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Homecoming at Ray High School will be Friday, Sept. 14. Ray High School’s Royal Court for 2018 are, from left: Parker Towne (Freshman), Jayden Lagunas (Junior), Ashiya Varley (Freshman), Danielle Hinojos (Queen), John Warren (Sophomore), Stone Patterson (King), Emma Stuart (Sophomore) and Shelby Yocum (Junior). Festivities begin Friday with the traditional parade.
The Ray football team improved to 3 – 1 following last Friday’s 64 – 12 victory at NFL Yet Academy. The win was the Cats’ second-straight one-sided victory on the road.
“Our offense and defense both clicked on Friday.” Ray assistant coach Jimmy Fessenden told Copper Basin News. “We were also pleased with the play of our younger kids, who got to see considerable playing time.”
Ray rushed for six touchdowns, passed for one, returned a punt for another, and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown.
The Cats have outscored their last two opponents, 136 – 12.
“I think the biggest reason is the team has a good grasp on coach Lechuga’s new offense,” answered Fessenden when asked what’s the biggest reason for the success during the last two games. “They’re more comfortable and confident, and it has shown.
Up next: Ray will return home to host El Capitan on Homecoming this Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
“El Capitan has some big running backs that are difficult to bring down,” Fessenden said. Also, this is homecoming week. We don’t want that to be a distraction for the guys.”
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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