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Superior’s Cedric Mendoza (#80) and Joshua Marquez (#10) bring down a Hayden ball carrier.
The sixth-ranked Superior football team continued its dominance on both sides of the ball in a 38 – 0 at No. 10 Hayden last Friday.
Superior improved to 5 – 0 while Hayden is now 3 – 2.
The Panthers’ defense was especially impressive in the win, shutting out it second-straight opponent. Superior defeated Ft. Thomas two weeks ago, 60 – 0.
Hayden High School Cheerleaders cheer on their team at Friday’s game against Superior.
“Our defense is fast and attacks the football well,” Superior head coach Ryan Palmer said. “When we play assignment football and are fundamentally sound, we are tough to move the ball on.”
“Our speed ultimately proved too much for Hayden,” he added. “Our defense played one of their best games of the season.”
The defense had six sacks against the Lobos, including three by junior Cedric Mendoza, who also had five tackles.
It’s been feast for famine for the Lobos so far, this season. In their three wins, the Lobos are averaging almost 43 points per game but in their two losses, zero.
“We had some opportunities to score but couldn’t pull the trigger,” Hayden head coach John Estrada said. “Superior’s defense gave us problems all night.”
The Panthers’ 38-point scoring total snapped a three-game streak of scoring 60 points or more, but the offense still filled the stat sheet.
Junior quarterback Steven Ybarra threw for 302 yards and three touchdowns in addition to 73 rushing yards and a touchdown. He also led the team on defense with nine tackles and an interception.
Senior receiver Marcos Bueno was on the receiving end of all three of Ybarra’s scoring tosses and finished with 216 yards on 10 catches.
“We’ve just all been working together,” Ybarra said about the Panthers’ offensive success. “We’re trying to reach one goal and that’s to win a state championship.”
Superior hosts rival Ray on Friday.
“This team has potential to be great,” Palmer said. “(It) is a long way from it. We still have a lot to prove.”
Hayden plays at NFL Yet.
“We need to move on from Fridays game,” Estrada said. “Learn from our mistakes, continue to work hard, and take one game at a time.”
Kickoff for both games 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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