So much for Pinole Valley avenging three straight losses to Rancho Cotate High School’s football team.

The Cougars quickly put an end to such a storyline by exploding for 42 first-half points en route to a 56-12 win over the Spartans at Pinole Valley on Sept. 7. It marked the fifth time in three years the Cougars and Spartans have squared off, with Rancho Cotate claiming the last four wins.  Two of those victories came in the North Coast Section Div. II playoffs.

Tonight (Sept. 14), the Cougars play their first game of the season at Cougar Stadium against Petaluma. Anyone hoping to see a tight contest may want to go to another game because, on paper, this one has blowout written all over it.

The Trojans enter the game with an 0-3 record and are fresh off a 42-3 loss to Novato. Petaluma lost 42-1 to Santa Rosa in the season opener and to Tamalpais 24-13 in the second game. The Cougars have hammered Petaluma the past two times they’ve played by scores of 34-0 in 2010 and 49-0 in 2011.

After what was deemed a sloppy effort by Rancho Cotate coach Ed Conroy, the Cougars were much more crisp offensively against Pinole Valley.

Quarterback Michael Courchaine had an efficient but stellar outing as he completed 8 of 12 passes for 262 yards and four touchdowns. Running back Jalon Luque provided ground support as the offensive line freed him for 103 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries.

Courchaine tossed a pair of touchdown passes in the first quarter of 46 yards to Carlos Soto and 8 yards to freshman Chris Taylor-Yamonoha and the Cougars were on their way. Luque also broke free for a 30-yard touchdown run to put the Cougars up 21-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter was more of the same, with Tyreke Burton latching onto a Courchaine pass for a 58-yard score. Brett Silveri and Luque added scoring runs of 1 and 48 yards, respectively.

Rancho Cotate finished its scoring in the third quarter, as Courchaine hit Thomas Sory for a 36-yard scoring pass, and Tanoa Peleti rambled into the end zone from six yards out.