A great atmosphere last night at Saguaro, and a truly dominating performance by the Sabercats. Some quick thoughts on the day after:
- Chaparral doesn’t have the playmakers on offense to compete with great defenses like Saguaro. Spencer Stone is a good quarterback, but he didn’t have anyone that could stretch the field. Dwayne Garrett is the only player on offense that will scare opponents now that tight end Tyler Williams is out for the season with a torn ACL.
- The play that resulted in Max Smith’s two touchdown catches is pure gold. Smith lines up like an offensive lineman, fakes a block and then streaks down the middle of the field. It worked both times against the Firebirds, and it’s the play that saved Saguaro’s season last year when Smith caught a 19-yard pass from Tim Ruben on a 4th-and-12 in the final minutes against Tucson Canyon del Oro in the 4A-I title game.
- Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson and assistant Grady Stretz were on hand to watch the contest. The big targets are Chaparral offensive lineman Taylor Lewan and Saguaro defensive tackle Corey Adams, but Smith opened some eyes with his play and would be a nice addition to the Sun Devils squad.
- Speaking of Lewan, the guy has an unbelievable motor. He was going up against Boise State-commit Justin Jungblut and did a great job. Lewan did go a bit overboard on some plays, drawing a pair of 15-yard penalties, but it’s much easier to correct those things than to make a kid play harder.
- Saguaro is the clear-cut No. 1 team in 4A-I, and barring injuries, a third straight title is well within reach. Chaparral, on the other hand, isn’t the second-best team in the state, or even the region. Paradise Valley played Saguaro much tougher, and I think they will beat Chaparral when the teams face off in two weeks.
- Chaparral coach Charlie Ragle is really a class act. He’s as competitive of a coach as there is, but is gracious in defeat. It was a nice moment when he grabbed Beau Burton after the game to clear the air after an incident this summer between the teams at a passing league tournament. Both teams badly wanted to win, but there is a great level of respect for each other.
