Football: Spartans Inch Closer to Title

For the second time this postseason, the football team will face a familiar foe.

But, unlike its conquest – a team that barely squeaked into the playoffs – the Spartans will have a much stiffer challenge this time around.

Already in the midst of arguably the best season the school has seen in two decades, No.2-seeded Pinole Valley will look to continue its potential title run 7 p.m. Saturday night, when the undefeated Spartans host No. 3-seed Rancho Cotate.

Pinole Valley beat Rancho Cotate, 23-21, earlier in the season at home, and the winner of Saturday's contest will earn a spot in the , which potentially could be at the Oakland Coliseum. 

"I'm 2-0 in the Coliseum," said veteran Pinole Valley coach Steve Alameda, who led Kennedy of Richmond to two NCS titles in the 80's. "And it'll be nice to try to keep that undefeated record intact."

While Alameda fully admits his players understand the significance of what they could accomplish if things go their way these next two weeks, the long-time and respected Bay Area prep coach is also quick to point out that the trek to the championship is not going to be an easy task.

"They're good," Alameda said of Rancho Cotate. "They're extremely well coached. It's a quality program."

In that contest to open the season on Sept. 10, which saw the Spartans claw back from a 14-0 deficit to pull out a victory late in the second half, the battle between the two well-coached programs exhibited exactly why the visiting Cougars are so dangerous and why Alameda's squad have to be sharp in all three facets of the game come Saturday night.

Rancho Cotate (11-1) is a team that relies heavily on its rushing attack and the visitors from Rohnert Park used its ground game to roll out to a two touchdown advantage over Pinole Valley in the first meeting. The Spartans (11-0-1), who have hosted each playoff game so far based on their seed, will undoubtedly see a heavy dose of some power football once again Saturday night.

To make things even more difficult, the Cougars run a version of the veer offense, an ancient yet effective scheme that has brought tremendous success to several squads over the years on many levels, including Nebraska and De La Salle, just to name a few.

"Coach Conroy has been in charge of that program for 20 years and they run that veer out of the I (formation), which not too many teams run anymore," Alameda said. "They run it very well. The kids believe in him and believe in each other."

Rancho Cotate was also able to slow down the explosive Pinole Valley ball-carriers, holding James Lewis and Carvonte Hill to a combined 203 yards on the ground. Considering the numbers that Lewis and Hill have put up throughout the season, which includes a five-touchdown, 334-yard performance in last week's quarterfinal victory over , the Cougars' defensive effort earlier in the year looks even more impressive.

Despite the bevy of challenges that Rancho Cotate presents, however, Pinole Valley comes into the contest as the favorites and for good reason.

After chugging by No. 15-seed Alameda in the first round, the Spartans bounced back nicely last week with the methodical victory over a gritty Washington squad. Pinole Valley led wire-to-wire in that contest and was able to show off its dynamic big-play ability on both sides of the ball.

"We said this was now or never. We didn't want this to end," said Spartans' cornerback Malachi Harris after the game.

The notion of "now or never" will resurface once again Saturday night for Pinole Valley.

"It's been a long season," Alameda said. "We even played on zero week. Now we are in December. But I looked around the other night and I saw Christmas lights on houses. That doesn't just mean Santa is coming. It also means we are having a hell of a season."

WHEN PINOLE VALLEY HAS THE BALL: It's no secret what the Spartans like to do. Fans can almost count on one hand the number of times Pinole Valley has attempted a pass this season, so the focus will be on James Lewis, Carvonte Hill and company. Every player that touches the ball for the Spartans possesses the speed to score and more times than not this year, that's exactly what has happened. The key once again will be the big play ability of Lewis and Hill. If the duo is grinding out four and five yard runs, the Spartans might be in trouble. But, if Lewis and Hill can find their small creases, it will be the usual Pinole track meet.

WHEN RANCHO COTATE HAS THE BALL: In many ways, Rancho's offense is similar to what Pinole likes to do. The difference is simply how the two teams go about it. While the Spartans can score at a blink of an eye due to their incredible team speed, the Cougars like to methodically pound the ball down the field, one step at a time. The beauty of the veer offense is its confusion and multiple options, which has sent opposing defenses into a tizzy this season. Rancho has averaged 41.4 points per game this season, including a 51-0 spanking of Arroyo in the first round. That attack is led by quarterback Poueu Peleti-Gore, who ran for two scores in Rancho's in the 30-13 quarterfinal victory over Clayton Valley last week.

WHEN PINOLE VALLEY IS ON DEFENSE: So how do you slow down the veer? That's the question that has plagued Alameda and his coaching staff this week. The Spartans actually did an excellent job of that the first go-around, holding the Cougars well under their usual rushing output. While it's easier said than done, the key is simply to play assignment football. The veer is effective because it creates mismatches and odd numbers, so the more the Pinole defenders each stick to their roles, the more likely it is that they will force Peleti-Gore to throw a pass or two. The last time these two teams met, Peleti-Gore was picked off by Kye Duren, who promptly raced 55 yards to the end zone that gave Pinole the lead for good.

WHEN RANCHO COTATE IS ON DEFENSE: Alameda was vaguely effective against Pinole Valley in the first round because the Hornets were able to get a push up front. Same went for Washington last week. The Rancho Cotate defensive linemen have to follow suit by finding a way to keep a low pad level and plug the gaps up front. If Lewis and company get to the second level, forget about it.

INTANGIBLES: In significant games like this, playing at home never hurts. Combine that with the fact that Pinole Valley already has a win over Rancho Cotate, and Alameda's squad has multiple reasons to feel confident. Both squads have gotten the jump on teams from the opening kickoff all season and it'll be imperative for Rancho Cotate to do so again because of the Spartans' big play ability. If Pinole Valley gets a lead early, a spot in the NCS final next week will be likely. Like Alameda stated before the playoffs began, however, beating a team twice in one season is never easy, so fans should expect another close one Saturday night.