GRIZZLIES GLANCE INWARD | Focus On Itself Works For California High Football

San Ramon’s California High Dialed Up Its Air Attack As It Improved To 2-1 With Impressive Home Win Over Ranked Escalon

PICTURED AT TOP: Sophomore Carson Fife (22) And The Grizzlies Celebrate Winning Their Home Opener. (Ben Enos Photos)

Throughout the first few weeks of the season, California High football coach Danny Calcagno has worked with his team on paying more attention to itself than its opponent.

It appears the message is getting through.

With multiple-time state champion Escalon in town, Calcagno’s crew focused on its own capabilities and the results were immediate as senior quarterback Jayden Macedo threw five touchdown passes and the Grizzlies walked out of their home opener with a 42-21 win over the Cougars.

Focusing on the internal is nice in theory, but if California (2-1) was ever going to let that focus slip, it would be against an Escalon team entered the game ranked No. 20 in SportStars NorCal Top 20. The visitors presented a unique challenge.

That’s because the Cougars feature the Wing-T, the run-heavy offense that few high school programs still use and that can be a pain to prepare for because of its uncommon characteristics. Escalon has rumbled its way to five state bowl titles — not bad for a school of less than 1,000 students.

So how did the Grizzlies prepare?

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“It was so hard during the week to try and simulate it,” Calcagno said. “I even got in there because I was a Wing-T guy, and (I was) trying to do the twirls and the double pulls and the double handoffs. It was difficult, but the kids had a good week of practice.”

One way to make life a bit tougher on a team that utilizes the Wing-T offense is to force it to play from behind. 

That’s where Macedo came in.

After a goal-line stand repelled Escalon’s first drive, an interception by Cal’s Devan Love ended the Cougars’ second drive and gave the Grizzlies the ball deep in their own territory. Calcagno dialed up a pass on the first play of the possession and Macedo hit Nick Fox in stride for an 86-yard touchdown strike.

Macedo added another touchdown pass to Fox, this one a 24-yard hookup, and Love added a 39-yard touchdown run to put Cal up 21-7 at halftime. A miscommunication by Escalon (3-1) on the opening kickoff of the second half gave Cal the ball on the Cougars’ 13, and Macedo hit tight end Chase McGill for a 13-yard touchdown to extend the lead. 

Fox and McGill each added another touchdown reception before the quarter was over, and by the time the fourth period began, Cal owned a 42-14 lead that allowed Calcagno to sit his starters for the entire final quarter.

“We knew we were going to be able to throw the ball. Their defense kept it pretty simple,” Macedo said. “They ran a lot of Cover 3 and we knew we had some speed on them. We knew we could attack their weaknesses and I think we took advantage today.”

The win showed how far Cal has come since a 31-14 opening-week loss to San Juan Hills-San Juan Capistrano. The Grizzlies came back to the Bay Area and beat James Logan-Union City 34-7, but the maturation process continues for a team still learning its own rhythms.

“We learned that we weren’t quite ready yet,” Calcagno said of the opening-week loss. “We knew that it was going to be a tough game. San Juan Hills, their defense did a lot of stunting and blitzing and moving the front around. We’re young up front, we only have two returning starters, so their heads were just spinning that week. And then we turned the ball over too much. 

“What I’ve been preaching the last two weeks is let’s worry about Cal High football — no offsides, no jumping, no bad snaps, keep the chains moving. Let’s just work on our stuff instead of worrying about other teams.”

Macedo’s burgeoning connection with Fox is another reason to think that the ceiling remains quite high for Cal’s offense. 

Only a junior, Fox earned praise from both Macedo and Calcagno for his breakaway  speed. Against Escalon, he also displayed a pair of sure hands, making multiple highlight-reel catches on perfectly placed passes from his quarterback.

“We’ve got a good relationship,” Macedo said. “It’s my first year working with him really, but this summer and this offseason we really got our connection together. He’s something special. He’s fast.”

It won’t take long for Calcagno’s message to be put to the test again as the Grizzlies head next to Pittsburg to take on a Pirates squad that beat Cal 34-14 one year ago. Many feel Pittsburg has perhaps improved on a team that reached a CIF state bowl last year, and the preparation will surely be different than it was for a team running the Wing-T.

It’s a task that is easier said than done. But, if a convincing win over a visiting state bowl champion is any indication, listening to their coach’s message might just be the best way for the Grizzlies to ensure long-lasting success.