by 
San Manuel Miner
The San Manuel football team, riding a four game winning streak, entered last Friday’s game against tenth-ranked Pusch Ridge Christian Academy with an opportunity to move up in the AIA rankings. A win versus the Lions likely would put the Miners in playoff contention. Unfortunately, the Miners couldn’t take advantage, losing to the Lions, 34 – 6.
Sixteen teams in Division five will make the playoffs. Five section winners and 11 at-large bids make up the playoff bracket.
The Miners were ranked 24th before last week’s game and figured to make a substantial climb with a win. With only three games remaining, including the season finale against 12th-ranked San Tan Foothills, the 4 – 3 Miners now face an uphill battle.
The Miners kept it close early last Friday against the section-leading Lions, trailing 7 – 6 at the end of the first quarter. But the Lions turned it on from there, outscoring the Miners 27 – 0 the rest of the way.
The Miners host Santa Cruz Valley this Friday at 6:00 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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