By MARK MOLINA | Staff Writer
RIO HONDO — After last year’s 26-16 win over the Warriors, Rio Hondo head coach Rocky James isn’t taking Santa Rosa lightly when they host them tonight at Bobcat Stadium to kick off their 2014 season.
In fact, James and the Bobcats look at week one just like the Arturo Garcia and the Warriors do: a good early-season measuring stick.
“I expect good things from [Santa Rosa]. We had a tough time with them last year and they have a really good football team; our guys have to be ready for this one,” James said during Wednesday’s practice. “You hate to lose against a smaller school, but it’s also a big measuring stick for us as well. You don’t want to go down 0-1 in what is basically league play.”
The respect is mutual on both sides as Garcia and the Warriors know that it is important to start the season off right. For Garcia, it’s a simple game plan going into tonight’s matchup against a good team: limit mistakes.
“When it comes to Rio Hondo, we certainly have a lot of respect for them. They’re a strong and consistent program because coach [Rocky] James and his staff do a great job year in and year out, so it’ll certainly be a test,” Garcia said. “The mindset for us is to make sure that the Warriors don’t beat the Warriors. Rio Hondo is good enough already and if we’re beating our selves, it makes it even tougher.” Garcia took the Warriors to a district title and an 8-3 season last year. A big part of their success was their defense who allowed 14 points per game and featured First-Team All-District returning linebacker and one of Santa Rosa’s running backs, Wally Olivarez.
“I think our defense is a little ahead of our offense at this point of the year, so it starts with the defense; we have got to be sound,” Garcia said. “Everyone loves to see offense and that’s all you read about, but we gave up 14 points a game last year. If you can do that you’re going to have a chance to win. Hopefully we can hold them to respectable first-down yardage so we can get them into third and long situations”
With Rio Hondo running backs Alan Alfaro and Marc Garate running behind a strong, quick and deep offensive line, the Warriors defense will have a tough test to begin the season.
On the other side, the Warriors are another year into Garcia’s new offense which features a lot of slot motions and misdirection plays, which makes patience by quarterback A.J. Mendiola on handoffs and the rest of the Warrior offense important.
“We have to be smart and patient offensively, when you face a good defense like theirs you just have to be sound with your first step and try to have positive plays,” Garcia said.
The Warriors’ offensive attack is something James feels the Bobcats need to be on their toes about, but feels confident with the group he has on defense.
“Defensively I have a great group back. Offensively we have new linemen and receivers, but everything is pretty much gelling together,” he said. “I know they will be pretty good. You have to be prepared for anything when you play Santa Rosa. They come out in a lot of different formations and run a ton of misdirection.”
The Bobcats and Warriors will kickoff tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Bobcat Stadium.