Windsor bracing for Oct. 12 home clash with Cardinal Newman
Week two of the North Bay League Oak Division schedule was a character builder for the Jaguars on Friday, coming out on the wrong end of a 44-0 varsity football rout at perennial power Rancho Cotate.
The Jags spotted the Cougars a 24-0 lead after the first quarter and never recovered as Rancho powered to an easy win.
The victory evened the Cougar’s league record to 1-1 and 6-1 on the season, while Windsor fell to 1-1 and 3-4 overall.
“Not much to report from the game,” Jags head coach Brad Stibi said. ”Our offense really could not get going and our defense could not stop Rancho’s powerful offense.”
Things won’t get much easier for the Jaguars this week as they prepare to host state-ranked Cardinal Newman (varsity kickoff 7:30 p.m.). The Cardinals (2-0, 6-1) are coming off a 45-14 rout over a tough Ukiah team and are showing few signs of slowing down at the season’s midpoint.
Windsor enters this Friday’s match-up as a huge underdog with nothing to lose, hoping to bring their best against a traditionally strong Newman squad.
“We’re putting the Rancho game behind us and are focusing on Newman, who presents a whole new set of challenges,” Stibi noted. “Newman is always prepared, well coached and plays hard.”
Early hole sinks Jags
Rancho Cotate wasted no time in cranking up its high-octane offense on Friday, scoring on a two-yard burst on its first possession just two minutes into the contest. The rout was on when the Cougars found pay dirt on an 18-yard pass play, followed by a 23-yard field goal. Rancho finished the quarter with another three-yard touchdown scamper to make it 24-0. Leading 34-0 at the half, the Cougars kept the Jags off the board in the final two periods en route to a 44-0 win.
Junior quarterback Nick Pariani led the Windsor offense with three completions on 19 pass attempts for 45 yards, while junior running back Lorenzo Leon was the Jags’ top ground-gainer with 34 yards on 14 carries. Leading receivers were Mikey Contreras (1-23 yards), Landan Estrela (2-17 yards) and Jake Sievers (1-5 yards).
Octavio Vega led the defensive unit with 13 tackles. Other top defenders were Estrela (8 tackles) and Christian Sanchez (5 tackles, interception).
