Before Friday’s game against Phoenix Greenway, Paradise Valley coach Donnie Yantis knew his team was at a crossroads, and he told them as much.
“I told the team before the game that we could go up the mountain, or go down the hill,” Yantis said.
The Trojans, buoyed by the return of star running back/linebacker Jake Brown from an ankle injury, began the ascent with a 42-37 win.
Paradise Valley began the season as the state’s top-ranked team in 4A-II, but secondary woes and Brown’s injury contributed to a 2-3 start.
Although the Trojans are just 3-3 on the season, the victory over Greenway gives them the early edge in the Black Canyon Region, with a crucial test against Glendale Cactus looming in two weeks.
The team is now the healthiest its been since the preseason and Yantis said the defense continues to improve.
“Our goal is to peak at the end,” he said.
