Logan Rice (#5) and Cyrus Putman (#56) for Ray try to head off this Blue Devil. Photo by James Carnes
And then there were two.
Hayden and Superior will be heading into the quarter finals of the 1A State Football Championship. Hayden, seeded first, had a bye for the first round.
Ray and San Manuel both were eliminated in the first round.
Ray Bearcats
The Bearcats competed in the first round of the 1A Playoffs for state last Friday. The boys hosted Valley Union, who they had played as their fourth game at the beginning of the season in early September.
The Bearcats came out ready to play, breaking through defense, while holding theirs tough. At halftime, the Bearcats were up 22-12. Coming out of the half, Valley Union were able to start breaking through the Bearcats’ defense. Eventually, Valley Union was able to gain control of the game, and the ‘Cats were unable to secure it back. The game ended with a final score of 28-40, closing out the Bearcats 2025 season.
Leading the team on defense for the game were Jesse James and Adam Nunez with 7 solo tackles each; George Wade with 6 solo tackles; and Logan Rice with 5 solo tackles. Leading the team on offense was Jesse James with 2 touchdowns, and 1 two-point conversion, followed by Seth Wade and Rj Nunez, who had 1 touchdown each. The boys had a 6-3 final record for the year, and the third place spot in the 1A East Division.
San Manuel Miners
The Miners also competed in the first round of the 1A State Playoffs. The boys traveled to Williams to take on the Vikings. This was their first time coming across Williams for the 2025 season.
The Miners put up a tough fight, but were unable to hold down the Vikings, and were unable to find the end zone themselves. The game ended with a final score of 6-50.
The Miners closed out their season with the fourth place position for the 1A East Devision, and a final record of 4-5 for their 2025 season.
Superior’s Adam Sandoval (#81) brings down a Salome’s ball carrier. Photo by Debbie Torres
Superior Panthers
The Panthers met up with Salome on their home field for their first round battle for the 1A State Playoffs. This was their first time seeing Salome on the field this season.
The first half of the game was a battle for control, and by halftime the score was sitting at 26-20, with the Panthers up by 1 touchdown. The boys kept pushing forward in the second half, securing the win with a final score of 56-28.
Leading the team on offense was Jaleel Atkins with 3 touchdowns; Christian Hollenbeck had 2 touchdowns; Ryland Duarte, Adam Sandoval, and Raiden Sommer each had 1 touchdown. Leading the team on defense were Raiden Sommer with 5 solo tackles, Ryland Duarte with 4 solo tackles, Brandon Ramirez with 4 solo tackles, and Jaleel Atkins and Christian Hollenback each had 2 solo tackles. The Panthers will be advancing into the next round of the playoffs, where they will travel up to Mogollon on Oct. 31 with a 7 p.m. kickoff time scheduled.
Hayden Lobos
After a first round bye, the Lobos football team will be joining the 1A Playoffs for the quarter finals game. The Lobos will host Mohave Accelerated who beat Desert Heights Prep 58-0 in the first round of the playoffs. This will be the first time in the 2025 season that the Lobos will play Mojave Accelerated. The game is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 31, with a kickoff time of 7 p.m. Come out and support the Lobos!