Once in a lifetime gridiron rivalry

By Luke Johnson

One of the most intense and longest-lasting high school rivalries has returned. Antioch and Pittsburg football will meet Saturday afternoon for the 97th annual Big Little Game, and the winner will determine the Bay Valley Athletic League (BVAL) Champion. This is the first time both teams will face each other with undefeated records against league opponents.

The feud dates back to 1924, with over 20 future NFL stars coming from both programs, including Hall of Famers Gino Marchetti (Antioch, 1944) and John Henry Johnson (Pittsburg, 1949). In the earlier years of the contest, the teams met up twice each season.

The rivalry heated up in the late 1930’s, and from 1939 to 1943 the Big-Little Game was cancelled due to uncontainable hostility between the two towns; which means Antioch’s greatest player (Marchetti) never played in his school’s most important game. The game returned in 1944, and Pittsburg upset an undefeated Antioch team, 12-7, in front of over 7,000 spectators on a Tuesday night; back when both cities combined for a population of approximately 20,000. It was pushed from Friday to Tuesday due to overflowing rain fall.

Bad blood between the two schools continued into the 1970s, and the game was rescheduled for Saturday afternoons, in an effort to decrease game-time violence. Back then, even the cheerleaders had to have a police escort into the stadium.

In the 1980s, Antioch’s concrete panther statue had its head bashed off during the week of multiple Big Little Games. It was eventually replaced in the late 1990’s with a flat-iron statue, and in the 2000’s, it was traditionally spray painted pink by Pittsburg players.

The City of Antioch opened a new high school in 1996, Deer Valley, and AHS lost half its students; weakening its football team. Since that time, the rivalry has lacked some of its luster, and the game was switched back to Friday nights in 2011. Antioch has not won the Big-Little Game since 2006, and has not won in Pittsburg’s stadium since 2001. Pittsburg has generally dominated the series, and leads 65-26-7 (including two playoff wins).

But now it is a different story. With the game back on Saturday, Antioch is undefeated (9-0) and has a chance to win a League Championship for the first time since 1984. The last time the Panthers finish the regular season 10-0 was in 1977.

Vic Galli has been in command of Pittsburg’s football team for 14 seasons. Along the way he has won 10 BVAL Titles, broken a 72-year-old record to become the program’s all-time winningest coach (117 and counting) and holds a 13-1 record against Antioch. His rookie season, 2002, was the last time the Big Little Game decided the BVAL Champion. Pittsburg won that match-up, 31-21.

This year, the teams are led by two of the country’s best players. Antioch junior Najee Harris is committed to the University of Alabama, and holds every school rushing and touchdown record [see article here]. He is lighting up the scoreboard this season by totaling 2,078 yards on offense (rushing and receiving) and averaging 12.7 yards per carry with 28 touchdowns. Pittsburg senior Jordan Parker is a shutdown cornerback, who is committed to the University of Oklahoma. Even with quarterbacks avoiding to throw toward his direction, Parker still has the most interceptions in the BVAL for the past two seasons with eight.

Senior linebackers Kobie Beltram (Antioch) and Charlie Ramirez (Pittsburg) have something in common other than earning All-Bay Area accolades at the same position. Both have family history in the Big Little Game. Beltram has surpassed his brothers, Richie and Markie, as Antioch’s all-time leading tackler (310 and counting); while Ramirez’s father, Charlie, Sr., was a starting linebacker on Pittsburg’s 1991 North Coast Section Championship team, which was the last time De La Salle High School lost in Northern California. Beltram said a win would mean a lot to bring home to his family, and added it is equally important to win for his teammates and his city.

Pittsburg is 8-1 this year, with its only loss coming to Monte Vista, 49-42. They also have an 18-game winning streak against the BVAL, dating back to 2012. Galli said he is not impressed with Antioch’s 9-0 record, but added the Panthers still should not be taken lightly.

“Every year I schedule games against tough teams to get my players battle tested for the playoffs, and games like this,” Galli said, adding that his schedule against teams from the East Bay Athletic League is much more difficult than Antioch’s schedule.

According to Galli, the record-setting attendance at Pirate Stadium in Pittsburg was approximately 15,000 in a regular season contest versus De La Salle in 1995. He and other people involved in the game expect a crowd of 6,000 to 10,000 tomorrow. Pre-sale tickets went out this week to both schools, and hundreds have already been purchased.

With parking expected to be an issue, Pittsburg security has made precautionary adjustments. The Leber Lane parking lot will only be accessible for handicapped parking, team members and school employees. The Pittsburg City Court House parking lot on Railroad Avenue will be made available, with shuttles transporting people to the stadium. Doors open at 9:30 a.m., JV games starts at 11 a.m. and varsity kickoff is at 1:30 p.m.

the attachments to this post:

Big Little Game Trophy

97th Big Little Game

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