TOKAY, GALT READY FOR KICKOFF
After a year and a half of COVID-19 cancellations and delays, with half a football season played in the spring, the time has come for a full season of high school football.
Assuming everything goes right, of course.
The local schools were originally slated for a full four games tonight, but Lodi postponed its game against Grant due to COVID-19 symptoms and players quarantined, and Liberty Ranch had Bret Harte drop out due to low participation.
Lodi and Grant, who had the same bye on Sept. 17, were able to rescheduled the game for then, and Liberty Ranch was able to replace Bret Harte with a game at Rio Linda on Sept. 24.
That leaves Tokay and Galt in the spotlight. Tokay opens against Lathrop at Hubbard Field tonight, and Galt will host Ripon Christian.
“I don’t want to look past any opponent, so I think just getting off on the right foot and getting that first win, our focus is on Lathrop right now,” Rhoads said two weeks before the opener. “It’d be huge for us to come out of that one with a win.”
Both teams have a new head coach, with Tokay’s Rhoads promoted from offensive coordinator after the departure of Michael Holst to Clovis West, and Lathrop’s Ryan Teicheira joining off of the Oakdale staff.
Teicheira’s Spartans will come to town with a Wing-T offense, but Lathrop was only able to get one game played during the spring season — a 22-15 loss to Mountain House.
Tokay has had turnover on the roster as well, with vaunted running back Joseph Filippini graduated and gone to Arizona Christian University.
His departure leaves the door open for players like Elias Castro, Xavion Moreno and Barrett Crosby. Under center, the team has given reps to quarterbacks Zach Filippini (younger brother of Joseph) and Branden Moreno.
Galt is also entering with a mostly-new quarterback at the helm, with junior Cole Erman promoted from backup in the spring. He and a bevy of running backs will lead the Warriors into tonight’s matchup against small-school power Ripon Christian.
Ripon Christian, out of the Southern League, have a new coach in former Capital Christian coach Phil Grams, who spent a few years on the staff at Lawrence University in Wisconsin.
Ripon Christian didn’t play in the spring, but the Knights have pedigree, with an 11-1 run in 2019 and a 12-1 record in 2018.
Ripon Christian is part of a schedule that has coach Tim Cobleigh excited.
“If were going to strive and be champions here, we have to put teams on our schedule that will push us,” Cobleigh said, “and the expectation is that we’ll work hard.”