Encore on football field

The score wasn’t irrelevant, but it wasn’t nearly as important as playing the game. What was really important to the participants in Saturday’s Tri-County All-Star football game was a chance to participate in one more high school game. For many, if not most of the seniors who played, it will be their last organized tackle football game.

Also significant for the players was an opportunity to play, and make friends, with players from other schools.

The contest matched seniors from Marin, Sonoma and Napa counties on a White team, against players from Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa and other northern Sonoma County communities on a Maroon team.

After the last hit - for many, the last hit forever - the Maroon team claimed the victory, 35-23.

As White coach Denis Brunk, head coach of Casa Grande’s Gauchos in real life, pointed out, Casa Grande and Petaluma players had an opportunity to play alongside Napa and Vintage players who will be in their league next season. The North quarterback was Isaiha Garcia from Vintage.

Garcia was scheduled to back up Petaluma High’s Justin Wolbert, but the Trojan hurt a knee in a basketball game, and was unable to participate, leaving the Crusher the lone White quarterback, and he was hurting from an arm injury.

Even without Wolbert, Petaluma and Casa Grande were well represented on the Casa Grande turf Saturday afternoon.

With the White quarterback limited in throwing range, Casa Grande’s 235-pound running back Kenneth Fitzgerald often carried the entire offensive load for his team. He highlighted his impressive afternoon with a 75-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. He also ran for a 1-yard score.

Petaluma High linebacker Jacob Rollstin was perhaps the game’s standout defensive player, climaxing his All-Star experience with a pass interception to set up a field goal. Casa Grande linebacker Adam Lopez also had a big defensive game.

His Gaucho teammate, Matthew Hart, was a mainstay on the White offensive line opening holes for what was essentially an exclusive running offense. He played more than any other offensive lineman.

Also contributing to the White cause were Gauchos Josh Grayson, Brandon Cota, Zian Kovach and Sebastian Reyes. Trojans involved in the All-Star action were Riley Whisman, Dom Ayers, Jacob Cybulski and True Overton.

The ultimate difference was the Maroon team’s ability to throw the ball, with Cardinal Newman’s Beau Barrington and Analy’s Brenden Medina.

It was Barrington who provided the game’s first touchdown on a 25-yard pass to Grayson Ponce of Piner and the northeners never trailed, although the White team briefly tied when Garcia found the edge on a 3-yard touchdown run early in the second period.

The Maroons led 21-7 at the half and, although Rollstin and Fitzgerald provided some South County highlights in the second half, their side never could quite catch up.

With Maroon leading, 21-7, midway through the third period, Fitzgerald powered in from the 1-yard line behind a block from Hart, and on Maroon’s next possession, Rollstin picked off a pass to set up a 26-yard field goal by Abdiel Ballines from Vintage.

Maroon went up 28-17 on a 7-yard scoring run by its leading ball carrier, Tanner Mendoza of Cardinal Newman, but hardly had time to celebrate before Fitzgerald grabbed a short kickoff at about the White 25, swept down the left sideline, hit overdrive and was gone for a 75-yard touchdown to keep the White deficit at five (28-23).

That was as good as it got for the White team.

A failed onside kickoff attempt gave Maroon an opportunity for an unneeded insurance touchdown before it all ended.

The players were grateful for an opportunity to play one more high school football game, but what many appreciated the most was how quickly they were able to forge a team out of players they had never met before, and how quickly they bonded, tied by a common love for football.

“When we started we only knew the other guys by their number,” said Petaluma High’s Wishman. “We ended up knowing their names and being their friends.”

“They became our brothers,” added Petaluma’s Ayers.

“It was fun to get out there and play with other guys who love the game as much as you do,” noted Casa Grande’s Hart. “I loved the competition.”

“It was fun. It was a good game. I was pleased with the way our kids kept their composure and played the game,” Brunk said. “It was good for our kids to play with the Napa kids since they are going to be in our league next year.”

The game was a benefit for foster children from the participating counties, and part of the proceeds went to buy backpacks for the kids. “I really liked the way they had some of the foster kids at the game,” Brunk noted. “It was a great way to tie them to the game.”