ORINDA -- Sitting in the Miramonte football bleachers on a late Friday afternoon at the end of November brings a series of unique seasonal sensations. Hearing the odd reverberations of hollow aluminum stairs as fans stomp their way skyward, the smell of cup-o-noodles soup freshly steaming from the concession stand nearby and the unmistakable icy chill of those same aluminum bleacher seats pulling absolutely all the living warmth from your body like an industrial, turbocharged, heat-sucking vacuum.

 Luckily, to help counteract this cryogenic transformation is the heartwarming story of the Rochette twins, Kai and Quinn. Two guys everyone just seems to love. Both are former Miramonte students and football standouts from Class of 2018, who have returned to their alma mater (Alma-Matador?) after graduating from Cal, to help coach the Junior Varsity team to an amazing winning season.

Under the fresh leadership of Head Coach Jake Gilbert, the brothers have shared the responsibilities as assistant coaches for both the offensive and defensive line. Gilbert will quickly point out, "They also lead our entire team in blocking drills and are the go-to coaches for help in all details in the run game." The coaches seem to have a chemistry that's working.  Based on their win record and what I can see from my vantage point as a sideline photographer, the kids really respect Kai and Quinn's opinions, wisdom and even-keeled demeanor.

My son, who played with the twins back in the day, always told me of their incredible work ethic and commitment to succeed, especially in the weight room. They were team captains who led by example. These are the values they're passing on to the players today. The importance of details. Show up ready. Make fewer mistakes and give your opponent fewer opportunities to succeed. "I would roughly classify our style as tough, but fair. We hold our guys to a higher standard and expect them to do the same to themselves. We work hard Monday through Thursday, so we can have fun on Friday, said Kai. "A lot of things changed when we started coaching," said Quinn. "And things are continuing to evolve in the right direction, which has shown on the field." Adding, in response to their young age, "The guys appreciate that we can relate to where they're at  and what they're going through – especially beyond the field."

Gilbert said Kai and Quinn love Miramonte football more than just about anyone. "They've been the backbone to the success that JV has had recently," said Gilbert. "There aren't a lot of people, if any, that have had a greater impact on this program over the past couple of years than these two."

I've said before, it takes a village to raise a championship team. Thankfully for the JV football program, Kai and Quinn have returned to the village.


https://theorindanews.com/2023/11/27/game-on-december-2023/