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Week 8 Prep Football Previews

Friday, October 23, 2009

BULLHEAD CITY MOHAVE THUNDERBIRDS at FLAGSTAFF HIGH EAGLES

When: 7:30 p.m. tonight. Where: Walkup Skydome.

Region: Class 4A Division II Grand Canyon.

Coaches: Mohave, Dan Stickel (third season); Flagstaff High, Jeremiah Smith (second season).

Records: Mohave 3-4 overall, 2-0 GCR (last three games: lost to Lake Havasu 28-21, beat Page 55-6, beat Coconino 40-19); Flagstaff High 2-5, 1-1 (last three games: lost to Phoenix Washington 20-14, beat Sinagua 42-26, lost to Cottonwood Mingus 53-6).

Last meeting: Flagstaff High won 42-23 in 2002.

Key matchup: Mohave read option offense vs. Flagstaff High defense. Mohave QB Travis Myers and RB Craig Cox have given opposing defenses fits this season. The senior tandem has combined for 2,042 rushing yards and 23 TDs this season. The Thunderbirds average 8.1 yards every time Myers (1,040 rushing yards) and Cox (1,002) carry the ball. The onus will be on FHS defensive ends to read the play correctly, make stops for minimal gains, and force Mohave into passing situations on third-and-long. Myers is completing just 34.5 percent of his passes and has thrown 7 INTs. The Eagles have had trouble against the run this season. Mingus rushed for 453 yards against the Eagles last week, with QB Nick Alred tallying 198 rushing yards on 12 carries.

The skinny: Flagstaff High leads the all-time series 8-2 and has won four straight in the series. The last time Mohave beat the Eagles was in 1993; FHS finished 3-7 that season in John Padilla's final year as coach. Sr. LB Mack Price is the glue of Mohave's defense. He leads the team with 5 sacks, all but one have come in the past three games, and 57 tackles. The Thunderbirds' defense hasn't intercepted a pass this season. FHS QB Luke Rotter has thrown just 4 picks in 116 attempts (1 per 29 attempts), but has had 2 INTs returned for TDs this season. Sr. WR Jake Walton has 4 catches for 94 yards and a TD in two games since returning from an Achilles injury. Myers has rushed for 260 yards more than FHS's entire team. The Eagles have rushed for 780 yards this season at a clip of 4.2 yards per carry. The Eagles could get a big boost if Sr. TE-DE Jake Scully (dislocated knee cap) is on the field. At 6-foot-4, the rangy Scully has the necessary intangibles to disrupt the option and force turnovers. He's also the team's third-leading receiver with 9 catches for 118 yards.

-- Rory Faust/Sun Staff Reporter

COCONINO PANTHERS at PAGE SAND DEVILS

When: 7 p.m. tonight.

Where: Page High School.

Region: Class 4A Division II Grand Canyon.

Coaches: Coconino, Tadd Ragan (fifth season); Page, Jonathan Prather (first season).

Records: Coconino 3-4 overall, 1-1 GCR (last three games: beat Buckeye Youngker 21-20, lost to Bullhead City Mohave 40-19, beat Sinagua 34-8); Page 4-3, 0-2 (last three games: beat Buckeye Youngker 32-16, lost to Bullhead City Mohave 55-6, lost to Cottonwood Mingus 48-6).

Last meeting: Coconino won 36-20 on Oct. 23, 2008. QB Casey Sifling hit Chris Bennett on a 78-yard strike for the go-ahead TD. Coconino RB Zeno Joyce rushed for 138 yards on 9 carries. Reuben Smith scored all three of Page's TDs before being knocked out of the game with less than 2 minutes left.

Key matchup: Coconino QB Casey Sifling vs. Page defense. Sifling had the best game in his three years as a starter last week against Sinagua. The 6-foot-4 junior completed 12 of 22 passes for 191 yards and 2 TDs. More importantly, he didn't commit any turnovers. Sifling, who missed two games earlier this season because of injury, has only thrown one INT all year. Page must put the pressure on Sifling and try to force him into bad decisions. Another stellar outing by Sifling could spell trouble for the Sand Devils, who will already have their hands full trying to stop the Panthers' three-pronged running attack of Zeno Joyce, Brady Nittmann and Isaac Hector. Sifling also showed his prowess as a runner last week, rushing for a team-high 63 yards on 7 carries.

The skinny: The loser will likely be knocked out of the hunt for a state playoff berth. Coconino beat Page last season for its only victory of the season. No team has won two in a row in the series since 2003-04 (Coconino won both). Page is coming off a bye after a 48-6 loss to Mingus and may have a full squad for the first time all season, pending grade eligibility clearance for a few key players. A rash of illnesses and injuries have forced patchwork lineups. Jr. RB- LB Tyler Bryan has not played since rushing for 142 yards and 4 TDs against Youngker Sept. 25. Bryan's absence has hurt a Sand Devil defense that has allowed 43.5 points a game since starting the Class 4A portion of its schedule Sept. 18. Page is 4-0 when Bryan plays, 0-3 when he doesn't. He's expected to play tonight. Coconino's Joyce, Nittmann and Hector are each averaging 60 or more rushing yards per game. Hector, who also plays LB, appears to be back in form after missing four games with a concussion. He's averaging 10.9 yards per carry and 10 tackles per game. Sr. OL-DL Nate Zobott has a boot on his foot and will miss his third straight game.

-- Rory Faust/Sun Staff Reporter and Todd Glasenapp/Sun Sports Correspondent

SINAGUA MUSTANGS at COTTONWOOD MINGUS MARAUDERS

When: 7 p.m. tonight.

Where: Mingus High School.

Region: Class 4A Division II Grand Canyon.

Coaches: Sinagua, Dave Dirksen (first season); Mingus, Bob Young (13th season).

Records: Sinagua 0-7 overall, 0-2 GCR (last three games: lost to Cave Creek Cactus Shadows 59-0, lost to Flagstaff High 42-26, lost to Coconino 34-8); Mingus 7-0, 2-0 (last three games: beat Paradise Valley 47-7, beat Page 48-6, beat Flagstaff High 53-6).

Last meeting: Mingus won 50-0 on Oct. 24, 2008. Mingus had 440 yards of total offense. RB Tanner Walz rushed for 132 yards and 2 TDs on 5 carries. Sinagua managed just 3 first downs and 50 yards of offense.

Key matchup: Sinagua Mustangs vs. the injury report. Dirksen and his staff were scrambling to cobble together a lineup this week. The Mustangs lost three two-way starters -- OG-LB Hayden Renning, RB-LB Jason Morris and C-DT Matt Mundy -- in the span of three days last week. They were already without QB Mateo Trujillo and two-way starters WR-DE Cole Belcher and TE-LB Austin Bryce, who were lost to season-ending injuries earlier this year. The result? Sinagua will field a lineup of mostly sophomores and juniors against the top-ranked Class 4A Division II team in the state tonight.

The skinny: The Marauders will essentially be able to name the score in this one. Sinagua is young and inexperienced. Mingus has one of the best programs in the state at any level. Look for Young to experiment with a couple of wrinkles he might need to use down the road in the playoffs early in the game, then turn the field over to his reserves. Because most of the Mustangs' reserves are already playing, the second half could provide Sinagua a good opportunity for a growing experience. Mingus outscored Page and Flagstaff High 101-12; all but 14 of those points came before halftime. Sr. RB Stephan Timberlake is developing into a solid threat for the Mustangs. The first-year player rushed for a career-high 152 yards and 2 TDs on 18 carries two weeks ago against FHS and then had 94 yards on 17 carries despite missing the first quarter because of flu-like symptoms last week against Coconino.

-- Rory Faust/Sun Staff Reporter

WINSLOW BULLDOGS at TUBA CITY WARRIORS

When: 6 p.m. (MST)

Where: Tuba City High School.

Region: Class 3A North.

Coaches: Winslow, Rusty Robertson (third season); Tuba City, Gary Hubbell (first year).

Records: Winslow 7-1, 4-0 (last three games: beat Holbrook 38- 16, beat Fort Defiance Window Rock 65-12, beat Sedona Red Rock 59-15); Tuba City 0-7, 0-4 (last three games: lost to Kayenta Monument Valley 54-2, lost to Holbrook 55-6, lost to Ganado 32-0).

Last meeting: Winslow won 58-6 on Oct. 31, 2008. QB Kraig Shirley had a rushing TD and a passing TD. RB Chayse Russell had 100 yards and a TD on 8 carries. Winslow registered 8 sacks and recovered 5 fumbles.

Key matchup: Winslow's aggressive defensive front vs. Tuba City offensive line. The Bulldogs are averaging 4.3 sacks per game this season, led by Ty Hancock (6), Colton Davis (5) and Wendell Carter (5). The pressure has also forced opposing QBs into throwing 14 INTs (Kraig Shirley has 5, Tevin Renfro and Anthony Huerta each have 3). Tuba City must get some kind of protection up front if it hopes to have any hope of sustaining drives.

The skinny: The Warriors have been outscored 227-29 this season. They haven't scored more than two TDs in a game and have been shut out three times. In contrast, the Bulldogs have outscored opponents 333-101. They've shut out two opponents and have scored at least 38 points in each of their last five games. Winslow concludes its regular season at home next week against Kayenta Monument Valley. Jr. RB Chayse Russell could eclipse the 1,000-yard and 20-TD barriers tonight. He has 931 rushing yards and 18 rushing TDs on the season. Shirley has a chance to pad his eye-popping numbers at QB. Through 8 games, he's completed 58.7 percent of his passes for 921 yards and 12 TDs against 0 INTs.

-- Rory Faust/Sun Staff Reporter

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