DRAPER — Summit Academy coach Les Hamilton is taking his players to Northern California fully aware his football team may be overmatched when taking on Cardinal Newman. But for him, personally, it's an opportunity he wouldn't miss.
Hamilton prepped at Petaluma High School, which is about a half-hour drive to Cardinal Newman, a program which is coached by Paul Cronin, someone Summit Academy's coach holds some good history with. When Hamilton was playing quarterback for Petaluma High, Cronin was doing the same for Piner High, and with both teams being rivals, a sort of personal rivalry and a subsequent friendship ensued.
"We graduated the same year and we were both undefeated," Hamilton said of the schools, which are located in Sonoma County. "So there was always smack talk in high school about which team was better, and unfortunately we never got to play one another."
As mentioned, both coaches have remained in touch since graduating, aware of where each other are coaching and how they're doing.
I have a lot of buddies coming to see the game and it's really a chance of a lifetime for me, and for our program. – Summit Academy head coach Les Hamilton
"He's done a fantastic job coaching at Cardinal Newman, which is a perennial power, up there," Hamilton said. "As for me, I think I've done some good things, but we're probably overmatched going in. It's going to be an uphill battle for us, but for me, it's going home and I think it will be a great opportunity for my players, which is the most important thing."
The coin toss will be done by Hamilton's former coach, Steve Ellison and will work as a sort of homecoming.
"I have a lot of buddies coming to see the game and it's really a chance of a lifetime for me, and for our program," Hamilton said.
The game came about with Hamilton checking message boards and learning Cardinal Newman had an opening on its schedule which corresponded with one of Summit Academy's openings. So the fundraising got underway after the game was scheduled, with players looking forward to the opportunity.
"We'll leave early Friday morning, watch the JV game before our game and then we're taking the entire team watch Stanford take on USC. So it's going to be a great trip and hopefully we can show well against a truly great program," Hamilton said. "We're probably in over our heads, but it will be a good test for us heading into the rest of the season and a great experience, regardless of what happens in the game."
As for Hamilton's team, it's off to a 2-1 start with wins over Judge Memorial and Union and a tough 35-24 loss to Grantsville.
"Grantsville is a real good team and they might be the best team we've played in the three years I've coached here," Hamilton said. "We had our chances, but they overtook us physically toward the end."
Hamilton returns some good talent off of last year's team, a group which made it clear to the 3A semifinal round where it lost a 38-37 heartbreaker to Juan Diego.
"Things are coming together well for us, but there are some things we need to work on for sure," Hamilton said. "This game is a great opportunity for us to see where we're at against a true powerhouse and hopefully we can come away healthy and learn some things that will help us for the rest of the year since we have a real tough schedule ahead of us when we get back home."