Next for Casa: No. 1 in the state

As a reward for their gritty 17-14 victory over Maria Carrillo in the second round of the North Coast Section Division 2 playoffs Casa Grande’s Gauchos receive the right to play one of the best teams in the state on its home turf.|

As a reward for their gritty 17-14 victory over Maria Carrillo in the second round of the North Coast Section Division 2 playoffs Casa Grande’s Gauchos receive the right to play one of the best teams in the state on its home turf.

To reach the NCS finals, all the Gauchos have to do is defeat Clayton Valley Charter School’s Ugly Eagles Friday night in Concord.

On the Ugly Eagles’ resume are 12 straight wins without a loss; the No. 1 ranking among Division 2 schools in the state; the No. 1 ranking in the division in the NCS; the No. 2 ranking among all schools in the NCS right behind De La Salle; and a No, 32 ranking among all high school teams in the state.

Counted among the Clayton Valley wins was a 42-21 thumping of Cardinal Newman and a 54-14 whipping of Napa. Cardinal Newman defeated Casa Grande 48-7, while Napa beat the Gauchos, 31-0.

The Ugly Eagles ran all over Montgomery from Casa Grande’s North Bay League, 69-19, in the NCS quarterfinals last week. It was the ninth time in 10 games Clayton Valley has scored more than 50 points in a game. Twice they have tallied 70 points, and it was the second time they had lit the scoreboard for 69 points.

For the second week in a row, Casa Grande will be facing one of the section’s top running backs. After holding Maria Carrillo’s Alex Netherda to 102 yards last week, the Gauchos now must find a way to contain Clayton Valley’s Miles Harrison, a 200-pound senior who has rushed for 1,644 yards on just 135 carries, averaging better than 12 yards a carry. He has run for 22 touchdowns, including one for 85 yards.

The Ugly Eagles, like the Gauchos, are primarily a running team, but when they pass, quarterback Nate Keisel does it well. He has completed 55 of 87 throws (63.32 percent) for 896 yards and 16 touchdowns. He has a gaudy 132.5 quarterback rating.

Casa Grande coach Trent Herzog says it isn’t only the excellent athletes that make the Ugly Eagles exceptional.

“They run an unusal offense with big time mis-direction and deception,” he explains. “It is not only the good players, but their scheme. No one has been able to figure it out or stop it. They get seven or eight guys to the point of attack. They are a tremendous football team.”

But the coach says the Gauchos are not only going to show up, they are going to show up ready to play.

“It will be a huge challenge,” says Herzog, but we’re going to go in there and give it everything we have. “We’ve got a decent plan and we are really excited for this opportunity.”

Casa Grande isn’t facing Goliath defenseless. While the Gauchos’ late-season charge has been fueled by its young running backs - sophomores Spencer Torkelson and Max Cerini, along with junior Nic Petri and senior Kevin Donohoe, along with junior quarterback JJ Anderson - its defense has been staunch almost all season.

Senior Casey Longaker has been the leader. Called by Herzog, “the heart and soul of our team, the senior leads the team in tackles and all-around offense destruction.

But he is not the only Gaucho responsible for Casa Grande’s strong defense - a defense built on the premise that six helmets on a ball carrier is better than one or two.

Torkelson, Nic Petri, super cover back Jaleel Lawson, Andrew Floerke, Elijah Chirco, Nick Jensen, Donohoe, Brent Eger and the big guys up front led by Julian Lopez, Greg Poterache and Brendan Jackson have all had a hand in Casa’s defensive success.

If that success will continue against the best opponent the Gauchos have faced all season and perhaps in the last decade is still to be determined.

Kick off Friday night is 7 o’clock.

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