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Superior Panthers
The Superior football team is one of a handful of teams that are considered state title contenders. It’s a list that includes Bagdad and St. David, for sure. Others including NFL Yet Academy and Heber could also be considered contenders.
That was before last Friday results, however.
The Panthers made a statement that they are the team to beat in the 1A conference after a convincing 62 – 22 win against visiting St. David, which was ranked No. 2 by AzCentral Sports entering the game.
Again it was Player of the Year candidate Nicolaus Cruz who led the Panthers, throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for three more while accounting for more than 300 yards of total offense – 206 passing and 104 rushing.
Senior running back Edgar Galindo also threw for a touchdown in addition to rushing for 49 yards on 11 carries. Receivers Marcos Bueno, a junior, and senior Austin Navarrette each hauled in two touchdown receptions in the win.
As dominant as the offensive performance was, Panthers’ head coach Ryan Palmer was even more satisfied with his defense, which held St. David to 17 rushing yards in the game. Senior Travis Davis, the Tigers quarterback and one of the most dangerous threats in 1A, finished with negative 35 yards rushing. The Tigers totaled negative rushing yard in the first half, when they trailed, 28 – 14.
“It was a great team effort from the defense,” Palmer told the Superior Sun. “Jalon Murray had a dominating performance with five sacks. I’m very proud of the team defensive performance against one of the best offenses in the state.”
In addition to Murray’s five sacks, was one each by Steven Denogean and Cedric Mendoza. The Panthers’ also forced four turnovers – two interceptions and two fumble recoveries – in the game.
The Panthers will face another offensive juggernaut this Friday when they visit NFL Yet Academy, a team that has scored 62 points or more in three of its four games.
Don’t expect last week’s win to make the Panthers overconfident. They’re focused on improving each and every game. That’s one of the benefits of having an experienced group.
“We have a lot of work left to do for us to reach our ultimate goal,” Palmer said. “We are nowhere near playing at our maximum potential. We will continue to be the hardest working team in the state and we will get better every day.”
Friday’s kickoff at NFL Yet Academy 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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