In Petaluma, this year’s Egg Bowl is bigger than big

What comes after big?

Whatever it is, that’s what the 2021 Egg Bowl is. Not only is it for pride, bragging rights and all the other things that go with a Petaluma vs. Casa Grande game, but it is quite possibly for at least a share of the Vine Valley Athletic League football championship.

Only possibly because going into this weekend’s games, four teams – including the two Egg Bowl participants, have just one VVAL loss. Petaluma, Casa Grande and American Canyon are all 3-1 in league, while defending champion Vintage stands 4-1.

By the time Petaluma and Casa Grande kickoff Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. on Petaluma’s Steve Ellison Field, they will already have an idea of where they stand in relation to the two Napa schools. American Canyon hosts Justin-Siena and Vintage and Napa play their own rivalry game Friday night. The contest against Napa concludes the Vintage regular season, while Petaluma plays at American Canyon and Casa Grande hosts Justin-Siena next week.

That’s the frame that holds the picture of two of the Redwood Empire’s best teams squaring off what is always the game of the season for both.

Few who follow area high school football closely could have imagined Petaluma coming into the game with the better record, but the Trojans enter with a 7-1 overall mark, compared to Casa Grande’s 5-3 season record.

But there are extenuating circumstances. Casa Grande has played one of the strongest schedules of any Redwood Empire team. Its three losses were to Marin Catholic, Antioch and American Canyon. Marin Catholic is 7-1 on the season, 3-0 in the Marin County Athletic League and the top-ranked team in the North Coast Section Division 3. Antioch, a team the Gauchos picked up to fill a spot in the schedule that opened when Piner canceled out of the season-opening game, is a Division 1 power that leads the Bay Valley League and American Canyon is one of the four teams tied for first in the VVAL.

That being noted, records are normally no indication of what happens in the Egg Bowl where emotions run high and surprises are the norm.

No two teams could be more dissimilar than the two that take to the synthetic turf on the Petaluma High campus Saturday afternoon.

For openers, Casa Grande is senior-dominated team, led by veterans who will be highly motivated after losing the 2020 game to Petaluma 20-14. Petaluma is a young team with six sophomores and four offensive starters experiencing their first Egg Bowl.

“This is a great community game for the players,” said Petaluma High coach Rick Krist. “For many of our young players, it is their first Egg Bowl and it is pretty special.”

Casa Grande coach John Antonio said the veteran Gauchos remember last year, and are using it as motivation going into Saturday’s game.

The contrasts are not only emotional, they are also philosophical. Casa Grande believes in aerial bombardment. Petaluma is a run-often, pass-sparingly team that uses its offense as a defense as well. Running several variations of a triple option, the Trojans will try to keep the Gaucho offense on the sidelines.

“Our offense has to produce to keep them off the field as much as possible,” said Krist. “We’re not going to stop them completely, they can score too quickly.”

“We have to stop their run. We’ve been susceptible to that at times and their triple option has a lot of parts,” observed Antonio.

In high school most play revolves around the quarterbacks, and that is certainly true for both Casa Grande and Petaluma.

Casa Grande senior Jacob Porteous is on the verge of becoming one of the most, if not the most, prolific passers ever at Casa Grande and the North Coast Section. In his seven games, he has completed 156 of 257 passes for 2,330 yards, an average of 332 yards a game, with 29 touchdowns. In his first game of the season, the St. Vincent High School transfer passed for a north Coast Section and school record 647 yards against Maria Carrillo.

Porteous has a bevy of talented receivers, led by seniors Marcus Scott, Shane Runyeon and Caden Cramer. Runyeon leads the parade with 31 catches for 703 yards and 12 touchdowns. Scott has more catches with 38 grabs for 582 yards.

In a case of the rich getting richer, Casa Grande is expected to get Rysean Samandwa, a talented receiver who caught eight passes for 93 yards and a touchdown in his only game this season, back from an injury this week.

“We have to press the quarterback,” said Krist. “We’re in trouble if we give him a lot of time.”

Petaluma’s quarterback, junior Henry Ellis, is every bit as important to the Trojans as his counterpart is to the Gauchos. Ellis missed almost all of the spring season because of an injury. Fully healthy this fall, he is the engine that makes the Petaluma triple-option offense run.

Ellis has solid numbers. He leads Petaluma in rushing with 361 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has completed 47 of 81 passes for 805 yards and 12 more touchdowns. More importantly, he is charged with making the instant decisions that are vital to the success of the Trojan offense.

Ellis has two quality receivers in Neil Crudo and junior Doren Shaw, although his favorite targets are running backs Chase Miller, a sophomore, and junior Silas Pologeorgis. They are also two of many interchangeable running backs who benefit from the blocking of junior fullback Lucas Vanderlind. He ranks second in rushing with 338 yards in 54 carries. In recent games, Petaluma has also received good backfield play from sophomore Ed Berncich.

Casa Grande, when it does run, usually ends up giving the ball to junior Ryder Jacobson who averages almost six yards a carry, but gets only about six carries a game.

Much will be determined by the front lines where Casa Grande has a size and experience advantage, although one of the best Gaucho front men on both sides of scrimmage is 255-pound sophomore Kodi Cornelius.

Other key linemen – Colin Patchet, Donavin Abramson and Nick Tobin - are seniors. Ryan Cooper is a junior.

Petaluma starts two sophomores – Tyshaum Thames and Jed Anezil on its offensive line and a third, tight end Asher Levy, is a key on both sides of scrimmage.

Both teams have played strong defense most of their successful seasons, but both have been vulnerable at times.

Casa Grande, in four of its eight games, has given up more than 30 points to opposing teams. In two of the four games, most of the opponents’ points have come after the Gauchos had taken big leads, but there have been times when they have simply had to outscore their opponents.

Petaluma, in its game against Vintage, the only team on its schedule thus far that ranks with Casa Grande in offensive explosiveness, rang up 55 points in handling the Trojans 55-14.

Petaluma’s defense is led by a pair of veteran linebackers, senior Crudo and junior Pologeorgis, who was a standout in the 2020 Petaluma Egg Bowl win. Defensive backs Dawson Shaw and Levy will be a keys in defending against the Gaucho aerial bombardment.

Others being counted on to at least slow the Gauchos are linebackers Vanderlind and Hyrum Smith.

Petaluma should have a special teams advantage. It is an area that has troubled the Gauchos all season.

Mikel Alvarado is accurate as a PAT kicker, but the Gauchos seldom kick following touchdowns, preferring to try for two-point conversions.

The problem has been field position. The Gauchos have often let opposing teams begin possession in advantageous positions either because of long returns or by deliberately kicking short. They have also been burned by return touchdowns.

Petaluma has two dependable kickers. Senior MacKenzie Soper is automatic on PAT kicks. She has 24 this season. Levy is called on for field goals and is two-for-two with one boot being good for a 25-yard game winner in the closing seconds against Justin-Siena.

Like Casa Grande, Petaluma usually kicks off short, often allowing opponents good starting field position.

There is much contrast in the two teams, but both coaches agree on the major key to success.

“We have to play mistake free,” said Krist.

“We have to eliminate our mistakes,” said Antonio.