Welcome to Class 6A football, Salpointe Catholic. Or, as Lancers head coach Eric Rogers said following Salpointeâs 46-14 home-opening loss to Chandler Basha on Friday, âthis is big-boy football.â
The Lancersâ showdown with Chandler Basha was the fewest points they scored in a game since the 2020 Open Division playoff game against Chandler Hamilton. In Salpointeâs first season competing at the 6A level, the Lancers have dropped two games to two Phoenix-area powers; the first setback was a season-opening nail-biter at Scottsdale Chaparral.
Basha star cornerback and Oregon commit Cole Martin intercepted new Salpointe starting quarterback Fredo Sotelo on the second play from scrimmage. Bears quarterback Demond Williams â a four-star prospect for 2024 â connected with Deshaun Buchanan for a 14-yard touchdown to move ahead 7-0 in the early minutes. Williams had two passing touchdowns on Friday.
Just when it appeared the Lancers found a rhythm offensively on the second drive, Soteloâs second interception was returned 99 yards by Vince Lenzy for touchdown.
âWe have to be better at decision-making on offense. ... If itâs not there, just throw the ball away, kick a field goal and itâs a 6-3 ball game â it changes everything. Instead, pick, boom, score and now itâs 13-0,â Rogers said. âThat swing changes everything in a high school football game. Weâve got to tighten up some things.â
Added Rogers: âNot only that, it was the second pick. ... It just deflates you.â
Sotelo threw his third interception of the night with 2:13 left in the second quarter. Following a fourth-down stop on the goal line, Salpointe went into the halftime break trailing 32-0.
The Lancersâ best sequence of the night offensively was a 33-yard catch by junior wide receiver Armani Sheriff; backup quarterback Tyler Nagore scored on a 10-yard run to avoid the shutout.
âI put a little release on the (defensive back), had separation and caught it,â Sheriff said. âI tried to break the tackle, but it set up the touchdown, so Iâm happy about that.â
At the point in the game, the Lancers had committed âtoo many mental mistakesâ to even think about a comeback.
âObviously, we got beat by a better football team,â Rogers said. âThereâs no if and buts about it. Thatâs a really good football team. Theyâre going to make a run now.
âListen, itâs a huge challenge. We have to stay as healthy as possible. Weâre going to walk away with a few bumps and bruises. ... The competition is for real now. This is big-boy football.â
Up next: Salpointe (1-2) will play its third road game of the season Friday at Cienega (1-2).
âWeâve got a really good Cienega football team thatâs champing at the bit to play us,â Rogers said.
âWeâve got to find a way to go on the road and get a âWâ next week.â
Sabino, Pusch Ridge Christian stay undefeated
Southern Arizonaâs 3A state powers both rolled on Friday night, with Pusch Ridge Christian beating Benson 59-0 and Sabino beating Palo Verde 55-6.
Pusch Ridge (5-0) scored 31 first-quarter points, led by 45 at halftime and played the final two quarters with a running clock.
Sabino (4-0) was led by quarterback Cameron Hackworth, who completed 6 of 8 passes for 132 yards and three touchdowns and ran one time for 37 yards. Brothers Shamar and Savaughn Berryhill each caught touchdown passes.
The teams remain on a collision course. Pusch Ridge plays at Thatcher this week, and Sabino hosts Safford. Should both teams win, theyâll square off Sept. 30 at Pusch Ridge in a battle of undefeated teams.
Goodyear Millenniumâs Zues Pindernation rushed for three touchdowns in Friday nightâs win over Cienega in Vail.
Cienega falls to Millennium
Zues Pindernation rushed for 115 yards and three touchdowns and caught three passes for 59 yards as Goodyear Millennium beat host Cienega 42-14.
Millennium led 35-0 at halftime, and finished with 325 yards of total offense. Pindernation, formerly known as Zues Pinder, averaged 5.5 yards per rush against a typically stout Bobcats defense.
Cienega (1-2) will host Salpointe this week.
Photos: Chandler Basha at Salpointe Catholic high school football
Chandler Basha's Vince Lenzy (25) celebrates teammate Miles Lockhart's (1) interception during their game against Salpointe Catholic at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Ariz. on Sept. 16, 2022.Â
Salpointe Catholic's Armani Sheriff (8) reacts after another Chandler Basha touchdown during their game against Chandler Basha at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Ariz. on Sept. 16, 2022.Â
After intercepting the ball intended for Salpointe Catholic's Gage Felix (1), Chandler Basha's Miles Lockhart (1) runs down the field during their game at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Ariz. on Sept. 16, 2022.Â
Salpointe Catholicâs Noah Banhie (99) celebrates with teammate Dinos Drossos (15) after Drossos recovered the ball from a fumble on the play during a game against Chandler Basha in September 2022.
Salpointe Catholic's Casey Derrick (38) can't quite gain control of the ball during a scramble for ball after a fumble on the play in Salpointe Catholic's game against Chandler Basha at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Ariz. on Sept. 16, 2022.
Salpointe Catholic's Elias "Bettis" Roberts (27) is tackled by Chandler Basha's Tommy Prassas (22) during Salpointe Catholic's varsity football game against Chandler Basha at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Ariz. on Sept. 16, 2022.
Salpointe Catholic's Gage Felix (1) misses the catch while being tackled by Chandler Basha's Dj Jaiman (17) during Salpointe Catholic's varsity football game against Chandler Basha at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Ariz. on Sept. 16, 2022. Jaiman was called for a pass interference penalty for this tackle.
Salpointe Catholic's Jaxson Greene (5) tackles Chandler Basha's Mason Arhin (3) in the end zone during Salpointe Catholic's varsity football game against Chandler Basha at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Ariz. on Sept. 16, 2022.
Salpointe Catholic's Armani Sheriff (3) catches a long pass up the field during Salpointe Catholic's varsity football game against Chandler Basha at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Ariz. on Sept. 16, 2022.
Salpointe Catholic's Tyler Martinez (88) is tackled by Chandler Basha's Dj Jaiman (17) during Salpointe Catholic's varsity football game against Chandler Basha at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Ariz. on Sept. 16, 2022.
Chandler Bashaâs Deshaun Buchanan breaks free from a few Salpointe Catholic tacklers on his way to a touchdown during Friday nightâs game.
Salpointe Catholic's Taylor Nagore (10) jumps while catching a high snap during Salpointe Catholic's varsity football game against Chandler Basha at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Ariz. on Sept. 16, 2022.
Salpointe Catholic's Jake Steinberg (53) runs off the field field confused while Salpointe is called for a penalty of too many men on the field during Salpointe Catholic's varsity football game against Chandler Basha at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Ariz. on Sept. 16, 2022.
Salpointe Catholic's Taylor Nagore (10) high-fives teammate Gage Felix (1) after Nagore's touchdown during Salpointe Catholic's varsity football game against Chandler Basha at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Ariz. on Sept. 16, 2022.
Salpointe Catholic's Elias "Bettis" Roberts (27) hypes up the team while yelling and jumping in the air following Salpointe's stretching period before Salpointe Catholic's varsity football game against Chandler Basha at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Ariz. on Sept. 16, 2022.
Defensive linemen warm-up before Salpointe Catholic's varsity football game against Chandler Basha at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Ariz. on Sept. 16, 2022.
Salpointe Catholic Head Coach Eric Rogers, right, talks with Isaiah Harris (17) while Harris and the Lancers stretch before Salpointe Catholic's varsity football game against Chandler Basha at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Ariz. on Sept. 16, 2022.
Photos: Cienega vs. Millennium high school football
Millennium's Jax Adair (11) sacks Cienega's quarterback Evan Weber (11) for a big loss in the second quarter of their game at Cienega High School, Tucson, Ariz., Sept. 16, 2022. The Bobcats fell behind 21-0 in the first quarter and never recovered in a 42-14 home loss.
Millennium's Eric Rivera (21) manages to break up the reception, knocking the throw out of the arms of Cienega's Ari Dubin (13) in the third quarter of their game at Cienega High School, Tucson, Ariz., Sept. 16, 2022.
Cienega's Gavin Peterson (18) gets wide open to haul in the bomb for the Bobcats first score of the night against Millennium in the third quarter of their game at Cienega High School, Tucson, Ariz., Sept. 16, 2022.
Cienega's James Kendryna (17) struggles into his jersey as the Bobcats get ready to go against Millennium at Cienega High School, Tucson, Ariz., Sept. 16, 2022.
Cienega's Jimmy McCormack (5) gets enough of Millennium's Zues Pindernation (2) to end his burst up the middle at Cienega High School, Tucson, Ariz., Sept. 16, 2022.
Cienega's Jimmy McCormack (5), left, and Sean Cadena (6) try to keep Millennium's Zues Pindernation (2) out of the end zone in the second quarter of their game at Cienega High School, Tucson, Ariz., Sept. 16, 2022.
Cienega's Malik Ramirez (14) struggles to keep his grip on Millennium's Zues Pindernation (2) in the game at Cienega High School, Tucson, Ariz., Sept. 16, 2022.
Millennium's Derek Berry (7) just manages to avoid the sack, out running Cienega's Braden Coleman (66) in the second quarter of their game at Cienega High School, Tucson, Ariz., Sept. 16, 2022.
Cienega's quarterback Evan Weber (11) almost gets stripped by Millennium's Jax Adair (11) while being sacked in the third quarter of their game at Cienega High School, Tucson, Ariz., Sept. 16, 2022.
Millennium's head coach Lamar Early questions a call against his Tigers in the second quarter of their game at Cienega High School, Tucson, Ariz., Sept. 16, 2022.
Cienega's Evan Weber (11) gets off the throw under pressure from Millennium's Ezra Edmond (29) in the third quarter of their game at Cienega High School, Tucson, Ariz., Sept. 16, 2022.
Cienega's Edgar Garcia (2) runs into the arms of Millennium's Damri Collier (61) trying to find a hole up the middle in the third quarter of their game at Cienega High School, Tucson, Ariz., Sept. 16, 2022.
Millennium's Gavin Trim (9) can't correct enough to reel in the throw in front of Cienega's Sean Cadena (6) at Cienega High School, Tucson, Ariz., Sept. 16, 2022.
Cienega's Malik Ramirez (14) wraps up Millennium's Zues Pindernation (2) ending his run in their game at Cienega High School, Tucson, Ariz., Sept. 16, 2022.
The crowd in Cienega's student section cheers the ceremony honoring the school's championship boys volleyball team during the halftime of the game against Millennium at Cienega High School, Tucson, Ariz., Sept. 16, 2022.
Cienega's Cody Foster (30) tries to skip out of the grip of Millennium's Isaac Huerigo (27) on a kick-off return in the first quarter of their game at Cienega High School, Tucson, Ariz., Sept. 16, 2022.
