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In the end the final score didn’t matter. What did matter was the show two of Northern California’s top high school football teams put on Friday night in Danville.
That De La Salle topped San Ramon Valley 33-27 in overtime in front of an overflowing crowed at the Wolves home stadium was just part of the story in an amazing evening of entertainment.
For almost three hours the two teams gave everyone in attendance an escape from all the sad stuff going on in the world.
It was a big game under a big spotlight, and the two teams did not disappoint. It wasn’t a perfect performance — San Ramon Valley had four turnovers and missed a pair of field goals, while De La Salle committed a pair of stupid and perplexing personal fouls — but it reminded us of how high school athletics can be the last vestige of pure sport entertainment.
The Wolves and the Spartans both advanced to CIF State Bowl games last season — De La Salle in D-1 AA, and San Ramon Valley in D-II A. The Wolves return a lot of players for this season, leaving expectations high, while De La Salle is, well, De La Salle.
The Spartans stated slowly this season losing their first two games but had come on with four straight wins, including a 14-7 win over powerhouse Folsom, and a 21-0 blanking of McClymonds.
The Wolves have been on a roll since day one, running out to a 6-0-mark, steamrolling teams along the way.
De La Salle had not lost to an East Bay Athletic League team since 1987 but this had all the makings of it finally happening again.
A big crowd showed, with many people at the game that did not have ties to either school. It was an event and people filled both stands, as well as ringing the fence that surrounded the field.
Both sidelines were packed, and there was an active social media network following the game.
Early on, it looked like the Wolves were going to give everyone what they wanted — a De La Salle loss to an EBAL team.
Even with SRV trailing 7-6 at halftime, the feeling was still that this was the Wolves game to lose. They had led early and were turning in big defensive performances.
Midway through the third quarter, the Wolves took the lead back as their two big guns — Luke Baker and Marco Jones — combined for a score.
Baker, the incredibly athletic quarterback for the Wolves, dropped the snap, but picked it up and without hesitation to avoid the DLS pass rush, threw a pass towards the end zone that Jones came down with for the TD.
They tried for two and didn’t get it, but the Wolves had a 12-7 lead and carried it to the fourth quarter. It wasn’t long before the Spartans struck back when they got a 70-yard touchdown pass as the receiver was wide open after a SRV defensive back fell.
It was De La Salle’s turn to go for two and it failed as well, but the Spartans were up 13-12 with 9:49 to play in the game. Then what appeared to be the death blow came.
On the first play following the kickoff, a Baker pass went off the fingers of a receiver and right to a DLS defender, who in turn rolled to the end zone and the Spartans led 20-12.
With 5:08 left in the game, DLS added another TD, and the lead was 27-12.
Lights out? I mean this is what DLS has done to EBAL teams time and time again. Was the moment too big for the Wolves?
Not. Even. Close.
The next five minutes was as much heart and determination from a team as I have seen in 35-plus years covering high school sports.
San Ramon Valley got a touchdown with 3:19 left to cut it to 27-19. To the surprise of no one watching the game, the Wolves went for the onside kick.
The surprise came when the Wolves recovered the kick.
Going to work, SRV worked the short field and cut it to two off another Baker touchdown pass. Next up was the two-point conversion and when Owen Scott finished off a reverse with a dive into the zone it stood a hard-to-believe 27-27 with 1:43 left.
But the drama was far from over.
With 47 seconds left the DLS quarterback put the ball on the turf and SRV recovered at the Spartans’ 43.
The Wolves worked the ball down the field and had a chance to win it with under 10 seconds left. But the 35-yard field goal appeared to get deflected at the line and we headed to overtime.
The Wolves started the OT with the first possession and once again had a short field goal attempt to take the lead. Once again, the attempt went wide.
De La Salle got its first possession of overtime and took advantage, running the ball through the San Ramon defense and getting the touchdown to end the game with the 33-27 final.
This was the type of game I have seen many times over the years — stay close with De La Salle, then lose by 25-30 points following a second-half blitz.
That didn’t happen Friday night.
I know waking up Saturday morning the San Ramon Valley players were hurting. I have never believed in moral victory and feel like they are garbage.
You play to win, not to lose a close game.
But what I have always believed is that if you give your best effort and leave it all on the field you have every right to walk off the field with your head held high.
And that’s where the Wolves should be right now. Baker, Jones, and defensive lineman Mitch Bruno were superstars for San Ramon and the entire team should be walking tall down Hartz Avenue in downtown Danville.
Well done boys and thank you for one hell of a game.
