Justin Argraves and the Cienega Bobcats were on the doorstep of pulling off the programβs biggest regular-season win in four years and having a βweβve arrivedβ moment.
Trailing 30-7 early in the fourth quarter of Thursdayβs game against Salpointe Catholic, the Bobcats nearly completed a miraculous upset. Cienega cut the deficit to 30-22 and had the ball at the Lancersβ 26-yard line in the final seconds before an interception derailed what could have been a season-defining comeback.
The 37-year-old Argraves is in his first season with the Bobcats after moving east from Tucson High. A graduate of Santa Rita High School and the University of Arizona, Argraves steps into big shoes as the Bobcatsβ coach β a position previously occupied by local icons Pat Nugent and Nemer Hassey.
A 53-43 record in 10 seasons at Tucson High, a Class 6A school, made Argraves a prime candidate to head out to Vail. Through three games, Cienega is 1-2 and still searching for consistency during a transitional year.
βI hate losing more than anybody,β Argraves said. βI told our guys that after the game, and weβll get back to work.β
Thereβs talent to be found on the youthful roster. Itβs Argravesβ job to maximize it and develop sophomores and juniors for future seasons. Argraves feels his squadβs development was stunted during the pandemic-shortened season a year ago.
Cienega played just two games in the fall. Argraves was hired in early February to replace Nugent. Argraves has also had to start from scratch on his coaching staff, with some of Cienegaβs top assistants joining Nugent at Mica Mountain High.
βA lot of our kids just donβt have varsity experience, so thatβs been a big challenge for them,β he said. βThen you throw in a coaching change, a whole new system, new coaches. Everything is a little different for them.β
Still, thereβs plenty of reasons to believe Cienegaβs is headed in the right direction.
Brayden Cherry has made strides in each of Cienegaβs first three games, and had arguably his best performance against the Lancers. His passing totals have gone up each week, from 96 yards to 114 to 252.
Cherryβs increased pass attempts have also led to more turnovers. Salpointe intercepted the 6-foot-2-inch junior three times, including the fatal one at the goal line in the fourth quarter.
βHe became a varsity football player (against Salpointe),β Argraves said. βThat was a kid who didnβt play last year. Heβs growing up. He did a tremendous job. When all is said and done, heβs going to be a hell of a football player.β
The Bobcatsβ defense stepped up in the second half against Salpointe. Lancers quarterback Treyson Bourguet moved the ball with ease much of the first half, throwing for 129 yards and a touchdown while also adding a score on the ground.
Bourguet, regarded as one of Southern Arizonaβs top quarterbacks, was visibly frustrated in the second half. He threw for fewer than 100 yards and struggled to move the ball on several possessions.
The Bobcats dialed up pressure and sacked Bourguet three times in the second half, often taking away the quarterbackβs first read and forcing him to hold onto the ball longer than he wanted.
βThey came out with a different look than we were expecting,β Bourguet admitted.
Argraves understands the journey will be a long one at Cienega, and expectations are high for a program thatβs won at least nine games in five out of the last six full seasons. The teamβs schedule is mostly favorable over the next month with three of the four games to be played at home.
The Bobcats will have a bye week before hosting Gilbert Campo Verde on Oct. 1. Argraves expects his team to improve as the year progresses.
βI think weβve gotten better every single game,β he said. βThatβs all you can ask for. Really proud of them.β
