Napa High starts game with big run to gain control, has duo of double-digit scorers to beat Vintage

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

kfost91197@gmail.com

Twitter/X: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews

A lot can be said about a confident and comfortable team. When a team gets to this point, they can be dangerous. 

In Wednesday night’s first Big Game boys basketball of the season, Napa High showed how they’ve turned a corner this season as they beat Vintage, 56-39, at Messner Gym. 

Napa High (5-9 overall, 2-0 Vine Valley Athletic League) was in control of this one the whole way. They took control right away by running off an 11-0 burst to take an early lead. 

This only continued as the Grizzlies ran the lead to double digits in the second quarter with an 11-1 scoring burst. They also put the game away in the third with an 11-4 run, which gave them a 47-27 lead. 

“We just thought about the next play, and next play,” Napa senior Cris Rendon said.  “We said we’re gonna get a stop down low on defense and score on the other end, and that’s what worked out.” 

However, Napa also had a pair of players take the controls on offense in the game to lead the way. Finishing with a game-high of 20 points and 6 rebounds was Rendon. The senior scored 13 points in the first half and made 1 of 2 free throws in the game. 

“I think in our program, developing their game, being able to catch and shoot, being able to stop on balance, being able to finish up the basket, are all things that we emphasize year-round,” Napa High head coach Carson Carattini said. “Cris is just the guy who’s been in our program for four years. He’s been in the weight room. It’s finally his turn.” 

Rendon was a force all over the floor in the game. He made three shots from the three-point line in the game and put a lot of pressure on the defense by being able to score around the rim. 

“You put work in the lab,” Rendon said of his game. “I guess it pays off.” 

Also scoring in double-digits for the Grizzlies was senior center Will Flynn. He finished the game with a double-double performance of 17 points, 14 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots. Flynn scored 11 points in the first half and made 7 of 8 free throws in the game. Flynn and Rendon complement each other by being able to make a defense account for both of them. 

Others scoring for Napa in the game were Tideus Chaidez (8 points, 1 rebound, blocked shot), Hunter Griffin (3 points, 4 rebounds), Henry MacPherson (3 points, 1 rebound), and Josh Briones (3 points). 

After a tough non-league slate, Napa has found its groove to begin league play. They also feel as if they’re battle-tested. 

Vintage (5-10, 0-2 VVAL) responded from the opening run to cut the deficit to three when they ran off their own 7-2 scoring burst in the second quarter. However, this would be as close as they would get in the game. 

“I think we started to move the ball a lot better, be patient,” Vintage first-year head coach Matt Uffmann said of the run his team went on in the second quarter. “Offensively, better, and then defensively, we started to play with a certain pace that we want to play all game.” 

The Crushers struggled to match the intensity needed the rest of the way, which is how the game got away from them. 

“I don’t think we matched their intensity,” Uffmann added. “I think we came in thinking we were going to be aggressive, and then the wheels just started to fall off. Defensively, we were not playing smart in our gaps, communicating, and then offensively, we were looking for early shots. We were taking tough shots instead of the great shot, and we blinked, and they were on that 11-0 run.” 

On the other hand, Vintage also didn’t get the scoring it needed in the game. Leading them as their team-high scorer was senior Rory Holland. He finished with 10 points and 5 rebounds. 

Others scoring in the game for the Crushers were Adar Yildiz (9 points, 5 rebounds, blocked shot), Austin Broyles (8 points, 1 rebound), Anthony Willmert (6 points, 1 rebound), Evan Rosetta (4 points), and Dominic Oram (2 points, 1 rebound).  

Both teams will return to action on Saturday. Vintage will visit Petaluma at 5:30 pm as part of Super Saturday. Napa will visit San Leandro in a non-league game at 4 pm. The Grizzlies will visit Petaluma on Tuesday at 7 pm in their next league contest.

In other VVAL action Thursday night, Casa Grande beat Petaluma 69-54, and Justin-Siena beat American Canyon 57-55.