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Ray High Bearcats
Ray head coach Frank Lechuga and his team had to feel pretty good at one point about shutting out an NFL Yet Academy team that put up 62 points in its season opener.
If Lechuga and the Bearcats did indeed feel good about their 2 – 0 lead at the end of the first quarter, it didn’t last long as the Eagles exploded for 66 points in the game’s final three quarters on their way to a decisive 66 – 22 victory.
“We actually played a decent game until about 10 minutes left in the third quarter,” Lechuga told the Copper Basin News. “Then they started reeling off points and it got out of control.”
For the second week in a row the Cats’ defense allowed more than 50 points. They surrendered 52 to St. David last week. It’s a disturbing trend for any team that wants to win games.
“We can’t seem to control other team’s passing game,” Lechuga said. “They’re getting us on outside passes.”
“We’re not doing too well in that area right now,” he continued. “We’ve been working on it the last two weeks so hopefully we can make some positive changes back there.”
The offense is doing its part as evidenced by its three-touchdown performance on Friday night. Junior quarterback Fabian Valenzuela rushed for two scores and threw for another, connecting with freshman receiver Eric Manriquez on a 35-yard touchdown pass and catch.
In order to get some wins, however, the defense is going to need to help out the offense by not allowing opposing teams to build insurmountable leads.
“Right now we’re a first half team,” Lechuga said. “We need to take it to the next level and get our defense up to par with our offense.”
Ray will play its third-straight road game this Friday when it visits Ft. Thomas.
Returning home with a win would be a confidence booster for the Cats in advance of their home opener next week.
“It all comes down to the defense,” Lechuga said about notching that first win this week. “Our offense has been there the past two weeks. We need to take control of these games in the second and we can come away with a win.”
Friday’s kickoff at Ft. Thomas 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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