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Ray’s Fabian Valenzuela (#25) brings down Superior QB Steven Ybarra (#30).
Bearcats junior quarterback Jaden Pace was injured on the last play of the first half of last Friday’s rivalry game against No. 2 Superior.
No update on Pace’s injury status was made available at press time. If and when one is made available, Copper Basin News will publish it, if permissible.
Needless to say, Pace was missed in the game, which was won by Superior, 44 – 0. The Panthers will retain the Copper Helmet for the third-consecutive year as a result.
The Copper Helmet is awarded to the winning team in one of the state’s longest-running rivalry games.
Ray’s Jaden Lagunas (#10) tries to stay upright under the barrage of Panthers.
The undefeated Panthers also clinched their third-straight Region Championship and the accompanying automatic state playoff berth.
Ray entered Friday’s game averaging 55 points per game in its four wins.
As it’s been all season, the Superior defense was stellar again, posting its third shutout in as many games. In its three region victories, Superior has not surrendered a single point, outscoring its opponents 142 – 0 along the way. It allowed a lone first down against the Bearcats and limited them to negative yards of total offense.
Up next: NFL Yet Academy at Ray on Friday, Oct. 6. 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.
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