5 local football teams aim for state championship berths

Southern Arizona football programs have historically taken a back seat to their Phoenix-area counterparts and others in the northern part of the state.

Here's another chance to prove that theory wrong.

Five local squads are one win from playing in state championship games next weekend but standing in the way are five other teams, mostly favored to win in the semifinals which begin Friday night.

Top-seeded Cienega faces No.5 Peoria Centennial in the 5A semifinals at Tucson High on Friday night while No. 4 Salpointe Catholic and No. 6 Catalina Foothills both assume underdog roles in the 4A semifinals in Phoenix. Then, on Saturday, fifth-seeded Sabino and No. 5 Benson both take on the top seeds in the 3A and 2A semifinals, respectively.

Here’s a team-by-team breakdown of this weekend’s action, with a chance these five local programs are poised to make a statement:

Cienega

The lowdown: 5A No. 1 seed, 12-0

Postseason recap: The unbeaten Bobcats rolled through the first two rounds, beating No. 16 Laveen Fairfax 49-14 and No. 9 GIlbert Mesquite 63-38. Senior running back Dakota Poe is coming off one of his best games, rushing for 149 yards and three touchdowns on just six carries while junior Jamarye Joiner passed for a season-high 274 yards.

Championship history: Cienega has been one of Tucson’s best programs in its short history but its lone state championship appearance came in 2011, when the Bobcats rattled off 13 straight wins before losing to Scottsdale Chaparral in the Division II state final. Second-year coach Pat Nugent also going for his second title game appearance; he led Canyon del Oro to the finals in 2007.

Semifinal matchup: Friday, 7 p.m., vs. No. 5 Peoria Centennial at Tucson High. The Coyotes, who won the Division I title a year ago, boast one of the best defensive units in the state but will have their hands full trying to slow Cienega’s high-scoring offense.

Key to victory: Centennial has won 11 straight games so both teams have plenty of momentum heading into the showdown. Joiner and the Bobcats will likely end up in a late-game, low-scoring situation for the first time this season so it will come down to how they’ll respond. Cienega’s defense will also have to play its best game of the season to take any added pressure off the offense.

Salpointe Catholic

The lowdown: 4A No. 4 seed, 10-2

Postseason recap: After missing the playoffs last season, the Lancer find themselves in the semifinals for the third time in five years. Salpointe held on for a 10-6win against No. 13 Canyon del Oro before rolling past No. 5 Tempe Marcos de Niza for a 48-6 victory in the quarterfinals, thanks to another big game by sophomore running back Mario Padilla.

Championship history: Longtime coach Dennis Bene led the Lancers to their first football state title with a dominant season in 2013. Salpointe relied on a brilliant passing attack and a stout defense that season but now Bene’s group has gotten to this point with a tough-to-stop ground game to go along with another solid defense.

Semifinal matchup: Friday, 7 p.m. vs. No. Scottsdale Saguaro (12-0) at Scottsdale Desert Mountain. The Sabercats have won three straight championship and entered the season as the heavy favorite to win again. Saguaro has outscored opponents 117-13 in two playoff games.

Key to victory: Be confident and execute. If the Lancers can play the same way they played last week on both sides of the ball, anything is possible. Saguaro, of course, is unlike anyone they’ve faced this year but perhaps Salpointe is playing unlike anyone the Sabercats have seen this year.

Catalina Foothills

The lowdown: 4A No. 6 seed, 10-2

Postseason recap: Twice it looked like Foothills was about to be eliminated from the state playoffs but a pair of late rallies have the Falcons in the semifinals for the first time. Senior running back Derrick Murray rushed for the go-ahead touchdown late in a 35-31 first-round win against No. 11 Cave Creek Cactus Shadows and then senior quarterback Rhett Rodriguez punched in the winning score with 1:29 remaining to help the Falcons survive a 52-49 shootout at third-seeded Peoria Sunrise Mountain last week.

Championship history: Foothills had never even been past the quarterfinals prior to this year. Since Jeff Scurran took over the program before the 2013 season, the Falcons have been in the playoffs four straight seasons, reached the quarterfinals twice and are now in the semifinals for the first time.

Semifinal matchup: Friday, 7 p.m., vs. No. 2 GIlbert Higley (11-1) at Gilbert Williams Field. THe Knights have scored at least 49 points nine times this season.

Key to victory: Rodriguez, a four-year starter, has more experience than just about anyone in the state. He’ll have to provide the veteran leadership and keep the offense rolling with a high chance of the Falcons ending up in another shootout. Foothills can also look up to Scurran, who is plenty familiar with being in this situation.

Sabino

The lowdown: 3A No. 5 seed, 11-1

Postseason recap: The Sabercats cruised to a 45-7 first-round win against No. 12 Safford and then rolled past No. 13 Winslow for a 48-0 victory in the quarterfinals. Junior quarterback Alex Bell had 168 yards rushing, 158 yards passing and accounted for four touchdowns in the postseason opener but it was senior athlete Drew Dixon who led the way last week, throwing two touchdowns passes and hauling in two scores.

Championship history: Sabino is in the playoff for the 15th straight season but is trying to win its first state championship since 1998. This is the fifth semifinal appearance under longtime coach Jay Campos, who is stepping down after this season. Campos also coached the Sabercats to championship appearances in 2005, 2006 and 2009.

Semifinal matchup: Saturday, 6:30 p.m., vs. No. 1 Show Low (12-0) at Gilbert Williams Field. The Cougars have been one of the small-school powers of the state, playing in six state championship games since 1998.

Key to victory:When Dixon goes, so do the Sabercats. No reason to change anything at this point in the season. Sabino will have one of its toughest tests defensively, going against senior quarterback Rhett Ricedorff who has passed for 2,700 yards and 30 touchdowns so the longer it can keep the ball away from him, the better.

Benson

The lowdown: 2A No. 5 seed, 10-2

Postseason recap: Two-way senior Brandon Laird led the way in with 249 yards rushing and four touchdowns as Benson beat No. 12 Tombstone 63-25 in the first round. A week later, senior Tyson Coleman hauled in the go-ahead touchdown and Laird broke off a long run to seal a 35-20 quarterfinal win at No. 4 Pima.

Championship history: The Bobcats hadn’t been to the state finals since 1994 before last year. Now they’re one win from being back in the championship game and having another chance at capturing the program’s first crown.

Semifinal matchup: Saturday, 6:30 p.m., vs. No. 1 Eagar Round Valley (12-0) at Fountain Hills. The Elks are three years removed from a runner-up finish in Division V and have won six state championships.

Key to victory: Laird, Coleman and the other returners from last year must remember what it took to get past the semifinals but this time as the underdog. Benson will also have to contain dual-threat quarterback Kyron Woolf, who has passed for 2,200 yards, rushed for another 1,000 and had a hand in 37 touchdowns.