Stars aligned for Woodside’s 2004 CCS title win

Like many an everyday high school senior, Edelman would walk the halls between classes sharing head nods with friends. Only, his were shared with teammates of an immortal football squad, including Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division Player of the Year Tyreece Jacks, multi-faceted 6-3 fullback Dominic Duncan-Cruz and fleet-footed wide receiver Spencer Garrison — Edelman’s teammate since their Pop Warner days with the Redwood City 49ers.

“We’d always walk by each other and there was some sort of special look; you know, that bond of a football team,” Edelman said. “That was the difference of that team. We had a confidence and a swagger. It was special and it was something that you never forget.”

The lauded season also stands as one of the great turnarounds in the history of San Mateo County sports. The year previous, Woodside cancelled its football season with two weeks remaining on the schedule, citing disciplinary reasons. To get the program back on track, Woodside returned head coach Steve Nicolopulos for his second tenure with the team.

“This was a team we had cancelled the season on the year before,” Nicolopulos said. “So, there was questionable character, questionable team work ethic.”

Nicolopulos — “Coach Nick” as Edelman calls him to this day — instilled immediate confidence in the Wildcats as they returned to action at the outset of the 2004 season. He inherited a staff of old friends, teammates and former players, including assistant coaches Larry Howard, Anthony Ricardi, Chris Ricardi, Steve Aimonetti, Manny Orta, Larry Schreiber and Nicolopulos’ father Sam.

“It truly was a family atmosphere,” Nicolopulos said. “Everybody knew each other. We all grew up with each other … so that bond, it really made it special and made it something unique that doesn’t come around very often.”

The no-nonsense approach of Nicolopulos translated into an authentic football environment. It was an air the Wildcats had been lacking in previous seasons. And the team responded to its new head coach in a big way.

“[Nicolopulos] really knew what he was talking about, so he opened up a lot of our eyes,” Garrison said. “It was just a complete 180 compared to what we were used to — basically school teachers trying to coach football. He knew a lot about football, and you could tell. … It got everyone’s attention.”

Once the season opened at home with back-to-back non-league games, the Wildcats quickly got the PAL’s attention by grinding out wins over Carlmont and Gunn.

It was the 21-19 win against Gunn that catapulted the team’s momentum. Trailing by two scores late in the game, and the offense having trouble producing, the defensive secondary and special teams turned the tide in a hurry. Garrison and Kenneth Walker combined for three interceptions in the game, with Garrison’s interception setting up a late score to close Gunn’s lead to 19-14.

After forcing a punt with just over a minute remaining on the game clock, Edelman led a drive down the field which resulted in the most dramatic finish of the season — a 20-yard touchdown strike to Garrison in the corner of the end zone with no time remaining on the game clock for the game-winner.

“We snuck out of that one with a win,” Edelman said. “And that’s when we all kind of looked at each other and said, ‘We can’t do that no more. Let’s put our minds together, let’s work hard and let’s achieve something.’”

From there, the Wildcats rolled over the Ocean Division. Through seven league wins, Woodside outscored its opponents 300-89, including shutouts of South City and Hillsdale. But it was a grueling win over Half Moon Bay in the penultimate week of league play which Edelman remembers as the toughest test of the regular season.

“They came out and they punched us in our face,” Edelman said. “They were a bunch of hard-nosed guys from Half Moon Bay … tough kids. And I remember they stopped our run game, and no one ever stopped our run game.”

Woodside’s multifaceted talents won the day though. While Jacks will be remembered as a powerhouse running back, he was also a key linebacker, and the senior turned in a stellar effort that night. Garrison produced a big punt return. Edelman went to the air. And by game’s end, Woodside produced a convincing 48-29 victory.

“At that point, they didn’t think they were ever going to lose to anybody; and they didn’t,” Nicolopulos said. “So, they talked the talk and walked the walk.”

The Wildcats went on to score one more shutout, a 56-0 triumph in the CCS playoff opener against Evergreen Valley. Then after a 39-6 win over Terra Nova in the semifinals, Woodside’s date with destiny came on Dec. 3, 2004 with a dramatic win over Westmont. Edelman ran for 170 yards in the championship game, rushing for two touchdowns and passing for another by connecting with Duncan-Cruz in the first quarter. Edelman’s 63-yard score on the following possession gave Woodside the lead for good. Then Jacks capped the night’s scoring by galloping for a 50-yard score.

Jacks was, in fact, the superstar of the team. And he was recognized as such not just by the league, but by Nicolopulos himself.

“It’s funny,” Garrison said. “Because at the end of the season, Nicolopulos said … ‘I expect this guy to be playing on Sundays.’ And he was talking about Tyreece. Then you turn around and [Edelman] is out here playing on Sunday.”

After Edelman’s prestigious collegiate career, including his freshman season at the College of San Mateo, he went on to be drafted in the seventh round out of Kent State by the Patriots. After serving as a backup wide receiver to Wes Welker for several seasons — Welker actually used to refer to the 5-10 Edelman as “Mini-Me” — Edelman enjoyed his finest season as a pro last season with 105 receptions for 1,056 yards.

“He was able to establish something for himself last year, to be healthy for the entire year which was a great plus, especially at that level,” Nicolopulos said. “And he’s excelling, which is great to see because that kid works his tail off.”

But when Edelman tells tales of life before the NFL, the most charismatic chapter is the story of the 2004 Woodside Wildcats.

“All the stars aligned,” Edelman said. “It was the story for a lifetime when it came to that year and that football team.”