Fans craving local football action this weekend are in for some long road trips as Holbrook, Joseph City and Snowflake are all making lengthy journeys across the state tonight (Sept. 5). Winslow is also on the road, with a shorter trip to Lakeside to take on a struggling Blue Ridge team.
The Yellowjackets are 0-2 on the season after being outscored by 70 points in two games. While both opponents have been formidable teams, this is definitely not the same Blue Ridge team we have all known for so many years. Winslow comes in on the heels of another lopsided win over Holbrook, but the Bulldogs are going into an angry Yellowjacket Stadium against a team that is simply just not used to losing. This could be a tough game for Winslow.
Snowflake travels to Goodyear to meet up with Estrella Foothills. They impressively won their opener over Mingus in week one, and Estrella dropped its first outing with a 35-24 decision against what is supposed to be a good Seton Catholic squad. This will be a stern test for the Lobos. A long bus ride against a solid team may see these two teams leave tonight with similar records. The Lobos won this game last year when it was played in Snowflake, but the Wolves may be looking for revenge.
Joseph City came up short in its first outing, losing at home to Duncan. The Wildcats’ opponent tonight also lost, giving up 77 points to Valley Lutheran in the process. Glendale Prep Academy traveled to Wildcat country last year and left with an eight-point win. This year the Cats make the long bus ride, and hope to return with a balanced record. The Griffins were good enough last year on the road, they just may be good enough this year at home to send Joseph City off to an 0-2 start.
Holbrook really struggled last week on offense and its turnovers were quickly converted into points by Winslow. The Roadrunners travel west to meet up with Lee Williams in Kingman tonight. Last year the Birds defeated the Volunteers 40-12 at Roadrunner Stadium. Lee Williams is now in its second year as a school and the majority of the players on the roster are juniors. Last week the Vols beat Parker 29-13 to start their season on a solid note. The Roadrunners will certainly need to play better if they hope to return home with a 1-1 record. Taking better care of the ball and getting some players back healthy who missed the first week would certainly be beneficial to a Holbrook victory. This game may be much closer than last year’s four-touchdown win.
