
A large reason Vintage pulled away was their defense that allowed 17 points in the final three-quarters of the contest.
“I think we all just wanted it out there,” Vintage senior center Cole Capitani said. “We just wanted to stop them and put them away early.”
Another force that led the Crushers to the victory was their double-digit scoring duo of Capitani and Jackson Corley.
Capitani finished with yet another double-double effort. He scored 19 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
“We love his presence. He’s a big target for us to throw over the top when we’re going against smaller teams,” Gongora said of Capitani’s impact in the game. “And that’s what we did a Bethel didn’t make the adjustment.”
Meanwhile, Corley pitched in 12 points and five rebounds.
“It’s nice to always have Jackson out there,” Capitani said of his fellow senior. “Just always someone to kick to, get the ball from. Just a good person.”
Vintage will be back into action on Tuesday night at 7 pm when they face Santa Rosa.
Napa falls in third-place game
In the third-place contest, Windsor beat Napa 49-40.
It was the second consecutive contest where the Grizzlies (1-4) faded down the stretch.
“We went away from our game plan, and we paid the price for it,” Napa High head coach Joel Garcia explained. “But we switched everything up in our program this last week, and the boys have tremendously improved since our first game against Santa Rosa.”
Napa was once again led by Dylan Newman. The senior center scored 16 points and added 10 rebounds for yet another double-double performance.
“It’s beautiful,” Garcia explained. “The guy is working hard every single day. He’s a leader on the court and off the court. He’s always an individual we can count on when it comes to leading the team.”
The more concerning part of the game was the lack of anyone else scoring for the Grizzlies. The next leading scorer was Tyler Oda with seven points.
The loss also means Napa will finish in fourth place in their tournament.
Napa will be on the road as well on Tuesday night at 7 pm when they face Wood in Vacaville.
