El Rancho’s Rick Zepeda steps down

There will be a lot of new faces on the sidelines when the race for the Del Rio League football title begins next fall.
El Rancho High School coach Rick Zepeda has resigning, leaving only California’s Jim Arnold and La Serna’s Margarito Beltran as the only holdovers from this season.
Pioneer’s Ramon Juarez was relieved of his duties at the end of the season, while Whittier’s Walter Scott resigned. Santa Fe’s Jack Mahlstede had previously announced is retirement.
Zepeda was the latest after the Dons went 5-5 and finished 1-4 in league play, missing the playoffs.
He was 18-24 in four seasons.
“It was a mutual agreement,” Zepeda said Monday. “We both (he and the El Rancho administration) decided to take a different path.
“It wasn’t a bad breakup. We both decided to go in different directions.”
The Dons, who began the season in the area top five, had a solid start, winning four of its first five games, with the only loss coming to CIF-Southern Section Southeast Division quarterfinalist Los Altos. But El Rancho, which was led by first-team All-Del Rio League running back Josh Lopez, lost its first three games in league and finished tied for fifth.
“I enjoyed being the El Rancho football coach,” Zepeda said. “Everyone treated me well. I’m going to to miss the players and their parents. It was fun and I enjoyed it.”
Calls to principal Sam Genis and athletic director Lynn Lawson were not immediately returned.

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