Great read(the historical part) and improves my area football history IQ.
Good stuff @ThunderRam & @mistark
Good stuff @ThunderRam & @mistark
Sacramento Area Football: Then and Now
- Thread starter FelineBad
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Capital Christian or Central Catholic or Centennial-Corona or Cathedral Catholic? j/k
There ar far too many CC's 
Ok, I got a couple more for you then. I've posted these on twitter a couple times cause I think they're kinda cool, especially the first one since it's become so en vogue to travel long distance for games.
- In 1975 & 1976, the Woodland Wolves split a home and home w/ DeMatha (Hyattsville, MD). The Woodland-DeMatha games are believed to be the first coast-2-coast high school football match ups in history.
- In 1980, the Placer Hillmen defeated National #4 Mission Viejo 6-0 en route to a Mythical AA State title.
Here is some Del Oro football history. Interesting this was a Senior project for DO's head coach for his 2004 Sr. year:
https://sites.google.com/a/puhsd.k12.ca.us/del-oro-football/del-oro-football-history
https://sites.google.com/a/puhsd.k12.ca.us/del-oro-football/del-oro-football-history
2018 Folsom will be better than this year. 2019 They could be special. 2020 lucky to be 3rd/ 4th in league . Mark my words
Something has to give in 2018 the big boys will come out to play sac high 2.0
They can't anymore that's why y'all willl suck. I'm moving on to the topic of this thread. BUT before I go I was on your side with regard to 2018.
I remember as young kid in the 70's getting on regional transit to go watch the Cordova Lancers. The 1975 Lancers where the Mythical National Champs and had Sf Giants Max Venable and Soph Reggie Young leading the way. I saw Loaded Luther Burbank teams with athletes galore get steam rolled year after year. Cordova had the best run of any NorCal team until DLS got going
That's actually kinda a tricky question. The CIF Playoffs as we know them (for large school programs) didn't begin until 1976. Previous to that, it was referred to "Capital City Championships" and was first played in 1971, I believe, when Cordova defeated Grant Union before a crowd of 5,000+ at American River College. It started out as a single game then expanded to a semifinals then finals.
However, smaller school programs such as Central Catholic-Modesto, Dixon and Calaveras were participating in playoff games in 1971.
The CIF-SJS officially lists the 1st section champs for each division as follows (in order of the year they began):
- Division 3 (originally Division A): 1971. The winner was Dixon over Calaveras.
- Division 2 (originally Division AA): 1975. The winner was Placer over Manteca.
- Division 1 (originally Division AAA): 1976. The winner was Cordova over Stagg.
- Division 4: 1986. The winner was Hilmar over Bret Harte.
- Division 5: 2002. The winner was Central Catholic over Gustine.
- Division 6: 2006. The winner was Lindhurst over Denair.
- Division 7: 2006. The winner was Calvary Temple over Vacaville Christian.
If you're referring to the large school programs Division AAA, then Cordova-Mira Loma and Bella Vista-Yuba City played 1st round games in the North SJS. I'd have to research the South teams that faced Stagg (who lost to Cordova in the Finals).
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They won the first Division AAA (large school) section title, but didn't play the actual first CIF-SJS playoff game. Even just using 1976 as the starting point and eliminating the small schools, Cordova played their home games on Saturday's so the 1st playoff game had to be on a Friday night.
Like I said, it's a trick question of sorts. I'd go with the first games played in 1971 among the small Division A teams. That would appear to be the correct answer IMO.
Big RED was 102-6-1 in the 70's (led the Nation) and 99-18-2 in the 80's.
We often talk about missing out on DLS-Grant Union and Folsom-DLS in 2014, but we really missed out on DLS-Cordova back in the 80's. No reason those 2 programs shouldn't have played. Those could have been some great games, with 1985 potentially being the really big one. Both were undefeated and won section titles. Cordova 14-0 and DLS 12-0.
ThunderRam, You got 99% of it correct, but my question was about the VERY FIRST Sac Joaquin Section playoff game period, regardless of division. The 1960's marked the first time anyone talked about having playoffs. Bishop Armstrong played an independent schedule as a private school and many wanted to see them perform vs. the Metro League schools. In 1963 2nd year Luther Burbank Titans won the metro and were ranked #1 in the area. They beat powerhouse teams McClatchy, Sacramento, and Grant to get there. James Marshall of West Sac (now River City) was ranked #2. The coach at Marshall raised the question of a playoff game to show that his team was better than Burbank. The very first playoff game did not take place until 1969: North Metro League Champs Rio Linda vs. CVC Champs and #1 ranked El Camino on a Saturday afternoon at American River before 6000 fans. El Camino won that game 20-7. The head coach at Rio Linda was a guy named Don Robards. The head coach at El Camino was a guy named Hal Athon. Robards had been the head coach at El Camino prior to moving to Rio Linda. Guess who his assistant was at El Camino......thats right, Hal Athon. If the name Robards rings a bell for you, you might remember his grandson, Ryan Robards from Elk Grove, who is now a slot receiver for American River.
Ok, that's what I was trying to deduce exactly. What is and what isn't considered a "playoff" game can be a tricky thing and open to interpretation. For example, the very first Capital City Championship games that were played weren't really playoff games as far as I'm concerned. They were more like a Bowl game wherein 2 teams were selected by a committee to participate. It wasn't until a few years later that they actually bracketed multiple teams and allowed them to play it out on the field.
The game you are referring to was only available to the North Metro and CVC champs. And the principal at Norte Del Rio was considered key in gaining CIF approval for the game to be played. While I wouldn't consider it a true playoff game -- and it's not counted by the CIF or SJS in their playoff history (just like the Capital City Championships) -- I now see where you were going with your question. And by technicality, I'd agree that you're right. Great question.
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FWIW to anyone curious, Bishop Armstrong = Christian Brothers.
The school changed names several times since its establishment, but retained the current name for good in 1968.
The school changed names several times since its establishment, but retained the current name for good in 1968.
I've actually seen that before. Came across it doing research on DO a few years back. CalHi also did a historical profile on DO that they published last year or the year before.
Good stuff.
Fill me in why Whitney is going to the sfl I understand grants move is pure football related since the other sports will play in metro...football wise Elk Grove or inderkum would be better fits
I don't know the reasons the committee based their decision on but Whitney:
- plays in the same youth league as DO, GB, OR, Rocklin, and Folsom
- they are a foothills school (technically speaking)
- there are natural rivalries with Rocklin, DO & GB due to proximity
- big football culture at the school already
- have the population to support a good team
- improving program that has recently made the playoffs
ThunderRam, I am impressed with your research, knowledge, and memory. You have it nailed. My dad is now reading this blog!! My original question about the first playoff game in the section should have been "who played the first post-season game in the section?" This game was the section's first foray into post-season/playoff type games......like the grandfather of the playoffs. And you are correct about the Principal at NDR being the mover on it. If my memory serves it was Jim Erickson, the principal. The head coach at NDR in the 60's was Bill Tarrow. On his staff were Don Robards, Rich Brooks, and Jim Dimino. Robards went on Rio Linda, Dimino on to El Camino after Hal Athon, and Rich Brooks on the Oregon and later the Rams. When Brooks went to Oregon he took Bill Tarrow with him. Legendary Frank Negri was the coach at Foothill, Gary Houser was the coach at Grant, Jerry Sullivan the coach at Highlands. Houser went on to coach at Columbia Basin JC and the head coach at Chico State. Sullivan on to Sac City College. Those schools were all Grant District schools and in the North Metro League at the time. A lot of good coaches together in the same school district and same league. All this info comes from my pops.
Not sure about their record last year and yes the HC was fired from his coaching role recently, of course that occurred after the re-alignment decision. I don't think this was just a football decision. Whitney performs well in other sports as well and in terms of just football, they are better than both the schools they are replacing. SFL is adding two better schools to an already strong league. Now there are NO Friday nights off in league play.
Being a grant fan I can't disrespect Nevada union like that I don't think Whitney has any history in football and I believe nu wouldn't do a lot better if they were in whitneys current league
yea, Whitney is a new school so they have no history, really. NU has gobs of great history. As I understand it, (NU) have had struggles with players coming out to play football and declining enrollment. I think they dropped their JV team this year....not positive but that is what I heard.
Looking forward to Grant next season. A storied program like Grant in the SFL will make Grant better and all the teams in that league will benefit from playing a team like Grant. It will be exciting for Sac football and give us a lot to talk about here.
I'm more excited about the change of grants offense it'll take a while to master it but it should help them out big time...teams shouldn't be able to sell out on the run now...
WHS has the notoriety of winning a section title the fastest as a new school in Ca.. They played for a section title with it's first class of seniors losing to Oakdale in the waning minutes. They then stormed thru league and an undefeated season to win the section title. Under Coach Geminez, WHS qualified for the playoffs in 9 of his 10 years. Not bad for a new school......
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Better history than I thought, thanks. I think they are only getting better and will be a good addition to the SFL.
Granite Bay also has the distinction of winning a section title in year 3. They won D2 in 1999. But Whitney did appear in a title game a year earlier.
I thought I recalled some program winning it in year 2, but I guess not. I'll have to research to be sure.
Those are three guys that used to start at Folsom that are now playing at CC
