Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Kickoff 2015:

Despite dropping close game to extend streak, Rancho shows it’s a different team

high school football media day 2015

Christopher DeVargas

Rancho football players Angel Walker, Luc Scott, and Javion Mickel before the 2015 Season.

Prep Sports Now

Kickoff time

Las Vegas Sun sports reporters Ray Brewer and Case Keefer spend some extra time on the three biggest games of the week — Arbor View at Desert Pines, Chandler (Arizona) at Bishop Gorman and Liberty at Saint Louis (Hawaii) — before getting to their full picks. They also discuss the hypothetical first pick of a high school football fantasy draft.

The Rancho High football team’s losing streak is at 30 games, but the Rams showed tonight in a 13-6 loss at Gila Ridge of Yuma, Ariz., that they are a different program.

When most games during the streak ended by the mercy rule of a running clock, this defeat was different. The clock expired with Rancho at the Gila Ridge 14-yard line.

“The kids are hurt. This is a different bunch of kids. They expect to win,” Rancho coach Tom Pletsch said. “They gave us everything they had. They showed a lot of heart tonight. This isn’t the same Rancho team.”

Gila Ridge scored the game’s initial touchdown in the first half on a fourth-down play from the 1-yard line. Rancho evened the score with a 6-yard run from Marquel Alexander with six minutes to play in the third quarter, but missed the extra point and trailed, 7-6. The Rams also missed a field goal.

“Our kids played their butts off. They should have won the game,” Pletsch said. “I will take the heat for the loss. The coaches will take the blame.”

Alexander, who Pletsch inserted in the third quarter, finished with about 70 yards rushing. Quarterback Dion Southern rushed for 100 yards.

“That kid gave us a shot in the arm,” Pletsch said about Alexander.

Rancho plays Valley, who also didn’t win a game last season, next week.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21

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