Homecoming - a small town's big deal.

Last night, my wife and I took our daughter to the Esparto High School's homecoming football game. From our house you can see the glow of the lights and on a still night you can hear the soft muffled voice of the public address announcer. Fall is football season. It is my season.

As we walked to the gate past the cars and trucks, mostly trucks, that line the end of the field, the homecoming ceremony was in full swing. The site of the stretch Hummer limousine on the 50 yard line stood in stark contrast to the many farm trucks parked outside. Esparto is a farm town, but that is changing. With the explosive growth of the Cache Creek Casino and the large suburban style housing tracks being built, the town is quickly becoming a bedroom community for those who work in the bay area and a rural escape for those who come from the Sacramento region. This story is not exclusive to Esparto, every small farm town and city that lies a few miles from an Interstate highway in California is being developed. No one can hold back the hands of time and while we like to see our homes increase in value, our small towns seem to be loosing their identity. I hope we can hold on to ours, this valley is a special place.

We pay our five dollar fee at the gate and walk past the boosters club grilling burgers and hot dogs to find a seat in the stands. The short walk takes quite a while. Neither my wife or I attend Esparto high school. I moved hear just after High School from Redding and my wife was a city girl from Carmichael. I have lived here off and on for almost 15 years, but I consider it my hometown.

One my way I am stopped by a friend who lives up the valley, I officiated at his son's wedding this summer and he wanted to thank me again and tell me that he just learned that the couple will be expecting their first child next year. We talked about the better than average dove hunting this year and the rest of his family. His family has been in the Capay Valley for six generations or so. I say goodbye and head down through the small bustling crowd to find my wife talking to the moms from our daughter's soccer team. She made a deal that we would sit at one end of the stands and she would be at the other, we could then let the girls roam free between us. The girls giggle and run off to see the sights.

My wife could not get over how small the field is. She was sure the football field was not regulation size. I assured her it was, its just that you are only fifteen or twenty feet from the side lines and sitting at field level. My daughter and her friend stood on the other side of the rope that separates the players from the crowd. Both girls mimicked the moves of cheerleaders as best they could. My wife and I laughed and wondered how long it would be before she would be out there. A long time is my hope.

The game was played well by both sides. Both teams had a good running game but as always in high school football, two or three players can make the difference. The Esparto running backs could get to the corner and turned upfield for several long runs and a few touchdowns. The team from Los Molinos just didn't have the speed to get outside. They did well running between the tackles, but could not could not sustain a drive. The final was 29 to 6 if I remember right. A great game for Esparto, who have not had many winning seasons lately. The night was not without a dark spot. A player from Los Molinos was taken off the field on a back board after a pileup. The crowd drew quiet and the players from both sides took a knee as the EMTs and local fire department staff looked after the young man. I have not been able to find any more information about the condition of the player, but it seems to have been just a precaution that he was on a back board. A scary time for his parents I am sure.

Watching the game from the stands you can hear the helmets hit and the players yell "pass! pass! ball! ball!" on fake reverse. It's great. I watched the girls with half their hair painted blue and the other side silver, walk up and down the sidelines talking to their friends. I recognized one from the 4-H club where I used to teach leathercraft. Many of the kids I know from 4-h or little league will be starting high school next year, I will have to come to more games.

There were many, many more people I didn't know at the game. I hope that the new residents of Esparto enjoyed homecoming in this small town. If you came from the city, you might wonder where the marching band is, or wonder why the teams only field between twenty to thirty players? Why is there a baseball infield on the twenty yard line?

Relax, this is Esparto, gateway to the Capay Valley. We may not be big time, but we have a good time.