NAPA, Calif - The 2019-20 season was certainly an amazing one for the Vintage boys’ basketball team.
Yet, the thing that made it the most special was the amount of heart, resiliency, and grit the Crushers needed to have in order to bring home the school’s first league title for boys basketball in 20 years.
There were many hurdles for Vintage (17-10 overall, 10-2 Vine Valley Athletic League) to overcome throughout the course of the season. The biggest hurdle came in only their third game when point guard Logan Nothmann went down with a broken leg injury. Then, there was the fact that Alex Dehzad and Blake Murray both went down with injuries down the stretch. As it turned out, Sam Neal was the only one to not suffer some sort of injury during the season.
“When I think about that and all of the adjustments we had to make, it makes this past season even more special,” Vintage head coach Ben Gongora pointed out in an email interview. “Twelve of our 13 players missed games and/or practices due to injuries and/or illnesses this past season. Twelve of thirteen! I’ve never experienced this many injuries in one season. I can’t tell you how many times we had to scrap plan “A” only to have to ditch plan “B” too. A couple of times we only had 7 or 8 players for a game or practice. Yet, even with a reduced squad, we always found a way to compete and more often than not, win. Coach Brett Wedding was beyond helpful in rearranging the puzzle pieces.”
Many memorable moments along the way
The journey was also filled with many incredible moments that could easily be defined as the season-defining moment. However, one of the biggest came in the second Big Game against crosstown rival Napa on Feb. 7. Imani Lopez had 29 points in the game, yet the ultimate hero in that game was Loren Castro. There were only 13.2 seconds remaining when Napa intentionally fouled Castro and sent him to the line for a pair of free-throws, which he knocked down and gave Vintage a thrilling 49-47 win in the second and final Big Game of the season.
“Yes, Imani scored 29 with Blake out, but it was Loren Castro’s timing tip-in and seconds later clutch free throws that put us up and ultimately iced the game,” Gongora added. “We don’t beat Napa without Loren, who coincidentally transferred to Vintage from Napa after his freshman year. I was so happy for Loren. To have that moment, at Napa, was huge for Loren.”
Most of the league schedule was filled with other gut-wrenching games as well. For example, on Jan. 31 Vintage squeaked past in-town rival Justin-Siena 51-45. In the contest, Nothmann was able to hit three straight shots from beyond-the-arc to help grow the Vintage lead.
“This team showed tremendous grit,” Gongora said of his team’s fight. “We never panicked, whether dealing with an injury or playing from behind, our resolve was constant. We were down after the first quarter seven times this season and came back to win. We were tied at halftime three times and won. We were down four times at halftime and came back to win. Having a mature team with six seniors helped. Moreover, players who cared more about (the) team than individual stats. It didn’t matter who got buckets, these kids were focused on competing and trying to get the W. Let’s focus on going 1-0.”
In a battle for league supremacy on Feb. 5, Vintage beat Sonoma Valley 70-63 in another game that came down to the wire. In that game, Josh McCormick caught fire from the three-point line in the second half while Luke Williams provided some much-needed scoring from inside the key to give Vintage the edge in the final moments of the game. In the game before that, Vintage pounded Petaluma 49-26 to show that they were a viable threat to win the VVAL title.
Other role players that played a key part were Josh Kho and Ethan Hemmerlin who filled in for Nothmann for the majority of the season and added some much-needed production. Owen Schanaible played tough defense against Justin-Siena in the first meeting between the two on Jan. 8, a 46-37 win. Everett Mitchell was a force for much of the season in the starting five as well.
Full-circle journey for coaches
The journey was also a full-circle one for Gongora. After not having his contract renewed in 2005, he was able to lead the Crushers to only the third league title in the school’s history this past season.
“For me, the league title hasn’t sunk in yet. I’ve been rejected so many times after applying for coaching jobs over the years,” he explained. “Heck, I more or less asked one current coach if I could just be the water boy but no luck. To return to Vintage after a 15-year absence and then to have my mom pass away just days before the season—I wasn’t thinking league title. I was thinking, how do I get through each day and don’t screw this up. I had to block things out and focus on the kids. I didn’t want to cheat them or let them down.
“I am so happy for the kids. They immediately bought in and were coachable from day one. Their constant effort and ability to pivot and deal with adversity allowed them to be better prepared for many of the in-game challenges we faced,” the coach continued. “We never panicked. We made adjustments and more often than not they worked out. We won (the) league outright. Congrats to the kids, their amazing parents and the Vintage community for being so supportive. Enough can’t be said about (Athletic Director) Cam (Neal) for welcoming me back. His contributions were constant, whether offering admin support, sharing wisdom or simply allowing Coach (Brett) Wedding and me to just coach, he was as much a part of the title as any player or coach. The third title in school history and the first in 20 years. Crusher Nation gets to add another banner in the gym. A well-deserved banner I might add.”
On top of that, Gongora also lost his mom before the season. That experience made him even more humbled to win the league title.
“I am so humbled,” Gongora said. “This isn’t how life works. You don’t return after a 15-year absence, lose a parent, deal with countless injuries and then win league all in your first season back. It’s almost not real. I love my players and will forever keep this past season in my heart. Not because of the league title, but for all of the other adversity we overcame together—as a family. The Vintage basketball program is home.”
Another key addition to the group this season as assistant coach Brett Wedding. After spending five years as the head coach at American Canyon, Wedding stepped down last spring before becoming Gongora’s assistant this last season.
“Having Coach Wedding was simply awesome,” Gongora said of Wedding’s importance. “There are many coaches who are arrogant know it alls or worse, so insecure they wouldn’t bring in a former head coach as an assistant. Many coaches surround themselves with “yes” men who are more order takers or gophers than coaches. I have forgotten more basketball than I know. Having someone with Coach Wedding's knowledge and (the) experience was invaluable.
“Coach Wedding was able to give plenty of pushback on various situations, many times altering my approach,” the coach continued. “He was no yes man. I constantly sought his input. I gave him plenty of freedom and opportunities to be creative, especially on the offensive end. We really had to put our heads together this season as our line up changed so many times due to the many injuries our team suffered. Coach Wedding gave us a competitive advantage. He brought me out of my comfort zone in terms of Xs and O’s. He also pushed me when it was needed. I didn’t go with his suggestions every time, but his input always provoked thought, which led to a discussion. We would not have won a league title without Coach Wedding. Some coaches are too set in the ways and they force their players to conform to their system. I’m not that type of coach. Coach Wedding helps me adapt our system to our players’ skill sets. He a solid coach. I am beyond grateful to have him as a partner.”
Lucky enough to get a season at all
In retrospect though, the Crushers were simply just lucky enough to get their season in at all. The current Coronavirus Pandemic has put a stop on all spring sports, but the recent winter season wasn’t affected at all.
“The current situation (coronavirus) we are all in brings an entirely different layer of appreciation,” Gongora explained. “I brought in a few guest speakers this season and one, Kevin Thom, talked about giving your all every day because your window of opportunity is closing. He was referring to the players' high school basketball careers. Kevin shared that you never know how quickly it can all end referencing an injury. So live in the moment and go all out leaving no regrets. I am beyond grateful that we were able to complete our season. The world has forever changed and I realize high school sports are insignificant when compared to the current challenges facing our world. So many things have been paused. The pause just as easily could have started during our season. I am thankful we were able to finish out our season knowing there are so many who are not as fortunate as us. I love my players.”
No matter how you slice it, this most recent basketball season was one for the ages for the Vintage boys’ basketball program. It’s also one that all involved won’t ever forget.
