by 
Superior Sun
The Panthers left no doubt last Friday night at Gilbert Christian.
In front of a local TV station and thousands of fans for both teams, the Superior football team erased any doubt they’re a state title contender after a 62 – 37 victory over then fourth-ranked Gilbert Christian.
“I would like to thank the parents and community of Superior for all of the support they have shown for this team,” Panthers’ head coach Ryan Palmer said after the game. “On Friday at Gilbert Christian High School‘s field, on their homecoming, Superior had more fans than the home team. The community’s continued support of this team is important and very much appreciated.”
Superior took advantage of the one game on their schedule to show those who may have thought their undefeated season was the result of playing a weaker schedule. Now the third-ranked team in the state, everyone knows what the Panthers’ players and coaches knew since the summer: They can win a state championship.
“I am very proud of this team. They worked extremely hard to accomplish the goal of a section championship,” Palmer told the Superior Sun. “It was a total team effort and the leaders stepped up and earned this victory.”
“It was a big win for this program, but this team still has not played their best football,” he continued. “We are going to continue to outwork our opponents every day and strive to reach our ultimate goal.”
Junior quarterback Nicolaus Cruz had a coming out party of sorts, showing that he is one of the top players in the state regardless of division. He ran for two touchdowns and threw one to Michael Salazar during a high-scoring first quarter that ended with the Panthers leading, 22 – 15.
Superior’s defense, led by Austin Navarrette and Marcos Bueno, stiffened during the middle two quarters, shutting out the Knights while the offense increased the led to 50 – 15 after three quarters.
Navarrette and Bueno tied for a team-high tackles with Bueno also having two sacks and a fumble recovery. Cruz and Salazar each had an interception.
Cruz rushed for another touchdown and threw one to Jalon Murray in the fourth quarter, in which the Knights outscored the Panthers 22 – 12 with the game already out of reach for Gilbert Christian.
The Panthers’ offense, as it has all year, proved to be too much for another opponent last week.
Cruz ran for four touchdowns, threw for two more and running back Edgar Galindo rushed for three touchdowns in the win. The Panthers totaled more than 600 yards of total offense.
“With our offense we are able to spread the field and then attack a defense’s weaknesses,” Palmer answered when asked what opposing teams struggle with most in defending his team. “Our overall team speed creates a lot of matchup issues for opposing defenses and we try to capitalize on those opportunities.”
“We have a lot of talented kids who work hard every day. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard,” he added. “Our players know this and know that they can’t rely just on their talent and athleticism. They need to outwork their opponents every day.”
The Panthers likely secured a first round bye in the playoffs and would host a second round game in Superior on Oct. 31.
They close out their season this Friday versus Hayden on Homecoming/Senior Night.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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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