Teen-age rebellion is as old as time itself. It's that time when a teen discovers his father is not Superman, but just a man.
Then figure into the equation you're the quarterback of one of the most powerful prep football teams in Northern California. And your dad is the coach .. and he calls the plays. It's a potential recipe for disaster.
This is your world, Michael Machado. Welcome to it.
"It's not the best dynamic to have to be the head coach and your son is the quarterback and you call the offense," said Mike Machado, the teen's father and veteran coach of Valley Christian High. "But he's a tough kid and I couldn't be any prouder about the way he's handled it and the success we've had."
Already with a WCAL co-title in the bag, the Machados and Valley Christian (8-2) meet Palma (9-1) at 7 p.m. Friday at Rabobank Stadium as the CCS Open Division playoffs begin.
If there was any question about the senior Michael's resolve and ability it was dashed on October 31 -- Halloween night and Senior Night -- at VC's sparkling Skyway Campus. The Warriors had blown a 14-0 lead and trailed St. Ignatius by one point with one minute, 37 second left in the game and the ball at their own 20.
"I remember coach (Eric) Scharrenberg said we have plenty of time," Michael said. "On the first play I hit Collin Johnson on a dig route and he took it past the 50, then I spiked the ball. Then we ran the same play and I hit my other receiver Matt Figone. Then they called a pass interference. Then I hit Collin on a comebacker and there were about two seconds left. We had our back-up kicker in and we just lined up and he made it. It was crazy.
"It was about the most memorable time I've had on that field. That field has been a huge part of my life and to go out that way in my final game there with a win was special."
Special for the guy calling the plays too -- Mike Machado, the larger-than-life Westmont High grad with the impressive coaching resume.
"The SI game was incredible," Mike said. "He took us right down the field. We had two timeouts left and we didn't use either of them. It was the most fundamentally sound thing you've ever seen."
The dramatic win against the Wildcats was the center piece of a trio of Warrior victories that allowed VC to tie Serra for the league title. Against St. Francis October 24 Michael threw three touchdown passes in a 21-14 double-overtime victory against host St. Francis. Two of the scoring tosses came in OT.
In a 15-14 win against Mitty on November 7, Michael rebounded from throwing a second-half pick-six by leading his team on an 80-yard drive to score the winning points on a 20-yard pass to Mark Quinby.
"Michael is one of the most driven people I know," Collin Johnson said. "The thing that separates him from other QBs is how he acts in the tight situations like the final SI drive. He stays calm, cool and confident which makes him productive in those (situations)."
Michael wasn't always so composed and efficient. Two off-seasons ago, San Jose State football coach Mike McIntyre took the job at Colorado. His son Jay was supposed to return for his senior year at Valley Christian to quarterback the Warriors. Instead, he enrolled at a Colorado public school.
Michael thought he would probably play free safety as a junior, now suddenly he was the team's QB.
"It was like 'Wow, I'm going to start'" he said. "I won't say I wasn't ready, but I had a ways to go and was more tentative about throwing the ball."
Last season, with VC throwing only went necessary, Michael completed just 33 percent of his passes for 331 yards and five TDs with four intercepted.
"Last year I was nervous a lot, but I worked hard in the off-season and I didn't play baseball and I've improved," Michael said. "I taught myself there's no need to be tentative. know what to expect in different situations. I just try to help my team win and play ball."
The improvement has been startling. The 5-foot-11 senior has completed 53 percent of his passes for 850 yards with 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. His QB rating is a 115.7.
But he's still the coach's son and people are going to talk. And the message-board mavens did last season when it became apparent VC couldn't run the table with such a conservative offense -- that it would need a successful passing game to win a title.
Asked if he ever got any static for having his son at quarterback, the Mike said: "Not to my face. One of the first conversations I had with Michael is that he's never going to be able to do enough. Some people will say he's just in there because of his dad. Others will say he's too small. I told him that all that matters is what you think and that you're doing your best for your football team."
He has, which is not to say there aren't some tense moments. Michael goes to the sideline after each down to get the play from his dad. At times Mike is so wound up about getting the play in on time that he practically leaves his fingerprints in his son's arm.
"Did he tell you about the back-of-the-arm pinches?" Mike said with a laugh. "One time he told me that I was ripping the skin off the back of his arm. I just want to make him aware that he needs get back to the huddle."
You'd have to know Mike Machado to understand. He's outgoing, funny, a little sarcastic and that's how he relates to his team.
"I'll make a mistake and run the wrong play and he's not afraid to show his anger," Michael said. "I think it's funny. He's a players' coach and he'll grab my facemask and call me an idiot and everyone just laughs. But if he's serious he'll let me know."
Hmmmm ... teen rebellion? Not so much.
Said Mike: "I use a lot of satirical humor with my guys and I guess that's part of my charm."
Serious and driven, Michael studies game film so quietly and intently his dad sometimes doesn't even know he's home. In a family that includes mom Soskeep of Middle Eastern descent and younger siblings Sara (a VC two-sport athlete) and freshman Daniel, a football lineman, Michael is the typical over-achieving, responsible oldest child.
Then there's Daniel, the big, two-way lineman on VC's unbeaten championship freshman team who serves as comic relief for the family.
"The dude is a walking circus," Mike said. He's a straight-up clown. His thing is impressions; he imitates sounds. Michael is more focused. He's a more typical coach's kid. He has half player's eyes and half coaches.'"
Michael, who has a 3.3 grade point average, would like to play in college and mentioned UC-Davis as a possible landing spot (there's no scholarship offer yet). But first there's the Open Division playoffs to think about, beginning in Salinas on Friday night.
No matter how it all turns out, it's been a memorable season for Michael and one his father will always cherish.
"At the end of the day I could not be prouder as a father of what Michael has done for our team," Mike said. "He's been a leader and he's made plays and we went 6-1 in one of the toughest leagues around. What he did during the season was a big reason why."
John Murphy is the Web Content Manager of Prep2Prep. He can be reached at jmurphy@prep2prep.com. Follow him on Twitter @PrepCat.
