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ALA Warriors. Photo courtesy Rodger Schenks
Southeast Valley Ledger
The American Leadership Academy-Ironwood football team won the Canyon Athletic Association Division III State Championship last Saturday at Valley Christian High School in Chandler.
The No. 1-seeded Warriors defeated No. 3-seed Canyon State Academy, 31 – 6.
The Warriors finished their season a perfect 12 – 0, capturing their first state championship in their inaugural season.
“We set a goal back in May, when we got here,” head coach Rodger Schenks told theLedger. “Winning a state championship is what we talked about from the get-go. It’s the first (football) state championship in San Tan Valley.”
“The kids who came to our school worked hard,” Schenks added. “And now they’re state champions.”
After going 10 – 0 during the regular season, the Warriors defeated Skyline Prep in the semifinals to earn a spot in the championship game.
“Our players bought into the leadership program we have at ALA,” Schenks said. “It’s something we’ve installed where ever we’ve been as coaches and it works. We hold the players accountable and they love being a part of it. Hats off to the players for their work ethic and coming together as a big family.”
Congratulations, Warriors.
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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