Team of the week:
Lots of great choices this week (like Pusch Ridge Christian or Canyon del Oro), but Salpointe Catholic beat one of the top Class 5A teams by 21 points, with one of the touchdowns by opponent Marana coming deep into garbage time.
Just one week in, the Lancers are guaranteed to finish the regular season undefeated against local teams. Salpointe’s schedule includes one school from the Los Angeles area’s San Fernando Valley (Bishop Alemany) and the rest from greater Phoenix. But last week’s win extends the Lancers’ winning streak against Southern Arizona teams to 27. Their last local loss was Sept. 28, 2017, 30-20 at Cienega.
Salpointe senior defensive end Elijah Rushing had two sacks, 10 hurries and six tackles, while his fellow UA commit senior defensive end Keona Wilhite had three sacks, four hurries and five tackles.
Salpointe Catholic defensive end Keona Wilhite committed to the Arizona Wildcats on Monday, June 26.
Salpointe heads west this week to play at Mission Hills (Calif.) Alemany (0-2). According to Maxpreps, the Lancers are 5-1 against out-of-state teams since 2004.
Recruiting trail:
On Friday, Catalina Foothills (1-0) hosts Yuma Catholic (1-0). The visiting Shamrocks feature three-star senior edge Jaxson Jones, who is committed to Oregon. In YC’s season-opening 56-28 win at Tempe Marcos de Niza, he had four sacks and made eight tackles, including six for a loss.
Ironwood Ridge's Omar Robles (2) is tackled by Mica Mountain's Kason Colbert (44) during the first half of their game at Ironwood Ridge High School in Oro Valley, Ariz. on Sept. 1, 2022.
Stat book:
Mica Mountain senior running back/linebacker Kason Colbert ran for 137 yards on 11 carries, a 12.5 average. His longest rush was for 67 yards. He also made 16 tackles on defense and scored two touchdowns.
Sabino senior quarterback/cornerback Cameron Hackworth passed for 181 yards and two scores, going 9 for 12. He also returned a punt 29 yards.
Tucson High's Prince Mugisha (20) runs to the outside of the line of scrimmage while being chased by South Mountain's Zytavion Mingo (40) during their game at Tucson High Magnet School in Tucson, Ariz. on Sept. 23, 2022.
Tucson High senior running back Prince Mugisha ran for 135 yards on 18 carries in the Badgers’ 62-24 win over Phoenix South Mountain. Mugisha also scored two touchdowns.
Quotable:
“There was just a little meat left on that bone,” Canyon del Oro head coach Dustin Peace said to azpreps365.com. “We just didn’t finish the job when we had the opportunity to do it.”
Canyon del Oro’s head coach Dustin Peace greets his players one at a time as they go through their pre-game warm-ups before kicking off against St. Mary’s in the first round of the 4A state playoffs last November.
The Dorados held on beat 2022 3A state champions Mesa Eastmark 21-14 last Friday after jumping out to a 21-0 lead in the first half.
Going social:
“The 2A & 3A State Football Championship should be played @ Rio Rico High School. ... Beautiful Athletic Facilities and Weather! Over 23 million dollars has been pumped into the Facilities. Best views in the State Outside Sedona! The AIA needs to consider it!”
— Jon Roberts, Casa Grande Vista Grande head coach, after his Spartans’ 44-0 win over Rio Rico last week on X/Twitter. (For reference, last year’s 3A state championship was at Phoenix Desert Vista; the 2A game was at Safford.)
Next level:
Salpointe plays at Bishop Alemany on Friday and a slew of Alemany alumni should play in Tucson on Saturday. UA sophomore cornerback Ephesians Prysock, senior running back Nazar Bombata, freshman receiver Kevin Green Jr. and freshman offensive lineman Rhino Tapa’atoutai are products of the Alemany-to-Arizona pipeline.
Cornerback Ephesians Prysock stretches out with the defensive unit as the Wildcats get ready for the University of Arizona’s spring practice session in March.
The UA’s favorite high school, at least when it comes to recruiting: Chandler, which has six alumni on the Wildcats’ 2023 roster.
Games of the week:
Buena (1-0) at Ironwood Ridge (1-0):
In a rematch of last year’s season finale for both sides — one that saw Ironwood Ridge shocked Sierra Vista Buena, the IR comes in after a 59-30 win at Chandler Seton Catholic Prep while Buena is fresh from a 40-0 win over Laveen Betty H. Fairfax.
Mica Mountain's Jacob Flores (42) sacks Ironwood Ridge's Hunter Rehrmann (3) during the second half of their game at Ironwood Ridge High School in Oro Valley, Ariz. on Sept. 1, 2022.
Buena went 7-3 last year, but a win by Ironwood Ridge kept Buena from the playoffs; and though IR went 1-9 last year, the Nighthawks return almost everyone in 2023.
Canyon del Oro (1-0) at Prescott Valley Bradshaw Mountain (1-0):
CDO opened the season with a 21-14 win over last season’s 3A champion (Mesa Eastmark), while Prescott Valley Bradshaw Mountain opened with a 24-14 win over Snowflake; it was Snowflake that knocked CDO out of the 4A state tournament last year in overtime in the semifinals.
Canyon del Oro tight end Ryan Madsen and the Dorados warm up in the final minutes before kick-off against St. Mary's in their first round game of the state 4A playoffs, Oro Valley, Ariz., November 17, 2022.
Plus the coaches have reached the state championship game five times (twice for CDO's Dustin Peace; three times for BM's Bob Young).
Inside the video vault:
Check out these highlights from last week's all-Southern Arizona matchup that saw Salpointe take down Marana, 35-14, at home.
VIDEO: Marana's Dezmen Roebuck catches a touchdown pass during the Tigers' 35-14 loss to Salpointe Catholic on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Video by James Kelley/Special to the Arizona Daily Star
VIDEO: Salpointe's Richard Rivera scores on a 40-yard touchdown off a screen pass during the Lancers' 35-14 win over Marana on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Video by James Kelley/Special to the Arizona Daily Star
VIDEO: Salpointe Catholic's Elijah Rushing sacks the Marana quarterback during the Lancers' 35-14 win over the Tigers on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Video by James Kelley/Special to the Arizona Daily Star
VIDEO: Salpointe's Jaxson Banhie scores on a 30-plus-yard touchdown run during the Lancers' 35-14 win over Marana on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Video by James Kelley/Special to the Arizona Daily Star
VIDEO: Salpointe's Keona Wilhite makes the tackle, keeping the opposing runner from finding open space, during the Lancers' 35-14 win over Marana on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Video by James Kelley/Special to the Arizona Daily Star
VIDEO: Marana's special teams unit teams up to block a Salpointe field goal try, but the Tigers still fell to the Lancers 35-14 on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Video by James Kelley/Special to the Arizona Daily Star
VIDEO: Salpointe's Taylor Nagore runs the ball in for the score during the Lancers' 35-14 win over Marana on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Video by James Kelley/Special to the Arizona Daily Star
VIDEO: Salpointe's Elijah Rushing and Keona Wilhite — both committed to play college football locally for Arizona next season — jointly crunch the opposing quarterback during the Lancers' 35-14 win over Marana Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Video by James Kelley/Special to the Arizona Daily Star
VIDEO: Salpointe's Keona Wilhite swats a ball away at the line during the Lancers' 35-14 win over Marana on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Video by James Kelley/Special to the Arizona Daily Star
VIDEO: Salpointe Catholic's Elijah Rushing sacks the Marana quarterback during the Lancers' 35-14 win over the Tigers on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Video by James Kelley/Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Dolphins to Dorados: Oro Valley youth football pipeline to Canyon Del Oro HS pays off
