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San Manuel will visit Hayden for a renewal of rivalry.
When 1A-Conference member North Phoenix Prep cancelled its football program just before the start of the season, several area teams, including Superior, Ray and Hayden, lost a game on their schedule.
Unlike Ray and Superior, which couldn’t find opponents with an open date to match up with the cancelled North Phoenix Prep game, Hayden decided to look outside the box and outside its conference to find an opponent with a common open date.
They found a familiar face, er team, and rival in 2A-Conference San Manuel.
“It’s a pretty big rivalry for the schools because Hayden used to play 11-man (football),” San Manuel head coach Daniel Williams told the Copper Area News. “It’s a big thing for the town, the kids, and I look forward to seeing the kind of energy it can bring on sides.”
That’s right, the Lobos, which used to play 11-man football, will return to its heyday this Friday when they host the Miners in a most unique game.
“I’m looking forward to the kids playing 11-man, just to give them a taste of what it was like in the old days, I guess,” said Hayden head coach John Estrada.
A team like No. 8 Hayden can potentially improve its ranking and playoff seeding by replacing the missed game. The Lobos were fortunate to find San Manuel to match up with.
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.
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