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Last year’s high school football season created some dark days for Dougherty Valley High.
The Wildcats started the season with diminishing numbers and as the season took its physical toll on the team, it got to a point where they were having a problem getting enough players to suit up for a game.
The decision was made to end the season for the San Ramon school, rather than risk serious injury to players trotting out some who were not physically ready to play varsity football.
I wrote at the time it was the right move to make and still believe that today. As a general rule, you can’t throw freshmen and sophomores out against 18-year-old men.
There were times I felt like we may not see a Dougherty Valley football team again. Fortunately for Wildcat players, the school brought on coach Gwangee Pittman to run the program.
When I talked with Pittman a year ago, he refused to consider that football was done at Dougherty Valley and was determined to rebuild the program.
He’s been able to do just that and while the numbers are down compared to other EBAL schools, Pittman built a schedule of teams where Dougherty Valley belongs.
The results have been a success as with two games left – the same number of games Dougherty Valley had left last season when they canceled the season – the Wildcats stand 5-3 and are guaranteed to avoid a losing record.
In fact, if the Wildcats win one of their final two games – at home against Kelseyville or at Riverbank – the six wins this year would equal their total from the last three years combined.
“It’s been all about hard work,” Pittman said. “We had 12 to 15 guys committed to work year-round in the weight room. It’s not the numbers we need, but it’s a start.”
High school athletics should be all about competitive equity. With football it’s imperative to make sure teams play at the best level for them.
Somehow Pittman built a schedule that fits that perspective.
Instead of playing a slate of East Bay Athletic League teams, Pittman got schools such as Mt. Eden, Skyline, Washington, Berean Christian, Emerald, Ygnacio Valley, Alhambra and Concord for the Wildcats to line up against.
Some of those schools were powerhouses for years but have fallen on hard times as well. Skyline, which was a gold standard of football at the high school level, recently shuttered its program.
Times have changed, and Pittman is doing all he can to adjust.
“It wasn’t easy – it was a challenge to build a schedule,” Pittman said. “We will try to play a schedule where we belong. We’ve got to build from the ground up.”
Word trickled down through the Dougherty Valley community and last summer Pittman had 20 freshmen show up to work in the offseason.
That resulted in 33 varsity players and 32 junior varsity players. It’s a great start, and even with injuries, it’s still a big season for the program.
“The numbers have dwindled due to attrition of football, but that’s just football,” Pittman said.
Because of what happened last season, the goals for this year were straightforward.
“We wanted to finish the season,” Pittman said. “We wanted to reset and get these guys a good feel for football.”
It’s been great for the seniors. From staring at the possibility of having no team their final season to playing a full year and being competitive in most games is something to remember.
“For the seniors – this is everything for them,” said Pittman. “They understood it was important to set the standard for the younger guys.”
The seniors have done that. Quarterback Javi Estrada didn’t play for Dougherty, but in this his final year he has thrown for 1,174 yards and 13 touchdowns against seven interceptions.
Senior running back Iain Marriott was coming off a junior season where he had one carry for a negative-four yards. He leads the team with 340 yards rushing and five touchdowns.
Finally, senior receiver Xavior Sanchez leads the team with 22 receptions and a pair of touchdowns.
The benefactors have been players like junior linebacker Daniel Olufemi, and sophomores Mikey Wong and Gabriel Pittman.
Having a team and one that is competitive has been felt all through the school.
“You can see the excitement,” Pittman said of the atmosphere around Dougherty Valley. “I’ve noticed the crowd has grown each game. The support from the school and administration towards the team has been great.”
And the season is not over.
“We’ve got two games left,” Pittman said. “It’s time to get back in the lab and do the work.”
Game of the Week
This week it will be a pair of games – the championship games of the EBAL girls’ volleyball and flag football tournaments.
In volleyball, Monte Vista went through the EBAL season undefeated and will host Carondelet in the first round of the EBAL playoffs on Tuesday.
In the other semifinal, No. 2 Foothill will play No. 3 San Ramon Valley at Amador High on Tuesday. The Falcons swept the Wolves this year, but all three games could have gone either way.
Give Monte Vista the win over Carondelet, setting up a final against Foothill, a team the Mustangs beat 3-1 or San Ramon Valley, a team they beat twice but both were 3-2 finals.
In flag football, the tournament will be held at Amador Valley with both semifinals taking place on Wednesday, with the winners meeting at 8 p.m. on the same day.
Top-seeded Amador will play No. 4 Livermore at 5 p.m., with No. 2 San Ramon Valley will play No. 3 Carondelet at 6 p.m. After a break, the winners will play for the tournament title at 8 p.m.
It would appear Amador Valley and San Ramon Valley will meet for the second time this year. The first time the two met, the Dons came away with the 13-12 win, scoring on the final play of the game in a chippy contest.
If they meet again, count on another intense battle.
Editor’s note: Dennis Miller is a contributing sports writer for the Pleasanton Weekly. This column originally appeared in Tri-Valley Preps Playbook, a weekly sports e-newsletter published by Embarcadero Media Foundation. To sign up for free, visit here.
