Three words can be read high atop Don Memorial Stadium
(Pico Rivera) – Quarterback Troy Campos has had a great summer, receiver Daniel Moriel is back and better and the running backs are solid with Ronnel Lone and Art Franco. And El Rancho is coming off a year in which it qualified for the playoffs before falling to Schurr by a touchdown.
Coach Rick Zepeda is excited about the 2010 football season.
That being said the Dons play in the Southeast Division and in the Southeast it’s never easy.
“Yes South Hills and Charter Oak left but we got a big time CIF champion in La Mirada coming in and there are other teams to replace them. With the Pacific and Suburban league it’s going to be difficult,” Zepeda said.
The Jack Del Rio League resembled Sybil last year with anybody beating anybody at any given time. The Ranch finished third a year ago at 2-3 tied with La Serna and Whittier but advanced to the playoffs on a tie breaker.
El Rancho HC Rick Zepeda led El Rancho to the playoffs last year
“The last couple of years it’s really been that way,” Zepeda said. ‘This year you could fumble the hats all around. I don’t know how it’s going to end.”
Some players that Zepeda said to watch out for are wide receiver Freddy Garcia, o-lineman Jeremy Montoya and running back Josh Lopez.
“We had over 100 kids originally come out in the spring when we first started. We focused on getting stronger and working hard and some kids didn’t completely buy into it so some of the numbers dropped. But we’re excited about what we have now,” said Zepeda. “We have had a really good spring and summer so far. We’ve had some good passing leagues. Last night we threw with Servite and we really competed.”
The Dons have one more week of dead time before they come back in the second week of August and get ready to go into helmets and pads.
El Rancho has Los Altos, Northview, Bell Gardens, Montebello, and Fontana on the no league schedule before opening league play at home with La Serna at Don Memorial Stadium on October 15.
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