September 1, 2016

COS vs. Contra Costa Game Notes

GAME NOTES . . .

College of the Sequoias vs. Contra Costa College

Saturday, September 3, 2016—Mineral King Bowl

LAST YEAR: After a 4-0 start, Sequoias has dropped its last six games and finished 4-6 overall, with only one of the losses a close game. Still, it was a healthy improvement over the previous year's 1-9 mark. Contra Costa won its first seven games last year enroute to a 9-2 overall mark, falling to Hartnell in a post-season bowl game.

SERIES: The teams have played one prior game. COS won 52-14 in a non-conference game at Visalia in 1994.

RANKINGS: Contra Costa is ranked 26^th in the state in the JC Athletic Bureau pre-season poll. Sequoias is ranked 38^th. Eight of the Giants' 10 opponents are ranked in the pre-season top 33 teams. Only Sacramento and Feather River are unranked.

COACHES: COS coach Irv Pankey is now in his 19th season on the Giants' staff and his fourth year as head coach. Pankey has played football at the highest levels, earning second team all-American honors as a senior at Penn State and then playing 13 seasons in the National Football League as an offensive lineman, with the Los Angeles Rams and Indianapolis Colts. He was originally hired at COS in 1998 as a physical education instructor and assistant football coach. Pankey's career record with the Giants is now 11-19. New additions to the COS staff are Jeff Johnson (offensive line), Jesse Lira (defensive line) and Leo Watkins (defensive backs). Contra Costa coach Alonzo Carter is now in his 7^th season. His career mark with the Comets is 44-20, including a 34-10 mark the past four years. Carter has led CCC to four consecutive conference championships and post-season bowl games in Tier 2, and the Comets have been elevated to Tier1 competition. (Foothill dropped down.) Carter, a native of Oakland, attended Contra Costa and Cal State Hayward, where he competed in football and track. His previous coaching experience includes 7 years at McClymonds High in Oakland and 3 years at Berkeley High School. He was also McClymonds head track coach for 13 years. Carter has also played semi-pro football in the Bay Area.

COMETS: Contra Costa's offense is led by returning all-conference QB Cameron Burston, who last year completed 158 of 249 passes for 2151 yards, with 28 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions. He also rushed for 426 yards and 5 TDs. Burston has orally committed to Fresno State. All-conference running back Harris Ross, who led the team with 623 yards rushing in 2015, is also back. Other top offensive players include sophomore receivers Marquis Pippins and Joshua Walker and freshman receivers Osai Brown, Devin Quesada and Semaj Mitchell. On defense, the top returnees are all-conference lineman Mike Ihejeto and all-conference DB from 2014 Lavon Washington. Returning starters include corner Bomani Bassette and safety Rodney Washington. Top freshmen are backs Prentiss Reid and Arthur Hayes, linebackers Justin Mills, Hadari Darden and Elijah Williams, and linemen Elijah Parks and Richie George.

GIANTS: On defense, DB Ron LaForce, all-conference two seasons ago, returns. Free safety Brandon James, who started on the 2014 team, is also back. Linebacker Mark Meynisse is a returning starter, as is linebacker Greg Patton. Defensive end Brendan Washington was a spot starter last season and DB Logan Pierce is a transfer from Reedley College. The top freshmen include corner Jimmy Nealy, who originally signed with the University of Idaho; back Jacob Bryant, linebackers Cory Yahnian and Trae Magee; and three linemen who originally signed with 4-year schools: Lee Lindor (South Florida), Rakeem Terry (Louisville) and Bryan Gomez (Memphis). The Giants' defense, which gave up nearly 50 points a game over the last six games of 2015, figures to be much improved this year. The offense figures to be led by sophomore slot back Elijah Porchia, the team's leading receiver as a freshman with 28 catches for 279 yards. Porchia will also carry the ball and averaged 23.1 yards on kickoff returns. A top recruit for the offensive line is freshman Gene Pryor from Mt. Whitney. Sophomore Bronson Espinoza, who missed last year with an injury, is a returning starter on the line.

NOTES: For the first time in perhaps decades—and maybe ever—all five of the Giants' home games are in the afternoon. Several traveling schools requested earlier starting times for transportation reasons. Three of the home games will be 2 pm starts with the other two at 1 o'clock. In all, Sequoias will play 7 daytime games.

TEAM LOGS FROM 2015:

Contra Costa (9-2)

Cabrillo W 37-12

West Hills W 24- 3

Reedley W 37-28

Merced W 33-28

Los Medanos W 48- 7

Yuba W 16-13

Redwoods W 44-34

Shasta L 21-34

Mendocino W 1- 0 (forfeit)

San Jose W 40-16