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Former Hayden coach Pete Guzman walked on the field with the Hayden team captains and tossed the coin to start the game. He served as an honorary coach for the homecoming match against NFL Yet.
The No. 6-ranked Hayden football team bounced back after a loss at No. 2 Superior a week ago by routing NFL Yet Academy on Homecoming and Senior Night last Friday, 59 – 0.
Current Lobos head coach John Estrada, the players and coaching staff dedicated the win to one of Estrada’s high school coaches, Coach Peter Guzman.
“He’s in a battle himself,” Estrada said of Guzman. “But, once again, he took the helm of our big blue machine as our honorary coach. It was an honor having him there and on the sideline. It brought back a lot of memories for me.”
Friday’s win improved the Lobos’ record to 5 – 2, including 4 – 1 in 1A East Region, second to first-place Superior.
“Our kids played well,” Estrada said. “They executed well, did their job, and were physical. We needed that after the loss last week. Is was a good win for our team and our seniors.”
A Hayden ball carrier fends off an NFL Yet defender.
As the regular season ends this Friday, the Lobos are expecting to make a deep run in the playoffs.
“Our goal is to make a run and play in the finals,” Estrada said. “We’ll need to play our best football from here on out. We’re healthy and we’ll be ready for the challenge.”
Up next: The Lobos face their stiffest challenge to date this Friday, when they travel to play top-ranked Williams.
“Playing the No. 1 team on the road will be a big challenge for us,” Estrada said. “We’ll need to play hard and just play football. There is no pressure on us. We’ll see how we play with the top dog. Regardless of the outcome, we’re in the big dance.”
Friday’s 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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