They considered starting their college football careers with past winners, but Napa High offensive linemen Justin Ruffino and Max Wagenknecht opted instead for a future winner.

They will be joining 2007 Napa High graduate Ryan Kostecka at Lewis & Clark College, a NCAA Division III program that finished 1-8 last year with eight blowout losses.

“I think coming to a team that’s losing will be fun because I’ve never really experienced a losing atmosphere before,” Ruffino said of the school in Portland, Ore. “They want kids that come from schools with winning traditions who can bring that winning attitude up there.”

Ruffino also made recruiting visits to Occidental College of Los Angeles, which was 9-1 in 2008, and Chapman University of Orange, Calif., which finished 5-4. But he said he opted for the Pioneers with hopes of getting more playing time right away.

“I’m going to go up there with the attitude that I want to play as a freshman,” said Ruffino, who played guard in his third varsity season for Napa High last fall. “They have all the keys to be successful — incredible coaches, good returning players — so they could be a contending team in a couple of years.”

The Pioneers — who had just four seniors last year — lost their first eight games by an average margin of 37 points, before finishing with a 43-7 rout of Principia of St. Louis.

Wagenknecht said he made a mid-January recruiting trip to the University of San Diego, whose NCAA I-AA program went 9-2 last year. Even though fellow Napa seniors David Smith and Michael Ruffino, Justin’s twin, will continue their career with the Toreros, USD wasn’t for Wagenknecht.

He liked that Lewis & Clark has only about 3,500 students, 1,500 fewer than USD.

 “The coaches told us they (didn’t have enough players), and that’s one reason they didn’t have much success,” Wagenknecht said. “They seemed like they had a lot of really good offensive ideas. They just needed the personnel and they think I’m one of the people who can help turn it around. The offensive line coach (Ian Falconer) was telling me he wants me to compete for a starting spot right away. No one likes to sit on the bench and watch other guys get to play.

“It’s a great school for what I want to major in, environmental studies,” added Wagenknecht. “It has small class sizes, so it’ll be easier to get to know people.”

Because it’s a Division III school, no scholarships were offered, but both players said they received financial aid packages.

Kostecka, a former Indians three-sport star who just finished his second year of playing both football and baseball at Lewis & Clark, finished the year with 30 catches for three touchdowns and a team-high 631 yards last fall.

The sophomore put up Ruffino and Wagenknecht for a night during their recruiting visit in early March.

“He gave me really good insight about the college,” said Ruffino, who was a sophomore on the Napa High varsity team when Kostecka was a senior.

“He made me want to go there a little more than other schools.”

Kostecka — who was named Lewis & Clark’s Multiple-Sport Athlete of the Year out of more than 40 candidates — said he’s eager to re-unite with his fellow Indian gridders.

“I’m very excited to have more members of the Napa High family coming here, especially players as talented as Max and Justin, two kids who know how to play the game the right way,” he said by phone from Lewis & Clark on Friday.

“I was very impressed with the way those young men handled themselves. They weren’t intimidated by how big everyone was. They seemed to fit in here. They’re very nice kids off the field who also take school seriously, which is what you have to do here.

“Having played with Justin, and with Max when he came up for the playoffs, I saw how mean they are on the football field. That’s what you need from offensive linemen, to do the dirty work and back up somebody if they get cheap-shotted.”

Kostecka said the Pioneers had only about 40 players last season, but will return most of the team and gain their best recruiting class in the last 10 or 15 years.

“Our coaches love to recruit toughness and intensity, and they know from making recruiting trips to Napa that’s what Justin and Max will bring,” he said.

“Because of what Coach (Troy) Mott instilled in us, I know they will perform well and understand what’s expected of them. Napa has hard-nosed kids. I’ve played football at L & C with a hyperextended knee, a bum ankle and concussions.

“Max and Justin are tough kids like that who flat-out don’t lose. They will be expected to compete for starting positions. I’m very excited for them.”

Ruffino said it was also important to him that head coach Chris Sulages told him he plans to stay at Lewis & Clark and keep trying to build a winner there.

“He and the other coaches kinda remind me of our coaching staff at Napa, younger guys who like to joke around a little bit,” Ruffino said.

Football is second to a good education for Ruffino and Wagenknecht — who carry 4.0 and 3.7 GPAs, respectively — and they liked the degrees it offers.

“I want to major in business and they have a good economics program,” Ruffino said. “That degree’s going to mean something, so I can get a really good job coming out of college.”

Ruffino liked that the Pioneers travel to California for some games. Their 2009 schedule includes a game at Menlo College in Atherton on Oct. 31.

He said the campus seems quiet with few distractions, and he plans to try hunting if he has time.

“It’s a beautiful campus and it’s 10 minutes from (downtown) Portland. You can take a bus to the city or stay on campus. I’m definitely going to have to get used to the rain, though.”

Wagenknecht said he knows the area fairly well because several members of his extended family live in the Portland area.

“I like kayaking — I’ve got some kayaks at my house — and the rivers are awesome up there,” he said.

For now, both are throwers on the Napa High track and field team.

Ruffino notched a personal record of 115 feet, six inches in the discus in a meet at Vintage on April 22.

“I played baseball as a sophomore but I’ve done track the last two years to stay in shape for football,” the 5-foot-11, 228-pound Ruffino said. “If it doesn’t interfere with my class schedule, I might do both sports there.”

Wagenknecht, who already looks like a college player with his 6-foot-1, 280-pound frame, said he’s been working out in the weight room “pretty much every day since football season ended” and that two seasons of track and field have helped with his footwork and agility.

“They’ll put more muscle on me and get me stronger,” he said. “Kostecka got a lot bigger there.”