To beat its arch rival is going to take a tall order and a total team effort.
The bottom line is to do it Prep2Prep CIF North Coast Section No. 15 ranked Rancho Cotate (3-2) will need to pick itself up off the gridiron of the turf in Moraga last week after its 34-14 loss to P2P NCS No. 8 Campolindo, and deal with visiting P2P NCS No. 6 and Cal-Hi Sports Medium Schools No. 8 No. Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa in a North Bay League – Oak Division opener for both teams this Friday night at 7:00 pm in Rohnert Park.
In the past seven meetings between the two teams since 2014 the only game that wasn’t close was a 42-21 loss at Newman last year. Rancho Cotate has won two of the seven matchups, but a 45-38 overtime victory at home in 2014 is the last time the Cougars have beaten the Cardinals in a North Bay League or playoff game.
Rancho Cotate lost 42-35 on the road in 2015 and 35-34 in 2016 in overtime at home. In 2017 the teams met three times. The first meeting was a hastily arranged non-league game scheduled during the period of the Santa Rosa fires because both teams needed some game action. Rancho Cotate won the game 41-28 at home, but they lost the NBL game 34-27 at Newman, and then in the CIF North Coast Section Division III semifinals the Cougars were on the short end of a 29-28 heartbreaker at Santa Rosa Junior College.
For the host Cougars to turn the tide against the Cardinals something will have to change.
The Rancho Cotate offense never really got untracked against Campolindo after only gaining 57 yards of total offense in the first half last week, and when they finally did find another gear it was way too late to overcome a 27-0 deficit after three quarters.
When asked what the keys would be to coming out on top Coach Gehrig Hotaling somewhat surprisingly did not have the offense at the top of his list as he rattled off his answers.
“Tackling,” was Hotaling’s first response. “Ride the momentum of the crowd and the band. Establish a rhythm on offense with some balance. Can’t be one dimensional.”
Prior to the Campolindo loss the Cougars had won three straight games over Vanden-Fairfield, El Cerrito, and perennial CIF Northern Section powerhouse Pleasant Valley-Chico, and in each instance it was the running game led by 6-1, 225-pound running back Rasheed Rankin that got the job done.
That all changed against Campolindo when the running game didn’t materialize and the passing of 6-1, 190-pound quarterback Jared Stocker really didn’t put up much in the way of numbers until the fourth quarter when the deal had already been sealed.
If the offense of Rancho Cotate is going to be up to the task against its arch rival, it’s going to have to start with Rankin and Stoker, and both acknowledge that fact, and the offensive line is going to have to get more push up front then it did against Campolindo.
When asked on Friday morning how busy he felt he needed to be against Cardinal Newman to come out on top Rankin had a very simple answer. “As busy as I have to be to win this game.”
Stocker got right to the point as well. “We need to execute on offense and control the trenches.”
Part of executing for Stocker will be to get the ball to his wide receivers, and that means connecting with seniors Darius Hurst and Jack Reese, and junior Gianni Gigliello, and possibly senior two-way standout Anthony Scardina.
The Rancho Cotate defense, led by 6-2, 225-pound junior linebacker Mihalis Santorineos, and 6-0, 180-pound senior defensive back Tai Peleti, will have its hands full against the Cardinals.
Cardinal Newman (4-1) is coming off a blowout of Balboa-San Francisco, but the game to really look at to gauge what the Cardinals can do is in the one blemish on their record, a 17-13 road loss to P2P NCS No. 2 and Cal-Hi Sports No. 20 ranked Liberty-Brentwood.
In that game dual-threat quarterback Jackson Pavitt, a 6-2, 193-pound senior that is starting to get some solid D1 college interest, was 18-of-29 passing for 235 yards and two TDs with no interceptions.
Pavitt’s favorite target against Liberty was 6-3, 175-pound blossoming junior star Tsion Nunnally. He had seven receptions for 132 yards and one TD where he broke free and outraced three defenders 58-yards to the end zone.
Two other players that should play key roles for Newman are junior running back Shane Moran and senior wide receiver Giancarlo Woods.
Cardinal Newman has seen as tough if not tougher competition than Rancho Cotate and will come in as a favorite despite being on the road, but in this ultra rivalry, it could as it has in the past, come down to one play.
“So far this season we love our effort. The kids are playing well,” Newman Coach Paul Cronin remarked. “But even so to get to where we want to be we have to start executing better and more consistently.”
“Our kids are excited and it’s fun to play a game where the team is capable of beating you,” Cronin continued. “This is what high school sports is all about. It’s not only about the scoreboard and a league title but about playing well, playing hard, and being great with your eyes.”
Hotaling certainly knows the task at hand and has a clear picture of what it will take to win.
“We have to try and identify what we do well and emphasize that. Then we have to play well, have a good showing and the kids have to play as hard as they can for four quarters,” summarized Hotaling.
Speaking of eyes, they will all be on the top matchup in the Redwood Empire portion of the North Coast Section this season. Anything is possible in the North Bay League – Oak Division, but not likely, so the winner of this game almost assuredly will end up the league champion.
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
