by 
Southeast Valley Ledger
After a 49 – 22 loss to Show Low earlier this season, not many gave No. 15 Combs a chance versus the No. 2 Cougars in last Saturday’s Division IV first round playoff game.
But to no surprise to themselves, the Yotes gave the Cougars all they handle, entering halftime with a 15 – 14 lead.
Show Low outscored the Coyotes 14 – 6 in the second half to avoid the upset, ending the Yotes season after the 28 – 21 loss.
“We had a chance to win that football game,” Combs’ head coach Jesse Hart said. “We went into the game thinking we could win it. It’s heartbreaking, it’s tough. The season is over and it was the last game for the seniors, but, at the same time, I’ve never been more proud of my team than I was Saturday night.”
“It was a great game,” he continued. “We competed, we played hard. It was a good all-round game and we gave them a run for their money.”
With the game tied 7 – 7 entering the second quarter, Show Low reclaimed the lead with about two minutes left before halftime, 14 – 7.
The Yotes answered with less than a minute left in the half, when senior quarterback Ethan Hunt threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Dominic Ramirez. Fide Quirarte’s two-point PAT gave Combs a 15 – 14 lead.
The Cougars scored 14 unanswered points in the third quarter before Hunt threw his second touchdown pass of the game midway through the fourth quarter. Hunt found Nick Howland on a 7-yard pass to make it 28 – 21 with about six minutes left.
The Coyotes had one final chance with about a minute left in the game, but were forced to turn it over on downs, ending the game and their season.
It was a great season for the Yotes, who say goodbye to a group of seniors that leaves Combs as the winningest class in school history.
“They’re great young men,” Hart said of his seniors. “I thanked them after the game for letting me coach them for the last three years up on varsity. It was an absolute blast to watch them grow, not only as football players but as young men. We’re going to miss them.”
The Yotes, who have made three-straight playoff appearances since Hart took over the program, expect their run to continue with the program as healthy and deep as it’s ever been.
“We have some great younger guys that are ready to come up,” Hart said. “They’ve got some big shoes to fill.”
Indeed they do.
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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