by 
Julian Navarro (52) (Phalicitee ‘Pinky’ Thomas photo)
The Superior football team improved to 4 – 0 after last Friday’s 72 – 15 victory against visiting Arete Prep. Senior quarterback Steven Ybarra threw for four touchdowns and ran for two more in the win, in which the Panthers tallied their highest scoring total of the season, so far.
“We executed well on offense,” Superior head coach Ryan Palmer told the Superior Sun. “We had some undisciplined play on defense, but we are continuing to work on that.”
The Panthers’ defense posted shutouts in the first two games of the season, but has allowed 12 and 15 points, respectively, in the last two. Every other team in the state wishes they had the Panthers’ concerns, especially when the offense is averaging 50 points per game.
“We want to play at a championship level [on] every play,” Palmer said. “It is more about us than the other team. We strive for perfection and learn from our mistakes. As long as we are giving a hundred percent effort and learning, we are improving.”
On Friday, Ybarra was 6-of-10 for 140 yards passing in addition to 153 yards rushing on 10 carries. He connected with Adam Navarrette for two of his scoring throws. Cedric Mendoza and Jesus Castellanos caught the other two. Navarrette finished with a team-high three reception for 84 yards. The sophomore also had 154 return yards, including a 75-yard kick return for a touchdown. Gabe Otero rushed for 59 yards and two touchdowns on only three rushing attempts.
Superior steamrolls over Arete Prep and remains undefeated. (Phalicitee ‘Pinky’ Thomas photo)
Defensively, the Panthers had three interceptions, two by Sammy Lopez and the other by Otero. Matthew Diaz-Gonzales (1), who led the Panthers with six tackles in the game, and Mendoza (2) combined for three sacks.
Three of the four Panthers’ four games have been decided in the first half, or even the first quarter. The team should be commended for maintaining its focus. In lopsided games, the Panthers are competing against themselves perhaps more than the opponent.
“We have a lot of areas we need to improve on to reach our full potential,” Palmer said. “We just won a game (by 57 points) and after the game the kids were disappointed. They know we are better than we have been playing. As long as we stay humble and hungry we will get there.”
Up next: The Panthers play their third-straight home game this Friday when they host Phoenix Day School for the Deaf. The Roadrunners (1 – 3) picked up their first win last week, defeating Bowie/San Simon, 12 – 8. In their three losses, the Roadrunners have been outscored 172 – 8.
Friday’s kickoff 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.
by by