1. Pusch Ridge can do more than compete
Last week’s dramatic 24-21 win at Flowing Wells was anything but a fluke for Pusch Ridge. The Lions (6-1) have now won six straight games, taking down programs such as Cholla and Sahuarita, which are significantly bigger and have already been there and done that. Fourth-year coach Troy Cropp has done a tremendous job preparing his team for a move up to Division IV and that was clear on Friday night, when they Lions went toe-to-toe with a legitimate title contender and never backed down. Pusch Ridge has outscored opponents 228-110 and gets is done in a very simple manner, with an SEC-like run game, a suffocating defense and brilliant clock management. The Lions have another hefty task this week when they host Pueblo, a likely state-playoff qualifier, in a non-section game.
