Gridiron Guide: Sabino stadium is a serene, yet rockin' venue
Real grass for the playing surface at Sabino High School’s football stadium, Thursday, July 30, 2015, Tucson, Ariz. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
School: Sabino
Name: The Saberdome
Address: 5000 N. Bowes Road
Opened: 1972
The lowdown: The Saberdome is one of the most historic venues in town and hasn’t housed a losing team since 1998. Since then, Jay Campos and Jeff Scurran, two of Southern Arizona’s most decorated coaches, have combined for numerous postseason victories, eight title game appearances and three state championships. On top of that, generations of distinguished players have called that field home, from Jeff Kiewel to Corey Hill to Mike Saffer to Brooks Reed, who starred for the Arizona Wildcats and now plays for the Atlanta Falcons. Over the last 10 years, the Saberdome has added an $85,000 press box, replaced the bleachers and put up new field goal posts. “We’re constantly doing things to try and improve the facility,” said Campos, who is entering his 13th season as Sabino’s coach.
Don’t miss: The view. From the time you turn onto Catalina Highway and head north on Harrison to get to Sabino, the view of the surrounding mountains is unbelievable. It only gets better inside the stadium with Sabino Canyon in sight. Being tucked into the Tanque Verde valley also gives the stadium an intimate feel on game night. But don’t be mistaken, things become electric once the band leads the team onto the field before kickoff.
Biggest game: Campos has endured several wild games at home but one of the most memorable has to be Sabino’s 34-31 overtime win against Phoenix Thunderbird in the 2011 Division III state quarterfinals. The victory was the team’s 11th straight and sent the Sabercats on to the semifinals for the fourth time under Campos. Senior quarterback Dallas Brown sealed the win when he ran for a 15-yard touchdown on Sabino’s first offensive play in overtime after Thunderbird was held to a field goal in its possession.
Performance for the ages: Senior running back Nathan Wize opened the 1997 season by totaling 358 all-purpose yards and scoring three touchdowns in a 38-10 win against rival Sahuaro. Wize, who went on to play at Cincinnati, rushed for 168 yards and two touchdowns in addition to returning a punt 65 yards for a score in the victory. The 5-foot-7-inch 190-pound Wize is remembered as one of Southern Arizona’s top rushers, as he finished with 3,101 yards and 51 touchdowns that season.
Quotable: “This is off the beaten path; you don’t have the traffic you hear and all that stuff. It’s just nice and quiet and once the game gets going it’s like nothing else in the world is going on besides what’s happening right here on the field.” – Campos
Daniel Gaona
