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Superior Panthers
After its first loss of the season at Mogollon a week ago, the Superior football team looked like the state championship contender it is last Friday, defeating visiting NFL Yet Academy, 56 – 8.
Junior quarterback Steven Ybarra threw for four touchdowns and rushed for three more in the lopsided victory on Senior Night.
“We came out a little flat and our offense had some trouble executing in the first quarter,” Superior head coach Ryan Palmer said after the game. “By the end of the second quarter we were rolling and playing at a high level.”
Ybarra finished 15-of-25 passing for 315 yards in addition to rushing for 109 yards on 19 carries. Matthew Diaz-Gonzales, a freshman, accounted for the only other Panthers’ touchdown. He rushed for 36 yards on just four carries.
Junior receiver Cedric Mendoza caught eight passes for 159 and a touchdown. Jared Moreno, another junior, had totaled 107 receiving yards on four receptions with two touchdowns. Freshman Adam Navarrette also had a touchdown grab, one of his three catches in the game.
Ybarra didn’t just star on offense, the junior led the Panthers’ defense with 13 tackles and also picked off four Eagles’ passes. Andrew Martinez and Sammy Lopez each recovered fumbles in the win.
The No. 3 Panthers appear to have their mojo back heading into the state playoffs. Their defense is championship caliber and as they saying goes, defense wins championships.
“When this team plays together and executes we are as tough as any team in the 1A Conference,” Palmer said. “Our defense played excellent and would have had another shutout, but we gave up a fourth-quarter kick return for a touchdown.”
The top four teams in the conference earned a bye in the opening round of the playoffs. Superior awaits the winner of No. 10 Valley Union and No. 7 Ray in the second round on Saturday, Oct. 28.
“The week off is a huge advantage,” Palmer answered when asked if he prefers the week off versus playing through. “It gives us another week to get healthy and better prepared.”
What do the Panthers need to do to win the state title?
“Discipline and fundamentals are what set talented teams apart from champions,” Palmer responded. “We have to do the little things right.”
So far the Panthers have. Can they do it three more times?
No doubt about it.
The second-round game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. kickoff.
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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