Old friends face off as Casa Roble and Twelve Bridges clash in section championship game
They are friends with the same first name and the same sort of energy and passion for molding teams and offering up humor amid a championship drive. They are coaches who have the attention of their teams and the deep respect of each other.
Chris Horner leads the Casa Roble Rams (11-1) of Orangevale into the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division V championship game against Chris Bean and the Twelve Bridges Raging Rhinos of Lincoln at 11 a.m. Friday at Sacramento City College’s Hughes Stadium. It’s old school versus new school led by new-generation coaches who operate with a throwback touch of the values of hard work, unity and the weight room.
For perspective, Casa Roble opened in 1966 and went a badly beaten 0-10 in its first varsity campaign in 1967, long before Horner ever slipped on a helmet or shoulder pads. The school for decades played Saturday afternoon home games but in recent years has rocked it under the lights in a festive setting. Horner leads that charge.
Twelve Bridges is so new that the school has yet to graduate its first class. That happens this spring. Despite the youth, Bridges has produced the best showing for a first senior class in regional history. These things simply do not happen at newer schools, but everything aligned perfectly to ignite this magical season. Along the way, Twelve Bridges has become a hit in Placer County with sold-out games and a spirited student rooting section.
Horner and Bean are not that old, having played their prep ball 30 years ago — Horner in the trenches at San Juan and Bean leading Colfax clubs at quarterback. The two talk regularly, including this season when there was a sense that they may meet in the finals.
“Chris Bean doesn’t answer his phone — he’s a text guy,” Horner joked Monday during the section’s 13th annual championship breakfast, which recognizes the 14 remaining teams competing in seven title games. “But he answers my call. I love the guy!”
Horner is in his 24th season of coaching at Casa Roble, some of it on the lower levels. He has the Rams in a section final for the second time 2018, seeking the program’s first section banner since 2008 under coach Norm Ryan. Horner said he had a sense several years ago that this could be a special unit. He came to that conclusion while watching current players compete on youth teams.
“We have a small-town feel in Orangevale, a tight community,” Horner said. “I thought we could be amazing one day. Last year, we lost to Capital Christian (in the semifinals). We were not supposed to win. It wasn’t our time. We came back better.”
That’s a similar theme to what Bean has experienced. He coached at nearby Lincoln High for years, elevating the program into a title contender, and then became the first football coach at Twelve Bridges. That was a significant hire since the coach suddenly became a prominent face of the program and the school.
Scores of athletes made the decision to either remain a Lincoln Fighting Zebra or to test the new waters on the new campus and to follow a coach they wanted to play for. Bean is moved nearly to tears that so many made the switch. As a first-time varsity team last season, with no seniors, the Raging Rhinos defied new-school football logic. They made a run in the playoffs, beating Modesto Christian in an opener and pushing eventual section and CIF state champion Hughson to double-overtime.
“We’re trying to make a name for ourselves, and it’s cool,” Bean said. “To open a new school is a big challenge. It’s been a ride. We’ve been locked in. Then, all of a sudden, it’s ‘Holy Jesus. Here we go!’ I’m honored to play a good friend of mine in Horner.”
Both coaches have an open-door policy in their classrooms, Bean in history and Horner in mathematics. Students of all walks come in to eat, to chat, to hang out. The coaches are beloved figures and they are never dull, quick with the wit. The coaches have humble stars who lead the way by example: UC Davis-bound receiver Cole Owens for Casa Roble, who says little but plays loud, and college prospect running back Nathan Crawford for Twelve Bridges, who generally credits teammates and coaches before talking about himself.
The coaches also have relationships with their quarterbacks that can run warm to hot, but usually in a good sense.
Horner praised his quarterback, Connor Campbell, after a 34-14 semifinal win over Hilmar, particularly in the effort his junior showed after getting intercepted. Campbell raced across the field to chase down the defender at the 5.
“Sometimes we argue back and forth and I say, ‘Just say yes, coach!’” Horner said with a laugh. “Then this freaking guy goes 100 yards all over the field to make the tackle. Loved it.”
Bean challenges his 6-foot-6 quarterback Whit Kruse to keep the tempo going for the Raging Rhinos. The two back each other and rib each other.
“Sometimes I’m yelling at Whit, and I feel like a child because I’m shorter,” Bean said “He’ll say, ‘We got this, coach,’ and pats me on the head. We’re having a great time. We are not taking any of this for granted.”
Both coaches also agreed on this: They are coaching their favorite teams, on the cusp of winning their first section championships. Their time has come. Their time is now. There will be an embrace before and after the game, and regardless of who wins, the coaches know they won’t lose a friend.
