All In for Amador

Capital Christian school, community go the extra mile in hosting fire-affected Amador

  By JASON HARPER | Contributor

  There were no unsportsmanlike penalties. No ejections.

  In an era where YouTube, Snapchat and Twitter are filled with horrible breakdowns of athletes behaving badly, Sacramento recently hosted a brilliant display of sportsmanship where character and compassion overshadowed competition in a make-up football game Amador High of Sutter Creek and Capital Christian-Sacramento.

  The originally planned Sept. 11 night game was scratched when Amador’s student athletes watched their county engulfed in destructive flames. The Butte Fire consumed more than 130 homes and scorched up to 70,000 acres across Calaveras and Amador Counties. At what should have been kickoff time, some Amador athletes and their families were being scurried to evacuation centers.

  “We got evacuated on Thursday. We got picked up from school and had to move to Amador City,” said cheerleader Emma Dailey.

  Head Amador cheerleader Kaitlyn Medina said, “It was out of nowhere. We were just at school or at practice and came outside and plumes of smoke everywhere. Then being told no power, evacuations. It’s been scary for everybody. We’re just trying to hit it hard, come back together and support each other.”

  By Saturday, down the hill at Capital Christian, Cougar football coach Phil Grams and athletic director Suzanne Baker drew up plans that placed compassion and empathy high above the desire to win a game.

  “Our hearts were concerned for Amador and we wanted to invite them to our stadium to have a home game,” Grams explained. “I spoke to Coach Bill Baker of Amador and told him we wanted them to have the home game in our stadium. And just like it was on their turf, Monday night they would reap the benefits of the gate and the snack bar sales.”

  Grams, in his fifth year at Capital Christian, teaches his athletes that winning goes beyond the scoreboard. “We told them many of the Amador football players were affected by this tragedy. The best thing we can do is give them a venue to escape for a few hours.”  

  As the buses rumbled down Highway 49, the thoughts of loss were replaced by a desire to compete amidst the tragedy. Despite having not practiced since the evacuations, Baker explained that the game became an escape.

  “What we were looking for was to find a place for our kids to go and get away from some things,” the Buffaloes coach said. “When your community is going through a tragedy, maybe this helps find a bit of solace.”

  With Gram’s players rallied to play for a cause beyond them, Amador arrived to bleachers filled with fans they had never met.

  Capital Christian Center, the adjacent church to Capital Christian High School, also wanted to help. At their weekend services, they encouraged their congregation to attend the Monday game wearing Amador Blue and to cheer from the Buffalo’s sidelines.

  “When most of the county is evacuated and fighting for their homes, we figured few would be able to make the trip to Sacramento,” said Doug Reid, a pastor at Capital and a member of the football coaching staff. “In the spirit of community and compassion, we wanted the Amador athletes to have their bleachers full of cheering fans.”

  Fans from Capital adorned in navy blue and white cheered for the Amador team. The fans from Amador who made their way to the game were thrilled to see such generosity and support. By night’s end, the score (a 51-27 Capital Christian win) was irrelevant. It meant nothing.

  Charisse Cagel, an Amador parent was moved with emotion after the game. “To see both teams gather in celebration of each other was a powerful display of sportsmanship. The kindness and generosity was an incredible example for all of Amador to see and feel.”

  Cagel’s son, Daylan Thetford, an Amador standout running back, was also encouraged by the game’s meaning.

  “I had competed all night against #10 (D’Marcus Ross), but when the game was over our families wanted pictures of us together. The game made the fire and loss for our community easier to get through,” Thetford said.

  Ross echoed Thefford.

  “The best way we could honor Amador was to play hard. Though we like our fans to cheer us, we loved having people from our church and school sit on their side and cheer for them.”

  For a moment, the community of Amador could feel hope that arose from a football game in a community that was far from the effects of billowing smoke. Baker and his players handed Grams a signed football helmet with messages of gratitude.

  Gathered at midfield, players, coaches, parents and fans embraced. Only moments prior, players who had tackled and blocked each other now hugged and high-fived. Coaches and fans circled these gridiron greats as both team’s helmets were hoisted high in victory.

  On this night, everyone won.