Holbrook opens their gridiron season this week, welcoming Page to town for a Friday night showdown between what should be two evenly matched teams. Last year, the two clubs met in Page for the season opener in a game Page won 29-28. That game was marred by multiple ejections for fighting on both sides. Hopefully, players on both sides show better sportsmanship in this meeting.
Page started their season last week in what is known as “zero week” with an impressive 47-20 home-field win over Chino Valley. Their junior quarterback threw for over 225 yards and tossed six touchdowns in the win. Holbrook’s defensive secondary can expect to be tested on Friday night.
The Birds have their share of offensive weapons, and this game could come down to which team has the ball last. This may be the toughest team on Holbrook’s schedule this year, and it comes on the opening night at Roadrunner Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., and all tickets will be sold via GOFAN.
Joseph City opened their season last week getting shut out by Salome 62-0. The Frogs forced three Wildcat turnovers and piled up more than 400 yards on offense scoring early and often. This week the Wildcats return home to host Lincoln Prep. The Lightning are coming in off a 14-6 win over San Manuel in their first game of the season. Joseph City is in a full rebuild mode this year, and it may take some time for new coach Martin Roes to get his team on track. Friday night could be a game in which they could build some confidence with a win.
Snowflake is playing once again at the 4A level and they begin the season on their new artificial turf at Lobo Stadium when Bradshaw Mountain visits on Friday. The two teams also opened with each other last year in a Bears 24-14 win played in Prescott Valley. Bradshaw Mountain’s defense held Snowflake to under 50 total yards rushing in that game. If Snowflake wants to christen their new turf with a win, they will need to find a way to run the ball successfully. Playing at home should give them enough of an advantage to get the job done.
