San Manuel Miners
Junior Caleb Quintero rushed for nearly 200 yards and Santiago Salazar led the San Manuel defense, but it wasn’t enough to secure the first win of the season for the Miners, who remain winless after a 26 – 12 loss to visiting Willcox last Friday night.
“I think we played a solid three quarters, but we just didn’t finish it,” San Manuel head coach Damon Lovato told The Miner. “We dominated the game on both sides of the ball for three quarters.”
Despite the loss, the Miners are maintaining an optimistic outlook for the season, knowing they control their own destiny in the 2A Gila Region.
“We have a log of freshmen and sophomores coming up, learning how to play with the big dogs,” senior middle linebacker Michael Ochoa said. “The losses are just learning games for us. We’re progressing through them.
“The younger guys’ nerves are starting to settle a little bit and we’re hitting more.”
Added Lovato: “The reality of (our situation) is we can get on a roll in our (region).
According to senior lineman Luis Chavez, the Miners are making progress.
“We just have to keep working toward our goals and continue to come together as a team,” he said.
Up next: The Miners host Santa Rita this Friday, Sept. 21. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
“If we do our jobs and do what we’re coached to do, the results will be in our favor,” Lovato said.