Saint Francis had a historic win over De La Salle to end the Spartans' 30 year, 318-game win streak against Norcal teams. The Lancers sealed the 31-28 victory with a go-ahead touchdown in the final minute of the game.
Coach Calcagno's focus is to get better every week and teach football the right way. Going into this game, he told his players to execute, be themselves, and take advantage of opportunities. After leading the whole game, his players had to dig deep on Friday when the Spartans scored to take the lead in the final two minutes of the game.
In the Lancers' final drive, they drove down to score with 16 seconds left on the clock. Nicolas Andrighetto caught the 16-yard touchdown reception from Saint Francis quarterback Matthew Dougherty Jr. Coach Calcagno was proud of how his team played and responded to the adversity. He gave a lot of credit to the offensive and defensive line for holding it down in the trenches. Along with the linemen, he gave another big shout-out to wide receiver Tim Netane, who caught the first two touchdowns of the game.
Saint Francis football has always been a big part of the Calcagno family. Ron Calcagno, Greg's father, was the head coach of the Lancers from 1972 to 1996. During this time, he put together an unbelievable stint with 233 wins and 11 CCS championships. Greg got a chance to witness and be a part of a lot of those wins since he played for his dad. He was the quarterback and captain on the first undefeated team in school history.
Greg Calcagno is now putting together his own legacy. After high school, he graduated Santa Clara University where he majored in finance and played for the football team. He also got his MBA at San Jose State and took on several positions before coming back to his alma mater. Upon his return, he spent four years as the junior varsity assistant coach, and now he is in his ninth year as the head coach for the Lancers.
With the win from last Friday, Greg and Ron got to share another special moment after the clock ticked out. One of the last times the Lancers beat the Spartans was when his father was coaching in 1989. This win happened before the Northern California streak began in 1992. Not only has his father experienced this win, but he has now gotten a chance to experience the same feeling his role model felt over 30 years ago. Beating De La Salle is a unique accomplishment that will forever be cherished between Greg and his father.
As our 49ers PREP Charlie Wedemeyer Memorial Coach of the Week presented by U.S. Bank, Greg Calcagno will receive a grant for the Saint Francis High School football program from the 49ers Foundation. Calcagno will be featured on the 49ers Cal-Hi Sports Report presented by U.S. Bank.
Congratulations, Coach Calcagno!
