by 
Superior Sun
The tenth-ranked Panthers ended their modest two-game losing streak last Friday by defeating the visiting Joseph City Wildcats, 62 – 42.
Sophomore quarterback Gage Cruz scored six touchdowns in the game, throwing for three and rushing for three more. He combined for over 400 yards of total offense – 235 passing and 166 rushing.
Sophomore running back Edgar Pacheco rushed for 172 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a receiving touchdown. Matthew Zavala added two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving. He finished with 133 all-purpose yards.
“I thought we played pretty well,” Panthers’ head coach Ryan Palmer said after the game. “Offensively we were strong.”
The Panthers defense allowed only 12 first half points but allowed 30 after halftime. It’s something that Palmer wants to see fixed before the playoffs start.
“Defensively, we have to work on some of the little things,” he said, referring to better pursuit angles and better tackling. “Overall it was a solid win and it gets us back on the right track.”
Another potential area of concern for the Panthers is the number of penalties they’ve been flagged for over the last two games.
While it could be argued some of the calls have been borderline, Palmer says, “We still have too many penalities.”
A commitment to better fundamentals and more discipline will minimize the number of calls going against the Panthers.
The Panthers travel to Arete Prep this Friday to take on a 1 – 4 Chargers team. The game is scheduled for 7:00 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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