…..But not far off either.
The adventure started a couple hours before Chandler Valley Christian’s big win against previously-unbeaten Northwest Christian on Friday night.
The Trojans have rode the same bus for nearly 20 years, but on the way to North Phoenix, she gave out during Friday’s rush hour on the I-17. Coughing, wheezing and suddenly unable to go more than 50 miles per hour.
So after a few miles of this while being stuck in traffic, the bus driver manages to pull off the freeway and onto Van Buren Street, a few miles from the team’s biggest rival, Phoenix Christian.
The bus is shot - belt, fuel pump, any number of possibilities - so the team is stranded on Van Buren. The school could have sent vans to pick up its team, who knows how long that might of taken.
Fortunately, Trojans defensive coordinator Ernie Zavallos still has friends at Phoenix Christian from his coaching days at P.C. and called a Cougars assistant and explained the situation.
Phoenix Christian sent a second bus to Van Buren to pick up Valley Christian’s football team, brought them back to school (How’s that for an awkward scene: Phoenix Christian was about to board their bus at their school next to Valley Christian players?).
So Valley Christian waited at Phoenix Christian for a few minutes, then got on a Phoenix Christian bus and was taken to Northwest Christian for the game. The bus drove the team back to Valley Christian after the game, and will be returned to Phoenix Christian on Monday.
