The Redwood Rangers battled the Mt. Whitney Pioneers on Friday, November 1st in the 69th Cowhide football game. The Rangers came out on top with a final score of 28-7.
By: Ryan Harris & Cody Abney
The Rangers have successfully taken back the Cowhide from the Pioneers. With the win over Mt. Whitney, The Rangers are ranked the 10th seed in Division II football. This seed will make the Rangers head north to take on the 7th seed, the Kingsburg Vikings
The Rangers started off hot with an opening play touchdown by Bellcow Running back #6 Jimmie Burk, ‘26. Burk was able to tally 240 yards on 17 carries, averaging about 14.1 yards per carry. Burk has proven to be the backbone of this offense and a vital part of this team.
Burk started the game with a 66 yard touchdown. “I felt pumped up, after I scored, everyone was hyped up too, it was an all around good start.”
The 66 yard touchdown wasn’t his only a safety.great play, Burk had an explosive run to chew the clock and put Redwood inside Whitney’s 5 yard line. “I knew it was going to be a good run, once I saw the hole I knew it was going to be a big play.”
“It meant a lot, It felt special, last year we lost so it was special to win.
“I was trying to get my get back, going into it I was nervous, but after the kickoff, I was cool.” Burk went on to make history for Redwood, being the first player with 1,000+ rushing yards in a season since 2014.
The defense stepped up their game by allowing only one touchdown the entire game. #11 Cash Rico ‘25 and #2 Thomas Plummer, ‘25, are defensive backs for the Rangers. Both players are pumped after the win and look to carry their success to Kingsburg for the first round of playoffs.
Rico sealed the deal Friday night with a game winning interception in the endzone. “At the moment I went up with one and I came down with it. I felt great, it was amazing.”
Rico is a First-Team All-League Safety who has been a cornerstone for this Redwood defense. He has the instincts of a Kyle Hamilton and the ballhawking ability of a Xavier Mckinney. Rico has 55 total tackles on the year along with 3 interceptions.
defending a pass on Cowhide
Photo N.Miller/Gigantea
“It means a lot for me to win, especially since we lost last year,” says Rico. He goes on to say, “It’s amazing to win, especially since we started the season slow.”
The Rangers started the season 0-5 and at the bottom of every power ranking. Since EYL play started the Rangers have been 3-6 with wins over Porterville, Monache, and Mt. Whitney.
“I’m ready to keep my momentum this Friday to play Kingsburg,” says Rico.
Plummer also stepped up big during this rivalry game. He rallied some clutch pass deflections in the 4th quarter and stopped Whitney from gaining momentum.
“In film I knew I would have to man up, and I was ready. That’s why I broke up the balls that went my way, I was ready,” says Plummer.
Going into the game, Plummer stayed calm and collective, keeping the “Mamba mentality.” Plummer says, ”I knew I had to shut down anything coming my way, playing the hardest position on the defensive side of the ball fires me up even more.”
The Rangers are keeping their heads held high for the first round of playoffs. “We are going to play with the same level of intensity, but different technique because it’s a completely new team,” says Plummer.
This win was a much needed win for Redwoods entire organization. Rico says, “It’s an amazing feeling to win such a big game, we worked hard for this.”
Ryan Harris
Ryan Harris '25 is a third year journalist for the Redwood Gigantea. He seeks interest in the Sports page hoping to seek every detail through Ranger athletics. He likes to watch football, baseball, hockey and mma. You can reach him by email ryan.ha2927@vusd.us
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