Upstarts reach a crossroads

Basic at Rancho.

It wasn't a game anyone circled before the football season started. But this nonleague pairing of teams that combined for three wins last year has become the most intriguing matchup of the week.

"It's going to be intense," Rancho senior Kevin Dupree said. "They're 4-0; we're 4-0. Right now, we feel like it's a team. It's us -- right here, right now.

"We just came together and fell in love with each other, and so far, we've done pretty good."

When the teams meet at 7 tonight at Rancho -- football is being played on Thursday this week because of the Jewish holy day Yom Kippur, which begins at sundown Friday -- it will represent the biggest test for both squads.

Neither has faced a team that has a winning record. Basic's first four opponents have combined to go 4-12. Rancho's four wins have come against teams with a combined 3-11 record.

But Basic wide receiver Greg Henderson said people should focus on the results, not the opponents.

"We just want to show everybody that we aren't 4-0 for no reason," Henderson said. "We come out to play. It doesn't matter who we're playing, we're still winning."

Rancho coach Gary Maki is looking forward to playing a team with a winning record.

"We're excited about it," Maki said. "We hope we can get No. 5 (tonight), but we're playing a good team. They might be the best team we've played so far, so we'll see where we're at.

"It's exciting, because we haven't had a situation where we're going into a game facing somebody that's having success, too. It's a big game for both programs."

Basic and Rancho were expected to be improved this season, but the 4-0 starts are surprising, especially considering the teams' recent histories.

Basic has won a total of nine games over the past three seasons and went 3-7 last year.

Rancho entered the season on a 17-game losing streak and had won three games in Maki's first three seasons. The Rams last won five games in 2003 and haven't had a winning record since going 5-4 in 1994. Since 1992, the team has only three seasons of at least four victories.

"It's kind of different, because we haven't really been like this," Rancho senior running back Erique Williams said. "But we play as a team, so we're ready going into this game.

"We don't have individuals this year. We're all together."

The closest thing Rancho has to a star is junior quarterback James Cammack. Cammack has rushed for 217 yards and five touchdowns and thrown for 529 yards and eight scores.

"Their quarterback, he's a good athlete," Basic quarterback Josh Ross said. "He scrambles a lot, and that's the way they score most of their points. He scrambles and scrambles, and then there's wide-open receivers and he just lobs (the ball) up to them."

Williams leads the team in rushing yards with 232, and Mack Millender has added 155 rushing yards and two TDs.

Dupree and DiJon Holman each have eight catches to lead the receivers.

"We don't have the marquee running back, but our average backs are having good years," Maki said. "Our quarterback is a good little athlete. Athleticism-wise, he's a threat himself, and that's something we haven't had since Ariece (Perkins) went down a couple years ago. So that's another weapon we have, and our receiving corps, except for Canyon (Springs), is probably as good as anybody's."

Basic counters with its passing attack. Ross has completed 62.9 percent of his passes for 572 yards and six TDs.

The speedy Henderson has 23 catches for 264 yards and two touchdowns.

"We can't give the quarterback any time to sit in the pocket or he could pick us apart," Maki said. "So we're going to bring the heat."

Not only was Rancho 0-10 last season, but the Rams were outscored 464-99. This season, the Rams are averaging 33 points and had 541 yards of offense in a 31-26 victory over Chaparral last week.

"Last week, we had over 500 yards of total offense, and one of my assistants said, 'Hell, that was more than we had all of last year,' " Maki said. "I don't think it was that bad, but we had a good outing once we got rolling again."

It hasn't hurt Rancho to have a field this season. The Rams had to practice in a local park the past three seasons and didn't have a true home game during that time because of construction on campus.

"A lot of people say that field, man, it's doing incredible," Maki said. "It's more our offseason program is finally bearing some fruit there.

"We stress the weights big time, real big. Because if you look at the premier programs in the valley, none of them would be having the success they're having if it wasn't for their weight room.

"You look at the school on the hill (Las Vegas), Palo (Verde), Cimarron: It all starts in the weight room."