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Superior Panthers
Another game, another lopsided win for the No. 2-ranked Superior football team, which improved to 6 – 0 after defeating Duncan last Friday night, 58 – 24.
Senior quarterback Nicolaus Cruz threw for four touchdowns and ran for another two while racking up more than 500 yards of total offense – 330 passing and 194 rushing.
Superior, as they have in each game so far this season, overwhelmed their opponent early, jumping out to a 44 – 8 halftime lead against Duncan. The Panthers led 52 – 8 after three quarters before the Wildkats scored a couple of meaningless touchdowns in the final quarter.
Senior receiver Jalon Murray, who finished with a team-high 85 yards receiving, was one of four Panthers with touchdown receptions in the win. Marcos Bueno, Steven Ybarra and Austin Navarrette were the others.
The Panthers were again dominant on defense, with four players finishing with more than 10 tackles each. Ybarra had a game-high 19 tackles while Dominic Perea, Joseph Diaz-Gonzalez and Jesus Catellanos added 18, 13 and 10 tackles, respectively.
Steven Denogean. Murray, Perea, Diaz-Gonzalez and Daniel McConnell combined to register five sacks for the defense, which also forced four turnovers. Perea had two interceptions and Navarrette another. Freshman Gabriel Otero recovered a fumble.
Next up is game this Friday against Hayden, a team that should not be overlooked by the Panthers. The Lobos started the season with consecutive losses but have won four-straight since. Their average margin of victory during the winning streak is 36 points per game.
Friday’s kickoff in Hayden 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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