Rancho Cotate hadn't done well against Piner recently (they were 0-9 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. The Rancho Cotate Cougars secured a 56-52 W over the Piner Prospectors. This was payback for the Cougars, who suffered a 66-41 defeat the last time these two teams met.
| 01/08/25 vs Piner | 26 |
| 12/30/24 @ Petaluma | 16 |
| 01/03/25 @ Tamalpais | 15 |
| 12/28/24 vs Novato | 7 |
| 01/02/25 @ Cardinal Newman | 3 |
Rancho Cotate found their leader in freshman Izayah Rush, who dropped a double-double on 26 points and ten boards. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Rush has scored all season. Connor Kinerk was another key player, putting up seven points and three steals.
Piner's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Apollo Pereira, who posted 14 points along with six boards and four steals. Pereira is also on a roll when it comes to blocks, as he's now posted two or more in the last 12 games he's played. Tyler Coester was another key player, posting nine points and seven assists.
Rancho Cotate pushed their record up to 11-2 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 70.6 points per game. As for Piner, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost four of their last five matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-8 record this season.
Rancho Cotate and Piner should be looking forward to their upcoming games as both have a sizable advantage in the MaxPreps California Rankings. Rancho Cotate (ranked 227th) will meet Elsie Allen (ranked 953rd) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Rancho Cotate is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 68.5 points per game this season. Similarly, Piner (ranked 423rd) will meet Ukiah (ranked 971st) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
