Alijah Cota looks to shepherd Manteca football in 2022 season

Shannon Mia Belt, The Record
·3 min read
Oakdale's Brian Delte, left, is tackled by Manteca's Alijah Cota during the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III championship game at St. Mary's High School in Stockton. Manteca won 35-28.
Oakdale's Brian Delte, left, is tackled by Manteca's Alijah Cota during the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III championship game at St. Mary's High School in Stockton. Manteca won 35-28.

In 2004 at one of Manteca football’s practices, a player noticed a stick that resembled a shepherd's staff laying in the team's practice field. That staff became a talisman, passed down every year to the toughest guy on the team who represented hardnose Buffaloes football.

Senior middle linebacker and tight end Alijah Cota is the team's shepherd this year and he looks to guide them to the top of Valley Oak League.

The 6-foot 3-inch 230 pound Cota, four-star running back Blake Nichelson, and defensive tackle Dylan Gulseth are three seniors who have been on varsity since their sophomore year. They are among the most- seasoned athletes who will work with the less experienced players as the Buffaloes look to make the playoffs in Division II after spending last season in Division III.

Wrapped around the top of the Manteca football's Sheppard stick are the names of the past people who were chosen by the team to be that year's Sheppard.
Wrapped around the top of the Manteca football's Sheppard stick are the names of the past people who were chosen by the team to be that year's Sheppard.

“These older guys have definitely taken the young dudes under their wing, and they know what's expected of them,” head coach Mark Varnum said. “The kids choose ‘the shep’ and they're looking for a guy that the team respects, that they're gonna look up to, and just a tough old school Manteca football player. So going into it, it was pretty obvious that Alijah was that guy.”

“I felt really honored from the past sheps and everything like that,” Cota said. “I took it like I needed to be the leader on the team now, so I need to hold everyone to a higher standard. It's basically no days off when it comes to football.”

Cota averaged 4.4 tackles a game last season and finished with 62 total tackles. At tight end, he is a bruiser and vital player on both sides of the ball.

Other key leaders include Nichelson and junior quarterback Hudson Wyatt. All three  helped Manteca repeat as CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Football Division 3 championships last season.

Related: Here are 25 Sac-Joaquin Section high school football players to watch in the 2022 season

Varnum hopes this season his team can surpass last season's finish, which was a game shy of the CIF State Football Championship Bowl Division 2-A championship.

“The NorCal game, that's kind of been our little Achilles heel,” he said. “Year in and year out, the goal is to win a section, win a NorCal game, and win state. That's gonna be the goal no matter who's playing, no matter who's coaching, no matter what division we're in, that definitely doesn't change.”

The Buffaloes face tough league competition in Kimball, Central Catholic, and Oakdale. Their season opens with a 7 p.m.  Aug. 19  home game against Vista del Lago. Manteca will have the tools to match that toughness, along with its shepherd.

“This year, our line is bigger: we got Blake; we got Hudson, who can slang the rock; our defense is outstanding; our DBS — Eddie Anthony, Chris Chavez, KP (MacDannald), James Dennis — so I definitely think we’re going to shut everything down,” Cota said. “And the O-line looks spectacular, so I can’t wait to get into it.”

Record reporter Shannon Belt covers sports. She can be reached at sbelt@recordnet.com or on Twitter @ShannonBelt3. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow. 

This article originally appeared on The Record: Alijah Cota to shepherd Manteca Buffaloes football in 2022