Radio Sports Guy

With University of Arizona having a huge match up with Oregon set for this Saturday, I sat down with 1290 AM The Source talk show host Glenn Parker to get his thoughts on the football season so far. (In all transparency, I work with Glenn everyday on In The House, heard daily on 1290AM The Source weekdays 4-6 PM.)

Q: At the beginning of the season what would your thoughts be if I told you the Cats would be 6-3?

A: I think that nation pundits or writers in the PAC-10 would have been surprised. However, anybody that listens to the show on 1290 AM The Source knows that we thought that Arizona would be a much better team this year than people had predicted. I think 6-3 this year is an improvement from last year but also a disappointment considering what they could have done had they had Nick Foles in the lineup earlier against Iowa, if there hadn’t been a ball off the shoe at Washington, and if there hadn’t been the odd deflected pass that maybe kept us out of field goal range and a winning shot at Cal.

Q: Speaking of the Cal game, we have heard some people gripe about the playcalling. Did you see it a different way?

A: Yeah. I saw first off that there were some good things offensively. On the backside there was probably some gripes to be had with the play calling. But more importantly you have to give Cal credit. They are all on scholarship, they did a very good job of game planning for what Arizona does well, for what Nick Foles does in his progression. They changed things up to make it tougher for Nick to understand what was going on pre-snap and that changed the dynamic of the game.

Q: What do you see coming up this Saturday against Oregon for the Cats?

A: I think the Cats have to get out to an early lead for one, and make Masoli throw to beat them. I think they have to win on first down offensively and defensively making third down a tougher deal. Oregon is a great team. They started off the season horribly. For all intents and purposes people thought they were done and all they have done in bounce back because they have got a ton of talent, a lot of heart and a good coach. How do we fare against them? That’s going to be tough to see. Their defense blitzes a lot more than they ever have in the past, they are bringing a lot more pressure than they have.  But that also means there are plays to be had. When a team blitzes you can run power and gap schemes against them to get big holes and you can also throw into the teeth of the blitz and get big gains. I think it comes down to when and where they are most likely to blitz or bring pressure and can we exploit it.

Q: Does last years game against Oregon have any bearing on this game?

A: Probably not as much only because they slowed down a little bit and allowed us to get back into the game and then they shut the door. It’s always tough to take half a game, you have to take the game as a whole and find out what went right and what went wrong. You can take situations and say we knew they were going to do this in a given situation and we stopped it. Those type of things you can take. Mark Stoops will say, “Alright, here’s what we think they are going to do. Here’s how we are going to attack them.” The good news for Cat’s fans it that they are not as physical on offense as they have been in the past. Blount’s a big kid, Masoli’s a big kid, but they aren’t as pounding offensively along the line as they have been in the past and bodes well for the smaller Arizona defensive line.

Q: Looking ahead to the USC game, they aren’t the same team that they have been the last couple of years. Your thoughts?

A: No and the scuttle butt coming out of there right now is that they are better at the quarterback position and the offense is starting to come around. At the start of the year we talked about this. They are not the team that they have been in the past. Their running game is okay. Their quarterback threw 18 picks as a senior in high school when he was on a dominate team, so there is obviously an issue there. What goes under the radar with USC, which I find somewhat amazing compared to Florida of Texas, is that they had 6 starters on offense out at one point. If this was any other team in the top ten that would have been the biggest story possible. But with USC it’s a Pac-10 story, it’s not a national story. If they get those guys back, they could be as good as ever. In the next two weeks you better find out how is playing for SC and are they the team that we thought they were going to be coming into the season or are they the team that we have seen the last couple weeks.

I came for the carne asada burritos. I stayed for the Chris Howard Show.

It didn’t take long for the #5 seeded Sunnyside Blue Devils to dispose of their 5A-II first round opponents, #12 Scottsdale Horizon.

On the first play from scrimmage Blue Devil quarterback Perry Shazier hooked up with Howard for a 75 yard strike down to the Horizon 5 yard line. Two plays later, Shazier got the Devils on the score board with a one yard keeper as they would go on to a 48-7 win.

From there on out Horizon had no answer for Sunnyside on either side of the ball. Sunnyside would go on to score on their first 3 possessions and would add a 39 yard fumble of a botched shotgun snap before halftime to take a 28-0 lead to the locker room.

Chris Howard was the real story of this route though. The 6′3″ senior wide out had catches of 75, 40, 32 and 27 yards. He would finish the game with 7 catches for 197 and 2 touchdowns.

“We just came out and tried to play 48 minutes,” Howard said. ” The line gave us time to throw down field and we took advatage of their secondary.”

Take advantage they did as Shazier completed 7 of his 9 passes for 240 yard a 3 scores, the 2 to Howard of 7 and 40 yards and he also connected with Alfred Leon in the fourth quarter.

Sunnyside was just as powerful on the ground rushing for 189 yards. As a team, they would finish with 429 yards of total offense.

Horizon’s offense on the other hand was stymied. The Huskies were held in check all night as quarterback Ryan Stanford only threw for 156. On the ground the Huskies only managed 32 yards rushing and Stanford was harassed constantly in the backfield. Sunnyside sack him 6 times and flushed him out of the pocket on a number of other occasions.

The Huskies would finally break to shutout with as Stanford completed a quick pass to Michael Glidden for a 48 yard connection.

Sunnyside will now have to travel to take on #4 seed Marcos de Niza next Friday. De Niza topped #13 Central 40-21 in their first round win.

Seen and Heard at Sunnyside:

1. I wish I could have traded places with the Sunnyside mascot for the night. On what tuned out to be a chilly evening I would have loved to have had on the big fluffy blue devil costume to stay warm.

2. The Sunnyside boys and girls cross country team finished in the top ten in the state. The girls team placed third, the boys 6th.

3. If I didn’t know any better, I would think that the P.A. announcer at Sunnyside was auditioning for my job as a play-by-play man on the radio. He had a running commentary after every play and used great lines like, “Third down and Nogales.” I’m going to have to keep that one in mind for next season.

4. The atmosphere at Sunnyside continues to be one of the best in Southern Arizona and the carne asada burritos are second to none. Many thanks to Hector, Tino, Ron and the ladies at the snack bar for hooking me up and keeping my stomach full!

 Second ranked Santa Rita High School has won an appeal with the Arizona Interscholastic Association and will not have to forfeit 7 victories from earlier this season.

The violations of missing or inaccurate documents as to where a student athlete lives where self reported by Santa Rita High School.

The player in question will now be suspended for the next 365 days which means that he will not be allowed to take part in tonight’s regional championship clash with rival Palo Verde or the up coming playoffs.

With the last week of the regular season coming up on Friday night in 5A and 4A, and the 3A and 2A playoffs getting underway lets take a close look at the big games coming up for Southern Arizona’s top games.

Game of the Week

Sabino at CDO: The Dorados try to hold on to the #1 seed in 4A-I while the Sabercats look to hold on to a top 4 seed. Not only is all that on the line but the two most electrifying players in Arizona in Ka’Deem Carey and Keanu Nelson will take the field.

Carey, a junior running back for CDO, has amassed a staggering 1642 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns this year.

Nelson, who is verbally commited to play football for Stanford next year, continues to get it done for the Sabercats in all facets of the game accounting for1384 total yards and 15 touchdowns.

Even with all the offensive fire power on the field, both defenses might hold the key. CDO has given up a paltry 7.2 points per game while Sabino gives up and equally impressive 10.6 points per game.

One other note: CDO head coach Dustin Peace will join Kevin Woodman and me on 1290 AM The Source on Friday at 4:20 to talk about this game.

2. Palo Verde at Santa Rita

With AIA hearings and possible sanctions to be levied against Santa Rita, the Eagles will take the field and try to hold on to the #2 seed in 4A-II.  The heavy hand of the AIA might take away 7 win and the playoffs from Santa Rita but they will still need to take on the Palo Verde Titans that have everything to play for.

Palo Verde is currently slotted as the 5th seed in 4A-II and a win could clinch not only a first round game at home but they would host a second game at home with a first round win.

The key will be how well Jeff Scurran can rally Santa Rita to take on their east side rivals.

3. Sunnyside at Salpointe

This just might be the Lancer’s “State Title Game,” as they can not make the playoffs due to AIA sanctions of their own. Salpointe would love nothing more than to round out their season with a win over rival Sunnyside and also take away the Blue Devils shot of a perfect regular season.

Sunnyside will be looking to hold on to a top 4 seeding in 5A-II which would guarantee that they would not have to play a game on the road in the playoffs until the state semi’s.

Sunnyside’s offense averages an blistering 37 points per game while Salpointe’s stout defense yields 16 points per game.

4. Safford at Empire

The 3A State Playoffs get underway on Friday night. The 6th seeded Empire Ravens will try to bounce back from a tough 24-23 overtime loss to Fountian Hills. The heartbreaking loss cost Empire a chance at the number one see in 3A. 

As they look to do so, Empire runs into a 7-3 Safford team that can really move the ball, averaging 365 yards per game. However, the Ravens are even better on the offensive side of the ball averaging 380 yards per game with 279 of those yards coming by way of the running game.

The winner will move on to take on the winner of #3 Wickenburg vs. #14 Florence.

5. Morenci at Pusch Ridge

The 4th seeded Pusch Ridge Lions get the 2A playoffs underway at home against Morenci. The Lions are winners of 8 straight ballgames and their only loss came the first week of the season against top ranked Northwest Christian.

While Pusch Ridge’s offense is on fire with 47 points per game, the defense has been a major factor this year giving up only 10 points per game.

Quarterback Greg Schimke leads the Lions offense and has thrown for 27 touchdowns and he his helped by a crop of talented receivers. Three of which have over 20 catches this season.

The winner of this one moves on to take on the winner of #12 San Manuel at #5 Yuma Catholic

Arizona’s High School football playoff season is right around the corner so lets take a look at the teams that are in and the teams that might need somethings to go their way.

5A-I

In: None

Even though Salpointe is currently ranked 9th in Power Points, the Lancers are not eligible for the playoffs this season due to AIA sanctions. Because of this it looks like Southern Arizona will not have a representative in the “Big Schools” class once the state playoffs come around. Both Tucson High and Buena are currently too low to have a chance ranked 24th and 25th respectively.

5A-II

In: Sunnyside (4th)

Work Left to Do: Ironwood Ridge (11th)

The Blue Devils are just playing for seeding at this point and want to be on the right side of the bracket to avoid powerhouse Chaparral. Ironwood Ridge is very close to booking a spot. With a 4-5 record however, they will need a win at Mt. View to assure a playoff berth.

4A-I

In: CDO (1st), Cieniga (3rd), Sabino (6th)

Work Left to Do: Desert View (11th), Sahuaro (14th), Catalina Foothills (15th)

The Dorados, Bobcats and Sabercats are all in. The only thing left to decide between these 3 is seeding. A huge match-up between CDO and Sabino on November 6th will decide the division title. Cienega still has a road trip to Sahuaro to contend with the same week. Desert View can wrap up a spot with a win over Nogales. Sahuaro might have the most work to do with games at Marana and home to Cienega. It will be tough for them to make it. Foothills has to beat Pueblo and get some help from the other teams around them in the Power Point Rankings.

4A-II

In: Santa Rita (2nd), Palo Verde (Tie 5th)

Work Left to Do: Amphi (11th), Catalina (18th)

Santa Rita and Palo Verde both are in and will face each other in two weeks for the division title and both are still in the running for the number 1 seed.  Amphi is very close but can breathe easier with wins over Douglas and Catalina. Catalina would be out if the playoffs started today and still might need some help to get in. Games against Cholla and Amphi await.

3A

In: Empire ( Tie 1st)

The Ravens are playing for a number one seed and are currently tied with 3 other teams. They will get a shot to knock off one of those teams as they take on Fountain Hills Friday.

2A

In: Pusch Ridge (9th)

Work Still to Do: San Manuel (14th)

The Lions are still in the race to host a first round playoff game as they try to get in the top 8. Up next is a match-up with Ray. San Manuel as what will amount to a playoff game as they match-up with 13th ranked Canyon State. Win that and they should be in.

As the playoff races heat up, it’s time for another look at the top 10 teams in Southern Arizona.

As always, please feel free to let me know if your team should be ranked!

1. CDO (8-0) The Dorados continued on their winning ways last week topping Flowing Wells 35-7. Stud running back Ka’Deem Carey was held under 100 yard rushing for the first time this season, but he did break off a 79 yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Up next: Pueblo

2 Sunnyside (7-0) The Blue Devils stayed perfect with a 35-14 win over Tucson High. Even with the win however, Sunnyside has some things to work on. They were penalized 12 times for 100 yards, while only rushing for 93. Up next: Ironwood Ridge

3. Santa Rita (6-1) The Eagles made a huge statement in 4A Gila play topping Amphi 37-7. The win helps Santa Rita stay atop the region. Their defense was stingy surrendering only 135 yards to the Panthers. Up next: Catalina

4. Cienega (7-1) The Bobcats blasted Marana 56-14 last week. The running game was in a groove as they ripped off 227 yards on 20 carries. Isaac Jones led the way with 104 yards on only 4 carries. Up next: Nogales

5. Empire (8-0) The Ravens cruised past Santa Cruz Valley 56-27. Running back Cody Woody had a great night with 155 yards, 4 TD’s and most importanly a Homecoming King’s Crown. Up next: Florence

6. Sabino (7-1) Sabino topped Catalina Foothills 42-10 last week. Stephen Fraser paced a strong Sabercat running game that saw them rack up 374 yards on the ground. Mr. Everything, Keanu Nelson, finished with 119 yards on 12 total touches. Up Next: Flowing Wells on Oct. 30

7. Salpointe (6-1) The Lancers struggled with Rincon through 3 quarter last week but pulled away for a 35-14 win. Freshman running back Johnny Pena finished with 205 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns. Up next: Mountain View

8. Palo Verde (6-1) The Titans got all they could handle at Douglas last week and had to score 13 4th quarter points to come from behind to win 16-6. Palo Verde had no first downs in the first half. Up next: Sahuarita

9. Pusch Ridge Christian: (6-1) The Lions played tough defense in their 49-0 shutout over Hayden giving up only 5 total yards. Greg Schimke threw 3 touchdown passes in the route. Up next: San Carlos

10. Ironwood Ridge: (4-4) Yes, A 4 loss team is one of the top 10 teams this week. The Nighthawks have won 3 straight ballgames, most recently defeating Buena 21-13 behind Mitch Fischer’s all around effort. Fischer had a rushing touchdown to go along with a 45 yard interception return that he took into the end zone. Up next: Sunnyside

The NCAA has it, you even see power rankings for the NFL, NBA, NHL and college basketball. So why not high school football in Southern Arizona?

This is just one man’s opinion, please feel free to disagree and let me know where your favorite team should be ranked:

1. CDO- The Dorados boast a perfect 7-0 record and possibly the best player in the state, Ka’Deem Carey (1416 yard rushing, 17 TD’s). Also the 44-0 win over Scottsdale Saguaro is impossible to over-look. Up next: Flowing Wells

2. Sunnyside- The perennial play-off contenders are having another great year. A 6-0 record has the Blue Devils on pace for a juggernaut of a show down with rivals Salpointe at the end of the season.They also boast an impressive 23-18 win over Mesa Mountain View. Up next: Tucson High

3. Santa Rita- Coach Jeff Scurran has the Eagles right back in the thick of things in the 4A-II race. The only blemish on the 5-1 record is a 27-9 loss to CDO early in the season. Up next: Amphitheater

4. Cienega- The 6-1 Bobcats are a late touchdown away from being perfect this season. They are lead by running back Willie Willis who has 1052 yards on the ground to go along with 15 touchdowns. Up next: Marana

5. Salpointe- The Lancer’s might be young this year but are lead by a tough defense and a stable of running backs. While they can’t go to the playoffs this year Salpointe will most likely still have a shot at a regional title against Sunnyside at seasons end. Up next: Rincon

6. Empire- The 7-0 Ravens are lead by running back Cody Woody who has 989 yards to go along with 15 TD’s. Empire will continue to be a factor for the 3A title this year. Empire has outscored opponents 313-54 this season. Up next: Santa Cruz Valley

7. Sabino- Mr. Everything, Keanu Nelson (1116 yards of total offense, 11 TD’s) leads the Sabercats. At 6-1 the only blotch on their record is a 27-16 loss to Santa Rita. A possible region title deciding slug fest with CDO is just weeks away. Up next: Catalina Foothills

8. Palo Verde- The 5-1 Titans play crushing defense. They have shut out their last 3 opponents and give up a mere 5 points per game. A game against Santa Rita the last week of the season may just be for all the marbles in the 4A Gila Region. Up next: Douglas

9. Amphitheater- Head coach Vern Friedli has the Panthers playing hard nose football again. With a 5-1 record and a 2-1 mark in the Gila region they will continue to be in the hunt for not only a playoff spot, but possibly a regional title as well. Up next: Santa Rita

10. Pusch Ridge Christian Academy- The Lions are lead by quarterback Greg Schimke who leads the team in passing yards (1422), rushing (218) and touchdowns (18 passing, 5 rushing). With an offense that averages almost 45 points per game the Lions (5-1) are in contention for a 2A State Title. Up next: Hayden

It didn’t take long for Chandler Hamilton (7-0) to show why they are ranked among the elite in the state of Arizona as they crusied to a 45-2 win over visiting Salpointe Catholic (5-1). The Huskies scored on three touchdowns in the first quarter and never looked back.

Senior running back Michael Allen scored from 42 yards out after just 3 plays while another senior running back, Zach Bauman found the end zone from 1 and 17 yards out to give the home side Huskies a quick 21-0 lead.

In the second quarter it was more of the same as junior quarterback Kyren Poe kept on an option run and found pay dirt from the 2 and then Bauman struck again from the 17 to extend the halftime lead to 35-0.

The Lancers never seemed to get any momentum going three and out on their first two possessions and junior quarterback Jordan Backerman was intercepted on two more first half possessions. In fact, the Lancers could only muster 49 total yard in the first half, most of it through the air as the Hamilton defensive front was too much to handle at times for the Salpointe offensive line.

The second half saw the Huskies add a 27 yard field goal from Yannish Mets then came what many would call the highlight of the night. Late in the third quarter safety Devon Carrington came on a blitz and forced a fumble which was scoped up at the 2 by Hamilton Tibyus Medley and taken into the endzone.

Salpointe got their lone score in the 4th quarter as an erant pitch on an option run by Poe skipped back into the end zone where running back Jai Johnson tried to throw the ball. It didn’t get back to the line of scrimmage resulting in a safety.

The Lancers finished the game with 183 total yards to Hamilton’s 367.

Up next for the Salpointe in a trip to Rincon next Friday while Hamilton will get a week off before having to face rival Brophy Prep.