By Nathaniel A. Lopez
Copper Corridor’s four football teams took to the fields Friday night in their first games of the 2024 Fall Season. With Superior hosting Hayden, San Manuel hosting its first home game and Ray on the road, all four teams gained experience on the playing field.
With Hayden traveling to Superior, all eyes were on the defending 1A State Champs.
The Lobos came out ready to play, and show off the hard work they put in over the summer. The Lobos had a strong first quarter, putting 28 points onto the scoreboard, while giving up none. The second quarter was met with the same energy, and by halftime the Lobos were up 42-0.
Superior fought hard, but had a tough time holding down Hayden’s offense. They were able to put one TD and conversion on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter. The game ended with a Lobo win over the Panthers 66-8.
“We had a tough matchup to start the season, and it didn’t end up the way we wanted, but we have a foundation to build on, we made it out fairly healthy which is great heading in to week 2. We will be ready to bounce back and get a win vs Mayer,” commented Panthers’ Head Coach Elias Olmos.
Hayden will host Mogollon on Friday, Aug. 30. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The Panthers will host Meyer. The game is also scheduled to kickoff at 7 p.m.
San Manuel Miners
The San Manuel high school football team kicked off its season hosting the Lincoln Prep Lightning. The Miners battled hard but lost by one TD, 6-14.
On the field, the top performers were Lucas Pelfrey and Dominic Rodriguez. Pelfrey had 5 complete passes out of 13 attempts, with 1 interception. Rodriguez had 11 carries with 1 touchdown.
“We didn’t look too bad on defense,” said San Manuel Head Coach Ernie Ivy. “We need to work on our blocking and hang onto the football. Crucial fumbles in the red zone hurt us bad. We will watch film and work hard for next game.”
The boys will travel to Ray to take on the Bearcats on Friday, Aug. 30, with a kickoff time scheduled for 7 p.m.
Ray Bearcats
The Ray football team started their 2024 football season last Friday, traveling to Heber-Overgaard to take on the Mogollon Mustangs.
It was a tough game for the Bearcats. The boys were only able to score 1 touchdown. The game ended with a tough loss for the boys with a final score of 6-52.
The Bearcats will return to the field on Friday, Aug. 30, for their first home game of the season against San Manuel. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
Is it time to catch a game? Come out to support our local teams!
Hayden and Superior faced off Friday night in Superior. Photo by Debbie Torres
Hayden and Superior faced off Friday night in Superior. Photo by Debbie Torres
Taylor Decker carrying the ball trying for a first down. Photo by Malaya Rodriguez
Keven Waddell heading for the touchdown. Photo by Malaya Rodriguez