The Giants in a game earlier in the season. (Photo by Norma Foster)

November 10, 2022

COS vs. Contra Costa Game Notes

COS finishes up the regular season at home on Saturday 11/12/22 vs. Contra Costa College at 1pm.

GAME NOTES . . .

College of the Sequoias (5-4) vs, Contra Costa College (3-5)

Saturday, November 12, 2022—COS Campus Field

LAST GAME: Tied going into the fourth quarter, Contra Costa scored 16 unanswered points to defeat Sacramento 30-14 last week. They held the Panthers to 134 total yards and forced three turnovers. Jack Quigley's 62-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Brandon was the winning score, and Noah Franklin added a 74-yard interception return for a TD for good measure. Sequoias broke an 11-game losing streak to Modesto with a 28-24 win on the road, its first victory over the Pirates since 2005. COS rolled to a 28-0 lead in the early second quarter and then held off the Pirates' fourth quarter rally.

SERIES: The teams have played twice previously. First game was at Contra Costa with the Giants winning 55-47 in 2016, and Sequoias won the following year 16-14 in Visalia.

RANKINGS: The Giants moved up one slot, to No. 25 in this week's state rankings compiled by the JC Athletic Bureau. Sequoias is 10^th in Northern California. Contra Costa is unranked,

COACHES: COS head coach Travis Burkett is now in his third season, having been hired in April of 2020. His career record at COS is 11-11. Burkett has 15 prior seasons as an assistant at the Division 1 level, most recently as the running backs coach at Nevada-Las Vegas. He was also an assistant at Cornell for 10 seasons. Travis starred at San Luis Obispo High before advancing to St. Mary's College on scholarship, where he earned a degree in history. Burkett is the 22^nd head coach in COS history. Comets coach Otis Yelverton is in his second season as head coach, with a record of 13-6. Yelverton's 2021 team went 10-1 and won a post-season bowl game. Yelverton is a North Carolina native and played collegiately at North Carolina A&T State University. He had a previous stint as a defensive assistant at CCC from 2011-13, and also has coaching experience at Oak Ridge Military Academy, Copiah-Lincoln Community College, the University of Alabama and University of Florida.

COMETS: Contra Costa has struggled on offense this year but has a top notch defense. They have allowed an average of 256.1 yards per game, which ranks third best in Northern California and sixth best in the state. The Comets have been especially tough against the run (86.3 yards a game). The defense is led by linebacker Franklin, defensive end Tavaris Pitts (both commits to San Jose State), lineman E.J. Thomas, back Jaylen Henderson, and tackles Simeon Mitchell and Qai Smith. The most consistent player, according to Yelverton, has been freshman linebacker Kaden McLeod. Henderson scored defensive touchdowns with a 41-yard interception vs. Laney and a 46-yard fumble return vs. Reedley. Thomas had a 49-yard fumble return and Bobby Brooks a 45-yard interception vs. Chabot and McLeod an 82-yard interception return last week. On offense, the line is anchored by returning all-conference center James Wilson, a pre-season all-American pick. Returning all-conference running back Mike Franklin, who rushed for 898 yards last year, has 539 this season with 2 touchdowns. His best games have been against Chabot (119 yards), Laney (122) and Reedley (143). Another standout is returning all-conference tight end Mikey Mainer, and two of the top freshmen are running back Rashaan Woodland and quarterback Jack Quigley.

GIANTS: For just over a quarter last week, everything that could happen in the Giants' favor did. Two touchdowns in 17 seconds in the early second quarter gave COS a 28-0 lead and their 28-7 halftime lead reflected probably the best half COS has played against Modesto in the last 30 years. Still, it took the defense's stretching out Modesto's last scoring drive (which took 5:28, capped by a field goal with 3:06 to play) and Zavion Battle's second interception of the game on the final play at the Giants' 20 yard line, to seal the win. Standouts last week on defense included linemen Michael Machado and Michael Gary, linebacker Lonnie Wessel and backs Battle and Michael Wessel, whose 31-yard interception return for a score put COS ahead 28-0 in the early second quarter. On offense the standouts included QB Nathan Lamb, receiver Tae Marks (who had a 54-yard touchdown reception on the game's first play) and the entire offensive line.

NOTES: Seven COS opponents continue to be ranked in this week's state poll, headed by San Mateo, who is 4^th in the state and No. 1 in Northern California. Others are Butte, 8^th and 3^rd; Fresno, 12^th and 6^th; Diablo Valley, 14^th and 8^th; Modesto, 27^th and 11^th; Shasta, 35^th tie and 15^th tie; and Reedley, 37^th and 17^th…Lamb has now moved into second place on the all-time COS records for passes completed (327), passing yardage (4306) and touchdown passes (39). In total offense, he is second all-time in offensive plays (693) and total offensive yards (4873). His 57 career touchdowns responsible for has tied Robert Dougherty's all-time record.