When second-year head coach Ricky Rodriguez accepted the head coaching job at James Logan, the Washington-Fremont alum made it clear that his goals were lofty at a program which he described as among the Bay Area's elite places to work. In just his second year, it appears the former Encinal head coach has gotten his program to the point of re-inserting the Colts into the discussion as one of the top Division 1 teams in the North Coast Section.
Logan's 36-20 victory over Moreau Catholic last week gave the Colts a one-game lead over the Mariners with one game left in the regular season. James Logan has already clinched at least a share of the title, and the league's designation to the section as league champion for seeding purposes, but Rodriguez and the Colts want nothing less than an outright title. This Friday, a journey which started over 400 miles away in Rancho Cucamonga with a heart-breaking two-point loss to Los Osos, can reach a regular-season conclusion on a nine-game winning streak at home against Kennedy-Fremont.
The Colts will be heavy favorites in the regular-season finale, which is a bit ironic because it was a game against Kennedy three seasons ago which helped facilitate Logan's move back into the Mission Valley Athletic League, after six seasons spent as a competitive anomaly outside the league. That game in 2016 resulted in a 34-16 victory for the Titans, but the last three seasons have swung back in Logan's direction, including a 78-13 victory last season which represents the highest-point total in Rodriguez's two years at the helm.
While Logan will be a heavy favorite, both teams are getting ready for playoff runs. Kennedy appears likely to make the playoff field in Division 4, having won two of its last three games and currently holding a 3-2 record in league play, making visible strides this year under coach Bray Roman. The lone loss in the last three shows the difference in the programs, however, as Kennedy suffered a 34-0 defeat to Moreau Catholic.
