Brunk era at Casa begins with long road trip

Casa Grande football team in Eureka for new coach’s first game; St. Vincent goes to Portola; Petaluma “home” to Santa Rosa.|

Casa Grande High School’s Gauchos go long to start the Denis Brunk football era.

Casa’s first game under Brunk’s coaching happens Saturday afternoon when the Gauchos kick off at 2 p.m. at St. Bernard’s High School in Eureka.

Also on this weekend’s agenda, Petaluma tries for a second consecutive win over a North Bay League opponent when it hosts Santa Rosa Friday night on its borrowed home field at Casa Grande High School and St. Vincent travels to Portola in search of its first victory Friday night.

Gauchos anxious

After receiving a bye last week in the so-called “zero week,” Casa Grande’s Gauchos are anxious to get their season started as they make the 200-plus mile trek through the redwoods to face a St. Bernard’s team that is, in reality, a Division 3 or even Division 2 talent in Division 4 uniforms.

“We are really excited about Saturday,” said Brunk. “Ordinarily I don’t like to have a bye the first week, but this year it was nice to have the extra week off. We put in a completely new defense and a completely new offense and the kids are chomping at the bit to use them in a game.”

Casa Grande is treating the journey as a real road trip with an overnight stay on Friday and a workout out at Humboldt State University. “It will make them kind of feel like college players,” said the coach.

Brunk said Casa Grande goes into the game with players still competing for positions. “This is the time we create our identity as a team and as individuals,” he said. “This is our showcase.”

The competition extends to the quarterback position where juniors Jance Offermann and Jadon Bosarge are in close competition. “Who starts will be determined in practice this week,” Brunk said. “I am very pleased with what they both look like, and both will definitely take the field.”

Whoever takes the field will have to deal with another talented Crusader team. “St. Bernard’s is a very good football team,” Brunk said. “They have a very powerful offense, but I do like the way we match up with them.”

The Crusaders finished 12-2 last season, winning the Humboldt-Del Norte-Litte 4 Football League championship and two games in the North Coast Section Division 4 playoffs before losing to Cardinal Newman, 44-21.

They picked up right where they left off in their opening game last week, rolling over El Molino, 42-20.

Senior T.J. Campbell led that win, and is a player the Gauchos will have to contain Saturday. He completed 25 of 45 passes for 435 yards and four touchdowns. He also carried the ball 11 times for 52 yards.

Campbell’s favorite target was senior Micah Fonternot-Cornely who grabbed nine passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns.

Trojans ‘home’ again

Petaluma’s Trojans are back on their borrowed home turf at Casa Grande High School looking for their second win over a North Bay League team when they host Santa Rosa’s new-look Panthers Friday night. Kick off is at 7:30 p.m.

Petaluma unveiled an awesome offense last week in a 55-42 season-opening victory over Montgomery. That game marked the varsity debut for junior Garrett Freitas who ran two kickoffs back for touchdowns, scored a third TD rushing and gained 52 yards in 10 carries.

The rookie wasn’t the only offensive standout for the Trojan. Varsity veterans Justin Wolbert and Jacob Rollstin also had big games, with quarterback Wolbert breaking a 46-yard touchdown run and compoleting five of nine passes for 53 yards and two touchdowns. Rollstin was the workhorse with 110 yards and two touchdowns rushing.

Led by a dominating offensive line, Petaluma totaled 368 yards, 310 rushing.

On the other side of scrimmage, Petaluma was ripped for 510 passing yards by Montgomery junior Joey Thresh, who completed 31 of 47 passes for seven touchdowns. Senior Auston Rapolla grabbed 10 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns.

Thresh and Rapolla are exceptional athletes, but it is obvious that shoring up the pass defense is high on the Petaluma priority list this week.

Santa Rosa, despite losing its opener to Berkeley, 20-6, last week, showed an ability to move the football through the air behind quarterback standout Brandon Sousa.

Petaluma and Santa Rosa did not meet last season. In their last clash in 2015, Petaluma won 3913.

With last year’s coach, Denis Brunk now at Casa Grande, the Panthers are coached by Russell Ponce.

On the road

Like Casa Grande, St. Vincent’s Mustangs face a long road trip as they travel to Portola to meet a Tiger teams that is also struggling with team numbers.

St. Vincent suited up 18 for its opener against Elsie Allen Last week, while Portola has 20 players on its roster.

St. Vincent got its season off to a sluggish start last week, losing at Elsie Allen, 26-9, after falling behind, 20-0 at the half.

Although the Mustangs struggled to move the ball against the Lobos, senior Brian Giron had a good game, running for 54 yards on just five carries and leading the team with 17 tackles, nine solo.

Portola also had a tough start, losing to Foresthill High School, 21-6.

The two teams staged an entertaining game to end last season, with St. Vincent finally prevailing on its home field, 35-32.

Kick off Friday night is at 7 p.m.

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