Del Oro boys, girls soccer honors longtime coach Scammacca

The Del Oro High School boys and girls soccer teams took to the field with heavy hearts in Tuesday night's regular-season finale against Granite Bay, as they honored longtime boys and girls soccer coach Matt Scammacca, who passed away unexpectedly Sunday. He was 45. Scammacca joined the coaching staff at Placer United in 2003, where he remained for 21 years, coaching more than 1,200 players at various levels. He had stints at Sierra College and Yuba College, but he found his home in Loomis with Del Oro High. He served as head coach of the Golden Eagles' boys team from 2010-21 and was an assistant coach for the girls team from 2010-16, winning three Sac-Joaquin Section championships alongside head coach Ron Benjamin. "Matt was very instrumental and helpful in us winning three section titles in a row. I believe those were the first in girls soccer history at the school and then he was a big part of that," said Benjamin, who now serves as the girls coaching director for Placer United. "His roots here in Sacramento are super deep but he has been one of the most influential coaches on the west coast." Scammacca's influence on the soccer community showed Tuesday night, as the Del Oro boys and girls teams played in front of a packed stadium full of those who came out to show their support. Black and gold was scattered throughout the stands but it wasn't for Del Oro, as Placer United's players and coaching staff of all ages filled the crowd. The girls honored Scammacca with a moment of silence for 30 seconds before their match, but the pregame ceremony for the boys match left many in the crowd with tears in their eyes as they paid tribute to the coach. The public address announcer asked for anyone who played with, played for or coached with Scammacca to come down to the field for a moment of silence. What started as a circle around the midfield logo quickly grew, stretching well beyond the sideline boundaries and to each 20-yard line. Players from the boys and girls teams as well as fans could be seen holding back tears as they reflected on the impact Scammacca had on them. "It meant a lot to have that many people come out in support of Matt," Del Oro boys soccer coach Ben Rooker said. "Matt had an impact on many lives. He was a great friend, mentor, coach and father. This is just proof tonight. He was a great man." "It was a very emotional moment," Benjamin added. "Seeing that big of a circle was gut-wrenching, but it was incredible at the same time to see the impact that he had on so many people." Rooker said Del Oro debated whether to play Tuesday, which ended in a 2-1 Granite Bay victory. He said the entire program came together to meet, but it was Scammacca's son Ayden, a freshman on the varsity team, who said he wanted to play. "Soccer, for him and his dad, that was their thing. I think he played out in his mind and there was no chance he wasn't going to come out and have a match like that," Rooker said of Ayden. "His kid is the one that stepped up and made it happen for us. We came out here in front of probably the fullest stadium that Del Oro has ever had for a soccer match and both teams played for Matt." Benjamin shared a moment with Ayden before the match, as they both tried to fight back their tears to no avail while they hugged. "We were both a little choked up, but I just told him that I was glad that he was playing tonight and go have fun and enjoy it," Benjamin said. "That was pretty much it. Neither of us could get too many words out. I just told him how proud his dad would be that he was playing." The boys team warmed up donning Scammacca's No. 3 he wore at Sacramento State, where he played from 1997 to 2000. For the match, Ayden changed his jersey number to wear his dad's number as well. "We decided we wanted to wear that number for Matt tonight," Rooker said. "Everything tonight was for Matt. The result doesn't hurt us. It's tough, but these guys are going to respond." Del Oro's girls gave Scammacca a touching tribute as well, securing the Sierra Foothill League championship with a 3-1 victory over Granite Bay. Scammacca's daughter Addi is a junior midfielder on the team. Golden Eagles coach Megan Harris noted how the team is a primarily defensive unit, and it was the first time they scored three goals all season. "I didn't even realize that we scored Matt's number until after the match. That's the most we've scored in league," Harris said. "We didn't even have school today because we had no power. The stadium is the only part of the school that has power right now. We were just supposed to be playing here tonight. It's like it was meant to be." Harris said she was proud of the resilience her team showed by playing, noting how Scammacca's passing was felt throughout the entire program as many of the players played for him at some point. "We got hit with this bomb 48 hours ago. Matt's been a part of all of our lives. I've coached with him for 15 years. He's been a part of my kids' lives. For a lot of these girls, he was out here with us every night at training," Harris said. "The strength Addi and Ayden showed gave our girls the strength to just come out and give it their all in this match. I'm really proud of them." Benjamin said the Placer United community is doing its best to support Scammacca's family and are checking up on them as they go through this difficult time. "We're trying to allow them to have some time to grieve but we are, you know, checking in daily whether it's text messages to check in or seeing if they need anything," Benjamin said. "We just want to be that support system that they need." Del Oro's boys and girls teams have dedicated the remainder of their season to Scammacca as they prepare for the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs this weekend. Del Oro's boys drew the top seed in Division II and will face No. 16 Armijo on Friday night, while the girls earned the fifth seed in Division I and will face No. 12 McClatchy on Saturday.