Noah Cryns of Pacific Grove struggles for yards during team’s win over Scotts Valley in 2015 CIF Central Coast Section D3 semifinals. Photo: Leticia Ferreira/pgnewsbreaker.com.
With five 10-win seasons in the 2000s and then three more so far in the 2010s, the Breakers have seen their all-time record surge well past the .500 mark and they’re now beginning to close in on 500th reported win.
Up next in this series: Placer (Auburn). The Hillmen have had some great teams in the last few years, including an 11-1 squad from 2015 and are looking forward to alum Eddie Vanderdoes (UCLA) being in the NFL. For more on the Cal-Hi Sports football archives project and how we can help your school, CLICK HERE. Note: One doesn’t have to be the football coach or AD to order this work. It can be presented to any school as a gift.
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One of the craziest opening games from throughout the state this season came when Pacific Grove rallied for a 46-42 victory over Watsonville.
It’s hard to know, however, if anyone at the two schools involved were aware that Pacific Grove and Watsonville have actually been playing each other, on and off, since the early 1900s.
The two have rarely, if ever, been in the same league, but renewed playing each other in a season opener four years ago. They are reported to have played the first time in 1905, with Watsonville winning 11-4 and again in 1907 with Pacific Grove winning, this time 11-6.
Buck Roggeman was the head coach at Pacific Grove in 2001 when the Breakers won their first and so far only CCS title. Photo: montereycountyweekly.com.
Since then, it’s been a sporadic series with just 25 total meetings, but in 1920 produced the most lopsided loss for Pacific Grove in its history with Watsonville winning 79-0.
Telling this year’s Watsonville players the score of a game in 1920, however, probably would have offered little comfort after the loss to the Breakers on August 26.
As the clock was winding down in a game that had to be delayed due to a power outage, Pacific Grove needed a two-point conversion to tie after scoring a touchdown with 40 seconds left. The Wildcatz stopped the play, but couldn’t recover an ensuing squib kick.
The Breakers took two plays to get the ball down to the 2-yard line and from there quarterback Noah Cryns ran it in for a touchdown on the final play of the game for a 46-42 victory.
Pacific Grove’s first-ever reported result is from 1905, a 14-0 win over Gilroy. That Watsonville score is the second. The school then only had limited scores reported until 1920 and didn’t have a winning season until going 4-1-1 in 1925.
The first unbeaten team in school history came in 1940 under head coach Charles Easterbrook. That team also gave up just 13 points all season and then shut out the first three opponents in 1941 for a 13-game win streak that still stands as the school record.
Other than an unbeaten team in 1953, Pacific Grove produced mostly mediocre teams until later in the 1960s, which helped the 1960s record improve to 50-27-4.
While the 1970s remained strong, the 1980s and 1990s were still mostly hit-and-miss. It wasn’t until the 2001 season when Buck Roggeman became head coach that things really got going.
The Breakers’ 2001 team, in fact, finished 12-1 and won the school’s only CIF Central Coast Section title with a 17-0 win over Pioneer of San Jose in the Division III bracket. That team was led by QB Jon Grant, who led the Monterey Trail Athletic League in passing and later starred at UC Davis.
Pacific Grove has reached four other CCS title games since then, including twice under current head coach Chris Morgan (who took over in 2009). But in that span it has never won, including last year’s 54-7 loss to Half Moon Bay.
On its way to the 2013 final and a loss to Sacred Heart Prep of Atherton, the Breakers posted one of their greatest victories by thundering past a previously unbeaten team from Carmel 77-35. Carmel also happens to be their biggest rival and had won in the regular season 40-35.
Here are some other Pacific Grove football records that the school has been sent courtesy of this archive initiative:
WIN-LOSS RECORDS FOR EACH DECADE
Prior to 1920s: 2-5-0 (not including two losses by default)
1920s: 20-34-2 (not including one win by default)
1930s: 25-39-9
1940s: 27-33-5
1950s: 43-36-2
1960s: 50-27-4
1970s: 57-35-3
1980s: 51-46-4
1990s: 46-52-2
2000s: 81-35-1
2010s: 47-21-1
REPORTED ALL-TIME RECORD HEADING INTO 2016 SEASON:
449 WINS, 363 LOSSES, 33 TIES*
55.0 ALL-TIME WINNING PERCENTAGE
(Based on half-win, half-loss for tie)
*Note: Two default losses from before 1920, one default win in 1920s and three forfeit losses in 1990s not included. With those results counted, adjusted records would be 2-7 for early years, 21-34-2 for 1920s, 43-55-2 for 1990s and 446-368-33 for all-time. Note also that we know there are at least three scores missing for one season in the 1960s and one score from another season in 1960s.
Best Records For Single Season
9-0 – 1968
8-0 – 1940
8-0 – 1953
12-1 – 2001
10-1 – 2005
Worst Records For Single Season
0-8 – 1950
0-6 – 1928*
0-5 – 1921
0-4 – 1920
1-9 – 1985
1-9 – 1986
*Doesn’t include two wins by default.
Records Against Notable Opponents
52-28-5 VS. Gonzales
28-14-1 VS. Stevenson (Pebble Beach)
45-43-9 VS. King City*
36-37-2 VS. Carmel*
10-13-1 VS. Watsonville
*Notes: Lists of scores elsewhere for “The Shoe” rivalry game begin in 1948, but the two schools played earlier. We believe the difference is that the actual Shoe trophy didn’t begin passing between the two schools until 1948. One possible matchup for 1945 also could be unreported. Records also do not include forfeits/defaults. Two wins vs. King City were later reversed to forfeit losses. A tie in which a playoff tie-breaker was held also is being counted as a tie and not win.
Most Points Scored (Single Game)
77 VS. Carmel 2013
66 VS. Greenfield 2004
66 VS. King City 2006
63 VS. Soledad 2013
62 VS. Harbor (Santa Cruz) 1989
62 VS. Carmel 2006
59 VS. Fremont (Sunnyvale) 2015
57 VS. Carlmont (Belmont) 1997
56 VS. Gonzales 2006
55 VS. Santa Cruz 1987
55 VS. Greenfield 2013
54 VS. Soledad 2007
51 VS. Soquel 1974
Most Lopsided Wins
57-0 VS. Carlmont (Belmont) 1997
66-12 VS. Greenfield 2004
54-0 VS. Soledad 2007
50-0 VS. Soledad 2009
62-13 VS. Harbor (Santa Cruz) 1989
Most Points Allowed (Single Game)
79 VS. Watsonville 1920
78 VS. Carmel 2009
69 VS. Valley Christian (San Jose) 2003
63 VS. Carmel 2011
60 VS. Gonzales 1958
59 VS. San Benito (Hollister) 1943
56 VS. Scotts Valley 2008
56 VS. St. Francis CCC (Watsonville) 2010
56 VS. Carmel 2010
56 VS. Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) 2013
55 VS. Carmel 2012
55 VS. Gilroy 2008
Most Lopsided Losses
79-0 VS. Watsonville 1920
78-6 VS. Carmel 2009
69-0 VS. Valley Christian (San Jose) 2003
59-0 VS. San Benito (Hollister) 1943
56-0 VS. Scotts Valley 2008
56-0 VS. St. Francis CCC (Watsonville) 2010
63-7 VS. Carmel 2011
53-0 VS. Monterey 1928
52-0 VS. Monterey 1930
Longest Winning Streaks
13 – 1939-1941 (won last two in 1939, then 8-0 season, then first three games of 1941)
12 – 1990-1991 (won last five, then first seven)
12 – 2001 (won first 12, lost in section final)
11 – 1952-1954 (won last game, then 8-0 season, then first two in 1954)
Longest Losing Streaks*
12 – 1985-1986 (lost last nine games, then lost first three the following season)
11 – 1950-1951 (had 0-8 season, then lost first three the following season)
*Note: There also have been two 0-12-2 winless streaks, the first from 1929 until 1931 with second from 1932 until 1934.
Remember, any school in the state or a fan/supporter of any school in the state can have this research completed in a customized fashion in return for a reasonable fee. For details, CLICK HERE.
Stockton office assistant editor Paul Muyskens also contributed to this post. Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports
