After a bye last week, and for the second time in four games, Rancho Cotate (2-1) goes on a long road trip, and this away game at Pleasant Valley-Chico is a 350-mile round trip. That means this game with the Vikings is twice as far away as Sacramento where the Cougars lost their first game of the season, 24-6 to Sacramento High.
Since then, Coach Gehrig Hotaling and his boys have posted two easy home wins, 48-20 over Vanden-Fairfield and 35-0 against El Cerrito.
Last year Rancho Cotate hosted Pleasant Valley and came away with a hard-fought 35-27 victory over a Vikings team that finished 10-3 and won the CIF state Division 4-AA Bowl Game championship.
This year’s Pleasant Valley team is 2-2 but one of the losses was 32-19 at a 3-1 Del Oro-Loomis team whose only loss is to state-ranked Inderkum-Sacramento, and Del Oro has a win over Sacramento. The other loss was 37-0 two weeks ago on the road at Prep2Prep CIF Central Coast Section top-ranked and Cal-Hi Sports No. 15 Valley Christian-San Jose, and while the margin of defeat was rather large, the outcome was expected.
Pleasant Valley Coach Mark Cooley lost most of his top talent to graduation but the last thing Rancho Cotate can do is look past this week to upcoming games against Campolindo-Moraga and the North Bay League – Oak Division opener against arch rival Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa in two weeks.
“I know that we’re not thinking about Campolindo and Cardinal Newman,” Hotaling remarked. “They know the task at hand.”
“What we’re battling is taking the longest road trip since I’ve been here as a coach and since 2003 when the team went to Eureka,” continued Hotaling. “We have to worry about hydration, nutrition and meal planning. We have to be ready from snap one because if we come out lethargic we’re going to get punched in the face.”
The chances of Hotaling changing anything from the first three weeks are unlikely. The Cougars like to run the ball, and why not? Rasheed Rankin, a 6-1, 225-pound running back is the workhorse and hard to bring down. His carries were limited in the big wins over Vanden and El Cerrito and he had a week to rest so he should be ready to roll against Pleasant Valley.
Rankin had some difficulties against Sacramento that should help motivate him versus a Vikings team against whom he rushed for 123 yards and four TDs in last year’s game. So far this season Rankin has carried the ball 52 times for 368 yards and six touchdowns.
Quarterback Jared Stocker hasn’t been pressed in the last two games but he too has something to prove versus a quality opponent after the 6-1, 190-pound senior was intercepted four times in the Sacramento loss.
If the defense of Rancho Cotate is going to be a factor it likely will be from the success of the linebacking corps led by 6-2, 225-pound junior Mihalis Santorineos. So far this season Santorineos leads the team with 47 tackles and three fumble recoveries.
Pleasant Valley has a new quarterback, and their top running back from last season also graduated. The new quarterback, 5-11, 185-pound sophomore Ian Guanzon, had 131 yards passing against Del Oro and also ran for 66 yards and two touchdowns. A running back to look for is 6-0, 205-pound senior Aidan Parks.
As Hotaling said, Pleasant Valley is not a team the Cougars can overlook as the defending 4-AA state champions will likely have a large crowd and come out ready to rumble.
Note: A reminder to Rancho Cotate fans the beautiful hardcover edition of the 2019 Rancho Cotate Cougars Media Guide is available outside the Cougar Den at home games at a cost of $20. Check it out. All proceeds benefit the Rancho Cotate football program
