Sabino rallied to extend playoff streak; now, the Sabercats are motivated to advance

Sabino last missed the state playoffs in 2001, when second-year coach Ryan McBrayer was in the seventh grade.

So when the Sabercats dropped their first two games this season to Casa Grande and Sahuaro, they entered almost uncharted territory. Were they still the powerhouse team people came to expect? Could they extend their postseason streak to 17 years?

“Guys had to kind of see where they fit in,” McBrayer said. “And then (they) kind of bought into the process, realized where we need to get better and they bought into it.”

Sabino won its final eight games, captured the Class 3A South Region championship and earned the No. 6 overall seed in the state playoffs. Sabino will host No. 11 seed Lakeside Blue Ridge on Friday in one of nine games featuring Southern Arizona teams. The winner advances to take on either Fountain Hills or Snowflake in next week’s quarterfinals.

Senior Caden Wechsler said the Sabercats players always expected to have a successful season.

“It says Sabercats on our chests,” Wechsler said. “We knew what we were playing for. Everyone looks up to us.”

The first-round playoff game will serve as a rematch of sorts. The Sabercats last played Blue Ridge in Week 4, where they narrowly won 14-7 in Lakeside. AJ Skaggs threw for 79 yards and a touchdown, and DJ McAlister rushed for 45 yards and a score.

“Last game we had a close game with them, so we want to prepare and not take them lightly like we did last time,” senior Richie Piña said.

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Sabino has a few things in its favor heading into Friday night. The Sabercats are the higher seed, meaning they’ll be the home team for the first round. Blue Ridge will have to endure a four-hour bus ride before taking the field at Sabino.

Any advantage a team can muster in the playoffs is important.

Senior Brad Hoge said he’s never started in a playoff game, so he is excited to see what’s different this time around.

“It’s going to be fun to see Blue Ridge in the middle of the year to now having a playoff game — where we’re only promised 48 more minutes to play football for the seniors’ lives,” Hoge said.

McBrayer is expecting a slugfest and another close game. He said the Yellow Jackets play hard and are well-coached.

But the Sabercats won’t be intimidated.

“We’re just going to give it all and see where the chips fall at the end,” McBrayer said. “We’ve got a great team, but this 3A bracket is very wide open with a bunch of great teams in it. Whoever plays good, each and every team, continues to move on.

“As you look down the bracket, there’s five, six, eight teams that can win this thing.”