Citizen Staff Writer
Tucson-area football made a strong statement Friday night, sending seven teams on to the big-school quarterfinals. Just four survived the opening round of the 2007 playoffs.
While the Old Pueblo will be well-represented next week, one team and coach in particular should be patted on the back for a decadelong streak of making Tucson football look good in the postseason.
The Sunnyside Blue Devils are working on a southern Arizona best 10-year streak of making the postseason. And with Friday’s 33-7 win over Phoenix South Mountain, coach Richard Sanchez’s Blue Devils have won at least one playoff game in each of the past 10 years.
To think there are schools in Tucson without a single playoff berth and others still searching for their first playoff win makes what Sanchez has done even more impressive.
Sunnyside’s reward for Friday’s win is a rematch next week at Ironwood Ridge, a team the Blue Devils beat at home Oct. 31 and in last year’s 5A-II quarterfinals.
You can bet Sanchez will have his team ready.
GEOFF GRAMMER
Citizen HS Sports Editor