by 
Ray High Bearcats
The Ray football team achieved one of its goals of reaching the 1A State Championship Playoffs. Unfortunately, it lasted only one game after a 58 – 0 loss to No. 7-seed Bagdad.
“The guys played their hardest, so us coaches couldn’t ask any more than that,” Ray assistant coach Jimmy Fessenden said.
A depleted roster due to injuries and low participation were among the main reasons for the lopsided score.
“We’ve been playing with hardly any subs the last four or five weeks,” Fessenden said.
The Bearcats head into the offseason with some positives to look forward to next year.
“Two big positives are, because of these injuries, many of our underclassmen got significant playing time,” Fessenden said. “Especially in the playoffs. We will be a playoff team next year as well.”
“The coaching staff would love to see our numbers go back up to where they usually are. This is the smallest roster we have had since I got here quite a few years ago.”
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.
by by