Cota ready to close record-breaking career at MJC

The Modesto Junior College football team has understood the special weapon it has deployed in tailback Anthony Cota.

When he and his sophomore teammates pull off their blue jerseys for the last time after Saturday afternoon’s season finale against San Joaquin Delta, Cota will own the major school records for running backs.

His secret? Hard work, especially during the off-season.

“The school has been here for quite some time, so it feels pretty good,” Cota said this week. “A lot of the credit goes to the offensive line.”

Also helping, of course, is his 4.5-second speed in the 40-yard dash, a daunting weapon for a guy standing 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds. Cota, already MJC’s career leading rusher with 2,330 yards, has gained a single-season school-record 1,188 yards this fall.

MJC (3-6, 2-2) hopes Cota will add to those totals, including his 27 career touchdowns, against the Mustangs (1-8, 1-3).

“Anthony is a remarkable talent. He’s gotten bigger and better,” head coach Sam Young said. “He’s just a once-in-a-generation running back.”

Cota, a graduate of Sierra High of Manteca, enjoyed a strong 2013 season at MJC with one caveat – his weight dropped below 200 pounds by the end of the Pirates’ bowl victory at Santa Rosa. So he embarked on a rigorous workout regimen and essentially built a new physique.

MJC coaches noticed the change immediately during preseason workouts. Cota added strength and weight without losing speed or quickness.

“The yards I couldn’t get last year, I get now. I can extend plays longer,” he said. “It’s all due to what I did over the off-season.”

Though Cota was slowed during the first half of the season with a sore hip – he missed virtually the entire opener at American River – he’s ranked No. 2 in the state in both total yardage and yards per game (132 yards). He trails Fresno’s Jeremy Smith in both categories. Cota also is tied for third in the state with 13 touchdowns.

He’s done it all while opposing defenses keyed hard on him. To his relief, the Pirates have found another threat in recent weeks in quarterback Trey Cooper.

The Pirates bounced through three quarterbacks due to injury or attrition until they called on Cooper, an Enochs High graduate who wasn’t even on the season-opening roster. Amazingly, he’s rushed for six touchdowns while bringing some major physicality to the position.

Modesto’s landmark 49-42 win over Fresno City last week featured Cooper’s five touchdowns, three passing and two rushing. He’s also inspiring his teammates with his aggressive keepers in the Pirates’ fast-tempo offense. Cooper has bowled over linebackers.

“His growth has been amazing,” Young said. “Trey is playing like John Wayne.”

Cooper’s performance lifted Modesto to its first win over Fresno in Young’s 14-year tenure as head coach. The Pirates had not beaten Fresno since 1998 and had not won at Ratcliffe Stadium since Ray Lankford’s memorable performance in 1985.

“I didn’t think that we were going to get it done in my lifetime,” Young said. “We got the stop late in the game and got the score to put us safely ahead.”

Only pride will matter with Modesto and Delta on Saturday, but pride often is enough against these rivals. They share two themes – both are performing at a higher level than their records, and both have been plundered by heartbreaking losses.

Delta fell one yard short of a victory against Fresno and, earlier in the season, nearly upset Butte. Conversely, Modesto doesn’t need to be reminded about its numbing back-to-back Valley Conference losses at home against Laney and Chabot.

“Delta has to be the best 1-8 team in Northern California, and we’re eight points away from fighting for a title,” Young said. “The emotion will be high as it always is. The guys who can control it and stay on task – that will be the edge. For both teams, this is our bowl game.”

This story was originally published November 13, 2014 at 8:01 PM with the headline "Cota ready to close record-breaking career at MJC."