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Unbeaten Calistoga reaches pivotal point

UNBEATEN CALISTOGA REACHES PIVOTAL POINT

The last thing Mike Ervin said to me after Calistoga’s last football game was as real as any statement he or the team have made through their first four games. “We’re going to start getting into the meat of our schedule now,” he said. “Now we’ll find out how good a football team we are.” The Wildcats have been one of the better stories in the valley this year, winning more games in September than they did all of last season when they went 2-8. They’ve outscored their first four opponents by an absurd 216-69 margin, have piled up 1,793 yards of total offense, and are doing it with a team that has only seven seniors on the 34-man official roster. This has also all been done with a new head coach in Ervin — well, new to this group — and under the headline of the program’s first season of 8-man football in the North Central League III. The Wildcats (4-0) have been a resurgent force Upvalley, defying expectations and turning disrespect into respect, but, for some perspective, it’s been against lesser competition. They smacked Upper Lake in the mouth Week 2, 54-16, even surprising themselves a little by jumping so far ahead against a decent team on the road, no less. The Cougars haven’t lost a game since, and if they played each other again, I wouldn’t be that surprised to see a different outcome, and at the very least, a much tighter game. If you take that win out of the equation, the combined record between Laytonville, Rincon Valley Christian, and Potter Valley is a putrid 1-12. That makes this week “meat” week. This Friday is homecoming for the Wildcats, and Tomales (3-2) will be in town for the 7 p.m. showdown at the Napa County Fairgrounds. It’s a rivalry game with a familiar foe and a team they’ve been deadlocked with in the last four meetings, going 2-2 since 2011. The Braves are coming off a loss to the Cougars and will be hungry trying to keep their season alive, knowing that three losses will likely knock it out of league title contention. Still, there’s more riding on this game for the Wildcats. It’s the first 2015 game at the fairgrounds and will be the community’s first real chance to see its new-look team in action under the Friday night lights. More importantly, it will be a true indicator of where this team really stands. With a road tilt at Anderson Valley looming the following week, generating some momentum after last weekend’s bye is crucial. The Panthers are looking like the class of the NCL III, putting up 58 points per game while allowing only nine per contest. You can do the math to figure out their average margin of victory. But like Calistoga, those wins have come against the lesser programs in the league, and that’s why the homecoming game this Friday is so important. Defeating the Braves would surely be — up to this point — the most gratifying win of the season for the Wildcats, so generating some validated confidence and momentum heading into Anderson Valley is paramount for the program in this impressive rebound campaign. If Calistoga truly wants to win a league title and get back to 11-man football, it’s time to prove it. Photo Credits: Raphael Kluzniok

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