Robyn Stevens figured Jessie Lenox could use a big bag when the Vacaville High senior goes to BYU, so the 2021 Olympic race walker brought one when she visited her alma mater on Wednesday. And it was no ordinary bag. It was one of three she received as a member of Team USA when she arrived in Tokyo.
Inside the bag was a Team USA sport top and beanie. Robyn also brought a balloon and greeting card to congratulate Jessie three days before the 17-year-old receives her diploma at the graduation ceremony. And to think neither Jessie nor Robyn, who is training for the 2024 U.S. Olympic trials later this month in Springfield, Ore., knew anything about one another until just two weeks ago.
Jessie was surprised to learn Vacaville has an Olympic athlete and said she would use Google to learn all she could about Robyn, a 2001 Vacaville graduate. When Robyn learned Jessie has been battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma since February, she asked how she could meet such an “inspirational” young lady.
Principal Adam Wight did his part by calling Jessie to the office for “a surprise.” Wight wanted to tell Jessie who was coming or drop a hint at the very least, but Robyn then walked through the door and hugged Jessie after a brief introduction. It was if they knew each other without knowing each other.
Any journalist worth his or her weight in ink will admit to capitalizing on the worst possible adversity to write an award-winning story. That was true in 2008 when a Fairfield teacher suffered two seizures in front of her students and was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer after she had adopted a 2-year-old girl from China.
My award came wrapped in mixed emotions. The teacher merited consideration for a story solely because of the cancer diagnosis and adoption. She was beloved by her students and co-workers. Most of all, she meant everything to a little girl who had no idea her new mommy would be going away and never coming back.
Jessie Lenox
This was not a sob story. It was an account of a woman staring her mortality in the face as she made arrangements for her daughter to have the life she envisioned for her in the United States. The teacher died two days after turning 46.
All those memories were rekindled upon being introduced to Jessie Lenox, a senior at Vacaville High School who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma on Feb. 14. The intention of the meeting was to find out whether Jessie would be willing to be interviewed for a story and promising her that the story would not cause a single tear to be shed.
Her radiant smile shed light on how she confronted cancer. Jessie researched what could have caused the lump on her neck, so the diagnosis did not come as a shock. She believed her doctors, who said “the treatment was really effective and the recovery was like 90 something percent. They thought I would be totally fine.”
Their assurances armed Jessie with the confidence that her cancer would not be a death sentence. “I knew it wasn’t a matter of if I could die,” she said. “I just wanted to go to school and run. Running is a big part of my life. It’s kind of like therapy for me. The girls I run with (on the track team) are some of my closest friends.”
Competing in track was out of question this spring, however. Her doctors allowed to run on her own as long as she listened to her body and took it easy as needed. She supported her teammates as best she could by lending a hand at meets. Her bald head made it easy to spot her as she hauled hurdles and starting blocks.
The loss of her long blond locks did not make her self-conscious even though she often wears a black cap. Jessie did have to consider what she would do for prom and graduation. Her head was adorned with a flower crown at the prom on May 25. A cap goes with her gown for graduation on Saturday, so she will be good to go.
Jessie looks forward to showing off her prom and graduation photos even though they will be slightly different than those of her classmates. Going to the prom and attending graduation means more to her now that it did a few months ago. Cancer interrupted her senior year, but it could not cancel all the pomp and circumstance.
“When I look back at those photos,” she said, “it won’t be as sad.”
Her multicolored tassel will be moved from right to left Saturday and her black cap tossed in the air at the appropriate moment. Jessie will have graduated from high school and from cancer. One achievement will mean as much as the other.
Reality checks will be distributed Friday at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters meet in Davis. Many athletes who had their way in divisional meets last week will need every bit of luck they can get just to survive the trials. Those who do not might be even luckier because they will not have to be in the finals Saturday with no chance of getting anything more than a pat on the back from a sympathetic coach.
Many of the section qualifiers from Vacaville, Vanden, Will C. Wood and Dixon high schools fall into that category. Vacaville’s Khloe DeLaTorre is the only one to rank first in the section in any event according to Athletic.net. The sophomore has the top time in the 800-meter run at 2:14:43, which she set April 20 in placing second to Carondelet’s Jayla Addision (2:14.36) at the Sacramento Meet of Champions. Granite Bay’s Kylie Nasca was third in 2:16.21. No other girl eclipsed 2:17 that day.
Khloe DeLaTorre and Makayla Galvan on train Monday in preparation for the Masters meet.
Nasca is second to DeLaTorre in the section and is one of the three seniors to crack 2:17 this season. The only other runner to do so is sophomore Veronica White of Christian Brothers. At least two of those five girls will not make it to the state meet May 24-25 at Buchanan High in Clovis because only the top three finishers will go. DeLaTorre knows how it feels to be left out after finishing fourth last year.
The 15-year-old DeLaTorre will do whatever it takes Saturday to earn a ticket. So will other athletes from Vacaville, Vanden and Dixon who rank in the top five in their respective events. Dixon junior Nathan Bloom and sophomore Madison Olds are ranked fifth in the boys shot put and girls discus, respectively. Sophomore Naiaja Sizemore of Vanden is ranked second in the 100 and fourth in the 200.
DeLaTorre was also weighing a heavy Masters load. In addition to the 800, she made it in the 1,600 and helped the Bulldogs qualify in the 4×400 and 4×800 relays. At one least event had to go, so she dropped the 1,600. It has yet to be determined if one relay event will be cut. The same four girls – DeLaTorre, Jensis Rafferty, Reagan Fisher and Alicia Rawdon – compete in each relay, so dropping one will not leave anyone out. DeLaTorre could never do that to a teammate.
Opponents are fair game. DeLaTorre has a specific strategy for each of those who might give her a run for money. She knew exactly what to expect in the 1,600 final at the Division III meet. Brenna Mannion of Vista del Lago, the only Division III girl to break 5 minutes this season, tucked in behind DeLaTorre with Placer’s Anna Seares running out front.
As soon as Mannion made a move on DeLaTorre by pulling even on the third lap, DeLaTorre figured it was time to make a “big move.” She immediately pulled away from Mannion and zipped past Seares to win comfortably in 5:09.05. Mannion was second in 5:12.95, followed by Seares and Vacaville sophomore Makayla Galvan.
Ryan Smith coaches Vacaville High’s defensive backs, so he might as well take this week off as the Bulldogs prepare to face Elk Grove on Friday in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs. Anyone who has followed the Bulldogs in recent seasons knows the Thundering Herd throw the ball as often as a fat guy sees his shoes.
Elk Grove’s David Hale has thrown 10 or more passes in three games this season and completed more than four just once. The junior went 9-of-12 for 67 yards and a touchdown in a 45-7 loss to San Ramon Valley on Sept. 8. That left the Thundering Herd at 1-3, but Elk Grove recovered with five consecutive wins to become eligible for the playoffs.
Ryan Smith
The section has straightened out its playoff format by using enrollment to determine which teams belong in one of the seven divisions. Teams had to win a minimum of four games to advance to the playoffs except in Division IV, which had 10 teams qualify and filled out the 12-team bracket by adding two teams based on CalPreps rankings.
Dixon and Ceres made it with 3-7 records. The ninth-seeded Rams, who started 0-5 this season, will play Rosemont in Sacramento on Friday. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals and face No. 1 Twelve Bridges in Lincoln on Nov. 10. Twelve Bridges opened in the fall of 2021.
Vacaville is the No. 9 seed in Division II and will travel to Elk Grove. This will be their fourth postseason meeting in six years. There were no playoffs three years ago when the spread of COVID-19 turned the 2020 fall season into five games in the spring of 2021.
The Bulldogs would rather not be reminded that they lost the first three playoff meetings with the Thundering Herd. The 2018 loss was respectable with Elk Grove scoring four touchdowns in the second quarter on its way to a 28-21 victory. A year later, Elk Grove ran for 392 yards and six touchdowns in a 52-29 rout. Elk Grove was 0-of-2 passing.
Elk Grove’s Ethan Archuleta did more damage with his legs than his arm in 2021. Archuleta rushed for 242 yards and three touchdowns as the Thundering Herd gained 559 yards on the ground in a 52-48 victory. Archuleta also completed one pass for 24 yards.
Quarterback Ryan Vaughan kept Vacaville in the game by going 28-of-42 for 336 yards and two touchdowns. The senior also ran for 47 yards and a score. Rare is the game in which the Bulldogs have nearly twice as many passing attempts as rushing (24).
Vacaville has had three consecutive seasons with 200 or more passing attempts. To put that in perspective, the Bulldogs had more than 150 in a season just once from 2010 to 2019. Elk Grove has not had more than 85 attempts in a season since 2016, when Jayden Machado completed 159 of 245 passes for 2,294 yards and 35 touchdowns.
Please contact local law enforcement if you have seen Vacaville High School’s offense. It was missing Friday night as the Bulldogs edged Rodriguez 16-14 despite scoring their fewest points in a Monticello Empire League game since 2014.
The Mustangs lost by fewer than 30 points for just the third time in 15 meetings with the Bulldogs since 2008. Vacaville had 191 yards of total offense after averaging 410 in its first 14 games against Rodriguez.
Vacaville had 139 rushing yards, failing to reach 200 for the sixth time in as many games in 2023. The Bulldogs have run for 200 just once in their past 18 games and only six times in their past 34 since 2020.
VacavillequarterbackBrody Fortunati has had better luck handing off the ball than throwing itin the past five games.
Put that in perspective. The Bulldogs rushed for 200 or more yards in 32 of their 46 games from 2016 to ’19. And running against Rodriguez has been as easy as mowing the synthetic turf in Tom Zunino Stadium.
The Bulldogs have run for 300 or more yards against the Mustangs in 10 of 15 games and reached 400 six times. Friday’s game was the third in a row that Rodriguez held Vacaville to fewer than 200.
It is hard to believe the Mustangs have finally figured out how to stop the Bulldogs. No MEL team has had success containing Vacaville’s offense even when the Bulldogs were as predictable as the sun rising.
Quarterback Brody Fortunati has struggled since passing for 321 yards and four touchdowns in the opener against Davis. The senior has thrown for a total of 303 yards and three touchdowns in the past five games. He completed six of a season-low 13 attempts for 52 yards and a touchdown on Friday night.
Vacaville has invested considerable time to diversify its offense and the past two seasons suggest as much. The Bulldogs threw the ball 227 times in 2022 and 251 in ’21, the only seasons in the past 10 in which when they reached 200.
From 2013 to ’19, the Bulldogs had at least 300 more rushing attempts than passing in six of seven seasons. The ground game became the team’s trademark when the Bulldogs won Sac-Joaquin Section championships in 2007 (572 rushing attempts to 111 passing) and 2011 (666 rushing to 128 passing).
A run heavy offense has one drawback in that a double-digit deficit will be difficult to overcome because running plays take more time. That explains why a team leading in a game will run to drain the clock.
This season is ticking away for the Bulldogs. They must find and define their offense before time runs out.
Welcome to the annual race for second place, otherwise known as football in the Monticello Empire League. Let’s cut to the chase and concede the 2023 championship to Vacaville High without making the Bulldogs play five games.
Vacaville has won six consecutive MEL titles, so the only suspense each season is which team will take second. And even that has not been exciting with Vanden finishing as the runner-up in each of the past five seasons.
Tanner Donaldson contributed tothe Bulldogs’ success as a player and now hopes to do as an assistant coach.
Will C. Wood was second in 2017, the first season after Napa and Vintage left the league. Vanden and Fairfield joined the MEL when the Superior California Athletic Conference folded.
Vanden is the only MEL team to come within 20 points of Vacaville in three of the past four years. The Vikings lost 35-17 to the Bulldogs two years ago, their last loss on their way to the state 3-AA championship.
If Vanden lost twice to Vacaville with Tre Dimes at quarterback, what chance do the Vikings stand without him?
Will C. Wood lost 34-31 to Vacaville in 2018, three years after the Wildcats humbled the Bulldogs in a 49-26 victory. The Bulldogs’ last MEL loss was 28-21 to Napa in 2016. Vacaville has won 27 consecutive MEL games since then.
Vacaville’s average margin of victory during that winning streak is 33.6 points. That includes a 40-10 victory against Napa in 2017, a parting gift for the only team that could give Vacaville a run for the money.
The 2023 MEL season kicks off Friday night with Vacaville welcoming Rodriguez to Tom Zunino Stadium, Fairfield traveling to Wood and Vanden visiting Armijo. The closest the Mustangs have come against the Bulldogs was a 49-42 loss in 2008.
Rodriguez has come within 30 points of Vacaville twice in 14 meetings since then. The Bulldogs’ average margin of victory against the Mustangs is 40 points, including three games decided by 50 or more .
Armijo is the only unbeaten team at 5-0, but three of the Royals’ victories have come against teams with a combined record of 1-14. Fairfield’s five opponents are a combined 7-16. The Falcons did manage to beat Davis 27-26, but let’s not forget the Blue Devils were routed 43-0 by the Bulldogs in the first week.
Two of Wood’s three victories have come against 0-6 Sacramento and 0-5 Dixon by a total of 14 points. Armijo routed Dixon 42-7 two weeks after the Rams gave the Wildcats all they could handle in a 19-8 loss.
Vacaville can afford to look ahead to the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs because no MEL team will pose a threat to the Bulldogs’ reign. The playoffs have not been kind to the Bulldogs, who are 6-9 in the postseason since winning the section Division II title in 2011. They have reached the semifinals once in 10 years since then.
Two section championships in a span of six years (Vacaville won its first in 2006) raised the bar for the Bulldogs. MEL titles are nice, but they lose their luster when they become as certain as death and taxes.
Vanden is the only MEL team to come within 20 points of Vacaville in three of the past four years. The Vikings lost 35-17 to the Bulldogs two years ago, their last loss on their way to the state 3-AA championship.
Will C. Wood lost 34-31 to Vacaville in 2018, three years after the Wildcats humbled the Bulldogs in a 49-26 victory. The Bulldogs’ last MEL loss was 28-21 to Napa in 2016. Vacaville has won 27 in a row since then.
Relocating has become a routine for Kyle DeVan. The 2003 Vacaville High School graduate would kick the habit if his livelihood did not depend on it. Assistant coaches in college football are always on the move.
DeVan’s coaching career began in 2013 as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Oregon State. He lived in Corvallis for five years and played four seasons with the Beavers, starting at center from 2005 to ’07.
Those five years were the last time DeVan lived in one city for more than three years. He played for four NFL teams in five seasons, including three with Indianapolis. He started for the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.
Kyle Devan is coaching at UNC Charlotte, his seventh job in the past 11 seasons.
His playing career ended after the 2012 season with the Tennessee Titans. DeVan appeared in four games, starting one. There were weeks when the Titans signed DeVan on Tuesday and waived him on Saturday.
There may have been opportunities for DeVan to continue playing, but the notion of jumping every time his phone rang was not appealing. He wanted to start a family rather than go from one tryout to another.
DeVan’s NFL career prepared him to be a college assistant coach. He got his start at Oregon State and then went to USC as a graduate assistant. One season with the New Orleans Saints led to DeVan being hired at Ball State by head coach Mike Neu, who was with the Saints in 2015 when DeVan arrived.
Three years at Ball State were followed by two years at Arizona, one at Michigan and last season at Colorado. When the Buffaloes hired Deion Sanders, DeVan realized it was once again time to move on – and away.
As with Neu, one season at Michigan led to DeVan being hired by Biff Poggi at UNC Charlotte after Poggi resigned as the Wolverines associate head coach to become the head honcho for the 49ers.
The 38-year-old Devan is the associate head coach, offensive line coach and run game coordinator in Charlotte.
“Being here, I really like what I’m getting to do. This is what I want to do,” DeVan said in a recent phone interview. “I’m in on everything. I set our (daily) schedule and practice formats. I’m really cherishing this.”
Charlotte has more than football to offer DeVan, his wife Erin, son Bode and daughter Lola. DeVan was surprised by the warm welcome his family received as compared with other cities where they have lived.
“It’s a younger, blue collar community. I think I’m the oldest guy living here,” DeVan joked. “Most of the time when we moved, it’s taken a while to make friends. We already have a ton of new friends here. They had a welcome party for us and there are a lot of kids that are my kids’ age. This feels like home.”
UNC Charlotte will never be mistaken for Michigan, USC or any other Power 5 program. DeVan does not think of his new job as settling for less. UNC Charlotte joined the American Athletic Conference in July. Seven AAC teams played in 2022-23 bowl games and finished 4-3. The Big 12 went 2-7.
No longer does DeVan measure a job by prestige and salary. “I’ve coached at the highest level and made that kind of money,” said DeVan, who added his goals have changed since his first coaching job.
Spending the 2021 season at Michigan as an offensive analyst “was an awesome experience. I was learning and growing again. At 36, I knew I didn’t know everything. A lot has changed in two years.”
DeVan is learning what it will take to be a Division I head coach because he is determined to be one in the near future. His duties at UNC Charlotte are preparing him for such an opportunity when it comes.
And when it presents itself, DeVan would rather not think of how he will break the news to Erin that the family might have to move again. He joked that his wife has let it be known that he will be going alone.
His aspirations have not blinded DeVan from realizing the constant moving is taking a toll on his family. Yanking his children out of one school and enrolling them in another is hardly ideal for their education.
“(Erin) isn’t ready to move again,” he said. “I don’t want to leave. I love where I’m at. I don’t want to move again.”
All the cardboard moving boxes in the garage will not be flattened and stuffed into the recycling bin anytime soon. This is Poggi’s first year with the 49ers, so hopefully he and Devan will be together for a season or three.
Erin could use a break.
“(Erin) isn’t ready to move again,” he said. “I don’t want to leave. I love where I’m at. I don’t want to move again.”
Momentum flirted with Vacaville High School’s football team during the second quarter Friday night at Cardinal Newman in Santa Rosa. The Bulldogs did not seem that interested, so the Cardinals took it back on their way to a 27-7 victory.
Vacaville’s defense courted momentum by getting its first three-and-out with Cardinal Newman leading 20-0. Massimo Menicou produced the only highlight for the Bulldogs by blocking a punt. Justin Albrecht recovered the ball in the end zone to pull Vacaville within 13 points.
Brody Fortunati was 4-of-14 for minus-7 yards against Cardinal Newman.
The Bulldogs got another three-and-out, appearing to have finally figured out how to stop the Cardinals. Momentum was no longer enamored with Cardinal Newman and decided to give Vacaville a shot with the Bulldogs starting their ensuing possession at their 27-yard line.
Momentum had to be impressed with Cristian Diosdado’s 15-yard run for Vacaville’s initial first down. That was it for the Bulldogs, however, as they shifted into reverse. A penalty for an ineligible receiver downfield made it first-and-15 at the 37. Diosdado then lost 2 yards. to make it second-and-17.
Cardinal Newman was penalized for enroachment, so Vacaville got 5 free yards for second-and-12 at the 40. A 1-yard gain by Diosdado left the Bulldogs with one play to keep momentum on their side, but they called a play they had tried three times earlier with no success.
The play is designed for Diosdado to go in motion to become the target for quarterback Brody Fortunati. The Bulldogs lost a total of 9 yards the first two times they tried it and gained 2 on the third attempt. At least the fourth try ended in an incompletion with Diosdado being knocked off his feet by Cardinal Newman’s Dominick Torres as the pass arrived.
Diosdado was 4 yards deep in the backfield after going in motion and turning back toward Fortunati. Third-and-11 might as well have been third-and-15.
After Cardinal Newman’s third touchdown, Jemeir Buckner returned the kickoff 39 yards to give the Bulldogs a first down at the Cardinals’ 48-yard line. The Bulldogs tried the pass to Diosdado again on first down, but he was trapped in the backfield for a 7-yard loss.
Fortunati finished 4-for-14 with all of his completions coming in the first half – for a total of minus-7 yards. He also threw an interception.
Play selection did not matter that much for the Bulldogs when they scored 84 points in winning their first two games. When those calls mattered against the Cardinals, the Bulldogs did not answer.
Clay Ford is straightforward when he speaks and carries the football. That was evident last Friday when the Will C. Wood High School senior had 22 carries for 92 yards in his first varsity start at running back as the Wildcats pulled out a 19-8 victory over Dixon.
His running style will never be described as flashy. Ford takes a handoff from quarterback Kimani Dokes and runs to the designated hole. If the hole is plugged, Ford lowers his shoulders and plows ahead for whatever he can get.
Colby Ford rushed for 92 yards on 22 carries in Wood’s 19-8 victory over Dixon last Friday.
Ford’s longest run against the Rams was 11 yards. Eight of his carries were for 3 or fewer yards. What matters to offensive coordinator Nick Voight was Ford did not lose a single yard on any carry. Ford also did not have one carry in which he was stopped for no gain.
His remarks after the game were just as straightforward when asked how Wood took control of the game. Dixon scored its only touchdown with 6:08 to go in the first quarter. Wood’s Josiah Chavez returned the ensuing kickoff 92 yards, but two penalties wiped out the touchdown. Wood did not flinch and drove 90 yards in 12 yards to score.
A fake PAT failed, leaving the Wildcats with an 8-6 deficit, but Ford was not concerned. “After that,” he said, “we knew we could handle them.”
Ford will get more opportunities to run tonight when Wood hosts Sacramento. The Dragons, who will join the Monticello Empire League in 2024, blew a 27-0 lead last Friday at Rodriguez in a 43-33 loss. Sacramento has a talented back in Lamar Radcliffe, who has committed to Utah, but he gained just 55 yards on 10 carries against the Mustangs.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Radcliffe ran for 2,109 yards and 23 touchdowns as a sophomore, but he missed last season after tearing two knee ligaments.
Vacaville, Vacaville Christian and Vanden also have home games tonight. Dixon will travel to Winters. Here is a look at each of those contests.
Vacaville vs. Sheldon: The Huskies belong to the Elk Grove Unified School District even though the school has a Sacramento address. That explains why the Huskies had two passing attempts last Friday in a 26-7 victory over Capital Christian.
There must be an ordinance in Elk Grove that prohibits throwing the ball more than five times a game. Elk Grove had a total of five passing attempts in playoff victories over Vacaville in 2019 and 2021. Then again, the Thundering Herd could afford to pass on passing by running for a total of 951 yards and 13 touchdowns in those two games.
Vacaville Christian vs. Delta: The Saints are hardly what they were in the 1970s. Delta dominated the old Superior California Athletic League in those days with three future NFL players: quarterback Tony Eason, safety Bo Eason and offensive lineman Dan McQuaid. Delta routed San Juan 50-0 last week, while Vacaville Christian lost 52-0 at Redding Christian.
Vanden vs. Campolindo: The Cougars, who did not play last week, are rebuilding after losing their quarterback, top four rushers and top receiver to graduation. Campolindo has two solid receivers in seniors Steve Lyon and Tim Daugherty. Lyon caught 46 passes for 457 yards and four touchdowns in 2022. Daughtery added 33 receptions for 567 yards and six scores.
Dixon at Winters: The Rams squandered a scoring opportunity in the second quarter last Friday after reaching Wood’s 15-yard line. A 2-yard run was followed by Dixon being penalized for illegal procedure. Quarterback Easton Valenzuela dropped back to pass on second-and-13 at the 18, was sacked by Kevin Butters and fumbled. Jamir Collins recovered for the Wildcats.
Vacaville Highwide receiverLevi West leaps over a bag that is positioned to simulate a defensive player diving at him along the sideline.
Vacaville High School’s football team has 300 passing yards in a game about as often as it rains in August. A few drops fell Monday, three days after Brody Fortunati threw for 321 yards and four touchdowns in a 43-0 rout of Davis.
The Bulldogs must have thought they were facing Elk Grove in the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs. Fortunati’s 300-yard game was just the third for Vacaville since 2004. The other two came against the Thundering Herd in the playoffs.
Jeremy Villalobos threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns in a 52-29 playoff loss to Elk Grove in 2019. Elk Grove rushed for 559 yards in a 52-48 victory in 2021, when Ryan Vaughn passed for 336 yards and two touchdowns.
Vaughn was a two-year starter and had seven games with 200 or more passing yards, including five in 2021. Vacaville had three 200-yard games from 2004 to 2018 – A.J. Hefner (2005), Ross Peacock (2008) and Chad Hekking (2013).
Offensive coordinatorScott Wingert gets sage advice from Fred Jones at practice.
Villalobos was a senior when offensive coordinator Chris Santopadre left Vacaville’s coaching staff and Scott Wingert was promoted from quarterback coach to calling plays. That was the start of an offensive overhaul.
Wingert did not have a problem with the Wing T because only a handful of teams run an offense born in the 1950s. That became an advantage because opponents found it impossible to simulate the Wing T in practice to prepare.
A section championship in 2011 was made possible by sticking with an offense that fit the Bulldogs to a T. They beat Folsom 39-35 in the Division II title game by running the ball 66 times for 349 yards and five touchdowns.
In case anyone is wondering, quarterbacks Nic Ardave and the late Coleman Christensen combined to go 8-of-11 for 90 yards. Curtis Goins completed his only pass for 27 yards on a halfback option to make it 117 passing yards.
Those 66 running plays epitomized the season for the Bulldogs, who finished with 666 rushing attempts and 128 passing. The disparity was greater in 2006 as Vacaville won the section title by running 714 times and passing 120.
The Bulldogs completed both of their passing attempts in its 37-36 win over Merced in the title game. Ricky Rodarte completed one for a 1-yard loss. Robert Bensing completed one to Dion Bland, who happened to play for Merced.
Fast forward to 2019 when Wingert got his first opportunity to tinker with the offense. COVID-19 wiped out the 2020 fall season, so he had time to to discuss updating the team’s offensive style with head coach Mike Papadopoulos.
Five games in the spring of 2021 allowed Wingert to take the new spread offense for a test drive. The results showed promise with 140 running plays, 98 passing and a 5-0 record. That convinced Papadopoulos to give the go-ahead.
Wingert can draw plays in the synthetic turf all he wants, but the spread offense needs a skilled quarterback to pull the trigger. He was fortunate enough to have Villalobos for a year, Vaughn for two and now Fortunati for his second.
“We’ve got it going right now,” Wingert said Monday. “Our offense has evolved to where it’s at right now.”
The folks in Davis might want to spread the word to Vacaville’s future opponents. The spread offense is not a passing fancy.
The statistics in this story were compiled from MaxPreps.com.
