Empire football previews: Rancho Cotate hosts defending NCS champions

Friday is a true fork-in-the-road moment for Rancho Cotate. If the Cougars can defeat powerhouse Campolindo (Moraga) for the second consecutive year, Rancho Cotate's trajectory as an elite football program will take a giant leap forward.

A loss, however, would be a setback and likely affect the Cougars' postseason North Coast Section placement. Both teams are in NCS Division 2.

“This game has huge implications for the playoffs and will affect the seedings. The selection committee likes to look at head-to-head matchups,” Rancho Cotate coach Gehrig Hotaling said.

“Campolindo is the second-most prestigious program in Northern California after De La Salle. Their accolades speak for themselves,” Hotaling said.

Rancho Cotate won last year's contest 33-28 at Campolindo, and the Cougars are looking for a repeat performance against last year's NCS Division 2 champions.

Hotaling said he was looking to implement elements in the rematch that worked in last year's game but would not give specifics.

”There is some grass on the field to be had, so to speak. We have a good game plan and we are practicing hard,” Hotaling said. “We will face more adversity than we have had in our first three games.”

Hotaling said Rancho Cotate is bigger overall, but Campolindo is faster.

“The teams are pretty evenly matched,” he said.

“Campolindo is well-conditioned and physically tough. They play great special teams, their offense is effective and complex, and on defense they are hustlers,” Hotaling said. “We are near-mirror images of each other.

“In a lot of ways, Campolindo is the program we aspire to be.”

The Cougars will wear all-red uniforms Friday for the first time since the mid-1980s as a tribute to that era of the program.

In addition, the jerseys will have patches honoring Rohnert Park first responders as the one-year anniversary of October's North Bay wildfires approaches.

“We are hoping these jerseys will be good luck and we are hoping for a historic night,” Hotaling said. “The stadium should be pretty packed and it should be a fun atmosphere for sure.”

In other games:

MARIA CARRILLO Pumas (1-1) vs. CASA GRANDE Gauchos (0-3)

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Place: Casa Grande High School

The Pumas made a furious second-half comeback last Friday night at Benicia only to lose 42-35 in overtime. … Maria Carrillo has scored 68 points and allowed 68 in their two combined games. … The Gauchos lost last week at home to San Marin 28-14. … Casa Grande has been outscored in their combined three games 93 to 43.

WINDSOR Jaguars (1-2) vs. SANTA ROSA Panthers (2-1)

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Place: Santa Rosa High School

The Jaguars are in a tailspin after losing at Del Oro 51-0 last week and 68-0 vs. visiting Freedom two weeks ago. … Windsor is averaging fewer than 200 yards of offense per game and has only one defensive sack this season. … The Panthers lost at home vs. Ukiah last week 29-22. … Santa Rosa is averaging 354 yards rushing per game.

PINER Prospectors (1-2) vs. TAMALPAIS Red-Tailed Hawks (2-0)

Time: 4 p.m.

Place: Tamalpais High School

The Prospectors are 1-1 against Marin County Athletic League teams and will need a stellar game to defeat the hot Red-Tailed Hawks….The Prospectors defeated Novato 20-6 two weeks ago but lost at Drake 26-7 last Friday night. … Tamalpais has had two impressive home wins - 49-35 against Saint Mary's and 46-0 against San Lorenzo.

ALSO FRIDAY

NCL III

Point Arena at Anderson Valley, 7:30 p.m.

South Fork at Round Valley, 7:30 p.m.

Nonleague

Rincon Valley Christian at Cornerstone Christian, 4 p.m.

Moreau at Middletown, 5:30 p.m.

Summit Academy at Cardinal Newman, 7 p.m.

Arcata at Willits, 7 p.m.

Calistoga at Upper Lake, 7 p.m.

Redwood at Ukiah, 7:30 p.m.

El Molino at Petaluma, 7:30 p.m.

El Camino at Sonoma Valley, 7:30 p.m.

Clear Lake at University Prep (Redding), 7:30 p.m.

Durham at Fort Bragg, 7:30 p.m.

Novato at Lower Lake, 7:30 p.m.

Roseland Collegiate Prep at Crystal Springs (Hillsborough), 7:30 p.m.

Calistoga at Upper Lake, 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY'S GAMES

Nonleague

Analy at Terra Linda, 7 p.m.

St. Vincent at Harbor (Santa Cruz), 7 p.m.

Cloverdale at Montgomery, 7 p.m.