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San Manuel Miners
The San Manuel football team notched its first win of the season last Friday night, defeating visiting and winless Santa Rita, 47 – 28.
The Miners’ difficult early-season schedule finally paid dividends as they finished off the Eagles.
“We know our opponents in this part of the schedule are not on the same level as Yuma Catholic and Benson,” San Manuel head coach Damon Lovato told The Miner. “The key for us was (staying with our plan) long enough to peak at the right time.”
Caleb Quintero and Julian Rodriguez starred on the offensive side of the ball in last week’s win, according to Lovato. Santiago Salazar had a “big game” on defense. Junior defensive back Jose Moreno had a pair of interceptions, both returned for touchdowns.
“It’s the first time we’ve put four quarters together,” Lovato said. “If the last three games would’ve ended after three quarters, our record would be, 3 – 1.”
The victory increased the Miners’ confidence, which combined with the return of injured players like Eli Davis and others, and buy-in by the players, there is reason for optimism regarding the outlook for the remainder of the season.
“At this point, we control our own destiny in the region,” Lovato said.
Up next: San Manuel visits Chandler Prep this Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
“We need to let our athletes be athletes,” Lovato said. “That’s what we did last week and that’s what we’re going to do this week. We’re going to play to our strengths and let our player make plays.”
Andrew Luberda began writing for Copper Area News Publishers (CANP) in February 2013 after working 15 years in Healthcare Financial Management. Andy covers sports for 11 high schools. His stories are published in Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner and Superior Sun, in addition to the San Tan Valley Daily PRSS and CopperArea websites. Additionally, he has written human interest stories and business profiles. In May 2012, he earned an AAS in Sports Management at Central Arizona College before graduating with a BS in Communication from Arizona State University in 2014. He and his wife, Kelli, have three sons – AJ, Kyle, and Kade.
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