Vintage gets off to fast start in first half to gain comfortable lead and beat Napa in Big Game LIV

By Kyle Foster, photo courtesy of Eric Thompson (Shamboozled.com) 

kfost91197@gmail.com

Twitter/X: @NapaSportsNews @NapaKyle 

A fast start will always make things go smoothly, no matter what type of game it is. But when it’s a rivalry game, starting fast just takes the nerves away. 

On Friday night at Memorial Stadium, this is what Vintage did as they rolled past crosstown rival Napa High, 37-0, in Big Game LIV (54). 

On their first drive of the game, Vintage went right down the field, and it ended when Porter found Travis Larsen for a 26-yard scoring play with 8:59 left in the first quarter. 

Vintage once again continued to play ball-control football, this time scoring on a 2-yard run by Sawyer Carmichael with 3:39 to go in the first quarter. 

The Crushers (5-0) began the game fast and in a groove on offense because the moment wasn’t too big for them. It also helped that they had their bye week before this to get everything tuned up how they’d want it to. 

“I just think the moment’s not too big for most of these kids,” Vintage head coach Dylan Leach explained. “A lot of them are two- three-year starters, so the moment’s not too big. And we just came out and executed with the game plan. We had a script and we ran it to a tee.”

With 6 minutes left until the half, the Crushers scored when Sean Butler scored on a 29-yard jet sweep. 

The Crushers took a 30-0 lead into the half when Porter scored on a 17-yard run. He carried the ball just 3 times for 44 yards in the game. 

Out of the break, the only score came when Porter found Ruben Sanchez for a long 59-yard scoring play. This was the lone catch of the game for Sanchez. But he also carried the ball 3 times for 36 yards. 

As for Porter, he finished the game by completing 6 of 10 passes for 135 yards and 2 scores. He also ran for 34 yards on 3 rushes. This effort got him named as the Napa Valley Register’s Big Game Vintage MVP and Great American Rivalry Series MVP. This is his second year in a row winning the Register’s award after doing so last year. 

“Oh, it’s, it’s awesome,” Porter said of winning the awards in his final year. “I love football. I’m a baseball kid. But every time I step out on this football field, I give it everything I can give it.” 

He also wouldn’t have been able to do this without the nice supporting cast around him. After all, this was a game where Vintage spread out the scoring, which makes them even harder to stop. 

“It’s awesome, especially when everyone can do what we need them to do,” Porter explained of everyone scoring. “It’s just something else we’ve been working hard, and it’s just what’s going to happen when everyone puts in their time.” 

But his skills as a facilitator are what make the offense go. His ability to be a dual threat makes things even tougher. 

“He’s a leader. He’s vocal,” Leach said of his senior signal caller. “The kids follow him. Him and I have a great relationship. I don’t know if you see it, but like we get on each other on the sidelines, and it’s awesome.” 

With the win, the Crushers have now won their 9th straight Big Game. This narrows the all-time series to 29-23-2 with Napa still in the lead. 

“I mean, it means everything we talk about all the time,” Leach said of extending the current winning streak. “Big Game wins, they don’t come easy. I tell these kids, winning is not easy, and they keep just showing up every day and putting their time into create these ws.” 

As for Napa High (2-3), they had a hard time moving the ball all night. However, in the second half, they were able to move the ball thanks to using dump downs. They had a hard time running the ball all night due to Vintage’s defense stifling anything in the run game. 

“Our identity was more of running the ball, and they took that away from us tonight,” Napa High head coach Chris Harris explained. “They didn’t let us run the ball and get success running it, so we had to change up to move the ball down the field.” 

The one leading them down the field was senior quarterback Rocco Capponi. In the game, he completed 9 of 15 passes for 39 yards while also running for 38 yards on 10 carries. 

“When it was a pass play, he was really clean in the pocket, eyes down the field,” Harris added. “Was able to scramble when nothing was open, and when it was open, he delivered the ball on time and on target.”  

Both teams will be back into league play in their football-only leagues next week. Napa will be on the road at Petaluma on Friday night at 7 pm. 

As for Vintage, this ends the non-league and they now head into the season they’ve been working for in Adobe League play, where they’ll host Rancho Cotate next Friday night.