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The San Manuel varsity football team ended its season with a 49 – 6 loss to No. 4-ranked Santa Cruz last Friday night in Eloy.
The Miners, who once seemed a lock for a playoff berth, followed a six-game winning streak with three-straight losses, the most devastating against Willcox and Bisbee. Those two losses knocked the Miners out of the top-16, making Friday’s game against the undefeated Dust Devils their last chance to secure a playoff spot.
Santa Cruz put the game away early, scoring 21 points in the first quarter on their way to 49 unanswered points through three quarters. The Miners scored a meaningless touchdown in the fourth quarter.
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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