Tamalpais uses passing game to get offense going, beat Napa is regular season finale

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

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

Kfost91197@gmail.com

Twitter/X: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews

There are times you can play good despite not getting the result you wanted. You can also play badly when getting the result you wanted. It’s quite odd how it works sometimes. 

On Friday night at Memorial Stadium, this is what Napa High did in its final game of the season as they lost 28-12 to Tamalpais of Mil Valley. 

The Red Tailed Hawks (3-7, 3-3 REC-Valley) started the game slowly but were able to open things up due in large part due to the use of their short passing game. After all, quarterback Henry Tuttle finished the night by completing 12 of 14 passes for 214 yards in the game. 

The first score for Tamalpais came when Tuttle found Timo Ural for a 14-yard score with 52.7 left in the first quarter. This gave the Red Hawks the lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. 

Tamalpais took a two-score lead into the half when Tuttle found Streeter Holt for a long 52-yard touchdown pass. They also converted the two-point try, which made it a two-score game when Tuttle found Ural on a passing play. Ural had 3 catches for 26 yards in the game. 

In the third quarter, the only score came when Tuttle threw his third touchdown pass of the game, this time to Wyatt Leach on a 20-yard score to go up 22-6. Leach had the one catch in the contest. 

The final score of the game came when Tuttle found Cole Kramlich for a 10-yard scoring play. Kramlich ended the night with 6 receptions for 91 yards to lead the receivers for Tamalpais.  

Napa (3-7, 1-5 REC-Valley) began the game fast. After turning the ball over with a fumble on their first drive, they bounced back on their second and scored the first touchdown of the game. It was also a nice, long 12-play, 92-yard drive that ended on a Rocco Capponi 45-yard touchdown run down the sideline on an option play. 

The Grizzlies’ only other score came in the third quarter when they finally were able to get something after getting down into the red zone all night long. The second score came when Capponi again found the end zone, this time from 4 yards out. Napa was unable to convert the two-point try that would’ve made it a one-score game. 

Capponi ended the night as Napa’s leading rusher. After all, he toted the ball 13 times for 106 yards in the game. In his final game on the gridiron, he certainly left it all on the field. 

“He’s everything you would ask for in a player,” Napa head coach Chris Harris said. “He’s played injured the whole season, and as we’re talking, he’s getting a sling. He gives everything. I couldn’t be more proud of him as an individual and a leader on this team.” 

Despite the loss, this was a performance Harris was happy with. The reason for this was that his team fought and stayed in the game the whole way. 

“These guys were ready to go all week,” Harris explained. “ They were itching to get out there and get and get a win, and play against a competitive football team, and they just gave it everything.” 

Before the game, Napa High honored its 10 seniors. All of these players have put in work and grown in the three years under this coaching staff. 

“They bought into what we’re doing,” Harris explained of the impact of the senior group. “It’s not easy when you have a new coach after a year, or whatever it is, that they had to adapt to change, and they adapted the seniors that are here now. They put in the work, and they busted their ass for the program, and I’m really happy to be their coach.”