Prep football previews
Parker at Antelope
Kickoff: 7 p.m. today
Records: Broncs 3-6; Rams 1-7
Last week: Parker lost to Youngker 37-14; Antelope lost to Eloy-Santa Cruz Valley 32-13
Players to watch: Junior Jose Miller rushed for 86 yards and had 14 tackles in the Broncs' loss to Youngker. Miller leads the team with 522 rushing yards on the season. ... Fred Pearson handles the rushing load for the Rams.
Antelope coach Dan Gardner's comments: “We're just hoping to go out there and have a good showing.”
The lowdown: The Rams opened the year with a 35-0 win against San Luis, but have lost seven straight since. ... Parker won last year 28-13
Cibola at San Luis
Kickoff: 7 p.m. today
Records: Raiders 6-3; Sidewinders 0-9
Last week: Cibola beat Gila Ridge 34-15; San Luis lost to Kofa 45-0
Players to watch: Senior running back Jordan Mitchell is coming off his biggest game of the season, rushing for 339 yards on 31 carries and two carries against Gila Ridge. ... San Luis coach Mark Shields said that junior running back Manuel Gonzalez has been his most consistent player of the season.
Cibola coach Lucky Arvizo Sr.'s comments: “First of all, we have to make sure we go out and execute to win the football game. Then if we have a chance to rest some guys, we will.”
San Luis coach Mark Shields' comments: “We've had some attendance issues all year so we have some kids that aren't going to play. It's a lesson that needs to be learned for the younger guys. You don't show up to practice, you don't play in the games.”
The lowdown: Coming into the game, Cibola is No. 19 in Arizona Interscholastic Association Division I Power Points and No. 3 in Section I. The Raiders have a comfortable lead over No. 4 Alhambra, which means with a win over San Luis, Cibola should be safe for a playoff spot. ... The Sidewinders are on a 45-game losing streak. ... Cibola beat San Luis 69-0 on Oct. 5. ... After losing two straight to end September, Cibola has gone on a three-game winning streak. ... San Luis has been shut out four straight games and seven of its nine games on the season.
Lake Havasu at Gila Ridge
Kickoff: 7 p.m. today
Records: Knights 4-5; Hawks 6-3
Last week: Lake Havasu beat Yuma High 41-16; Gila Ridge lost to Cibola 34-15
Players to watch: Since taking over the quarterback duties, sophomore Grady Atkins has been solid for the Knights. In the past two weeks, Atkins has gone 27 for 45 with 460 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. ... Hawks senior quarterback Scotty Nickerson went 19 of 32 with 212 yards, a touchdown and an interception in their loss to the Raiders last week. Aside from a rough stretch in the third quarter, Nickerson looked sharp the entire game.
Gila Ridge coach Jay Denton's comments: “On film [Atkins] looks pretty good. He throws the ball well and looks like a pretty good athlete. He blends into what they do on offense well.”
The lowdown: Gila Ridge is currently No. 20 in AIA Division II Power Points and are No. 8 in Section I. The Hawks would need to beat the Knights and get a lot of help to sneak into the playoffs. ... Last year the Hawks lost 28-7 at Lake Havasu in the regular-season finale. ... Gila Ridge finished the regular season 7-3 last season and made the state playoffs as the No. 16 seed. ... After going a combined 18-2 in the 2010 and 2011 regular seasons, Lake Havasu would finish two games below .500 with a loss.
San Tan Foothills at Yuma Catholic
Kickoff: 7 p.m. today
Records: Sabercats 5-4; Shamrocks 8-1
Last week: San Tan Foothills; Yuma Catholic beat Tonopah Valley 71-14
Players to watch: Sophomore running back Semone Brown has had four games with more than 172 rushing yards and has a team-high 1,059 yards on the season. However, in three of the Sabercats four losses, Brown was held to less than 75 rushing yards. ... Junior defensive lineman Marco Perricone leads the Shamrocks with 8.5 sacks and has 52 tackles, which is fifth on the team.
Yuma Catholic coach Rhett Stallworth's comments: “They played a tough schedule, their season comes down to how injury-riddled they are by the time they get to us. It's definitely nice to play them at our place instead of up there.”
The lowdown: Yuma Catholic comes into the game ranked No. 4 in AIA Division V Power Points. ... The Shamrocks have scored 70 or more points the past two weeks. ... San Tan Foothills has been battle-tested, with three of their losses coming at Seton Catholic (No. 3 at Division IV), against Coolidge (No. 11 at Division IV) and at Tempe Prep (No. 7 at Division V). ... Last season, Yuma Catholic beat the Sabercats in a 77-50 shootout at San Tan Foothills in the regular season finale. In the Division V semfinals, the Shamrocks once again beat the Sabercats 51-15. ... Stallworth said on Tuesday that sophomore wide receiver Donovan Rooks (shoulder) and sophomore linebacker Moisis Barcenas, the team's leading tackler, most likely won't play on Friday.
Glendale Prep at Harvest Prep
Kickoff: 7 p.m. today
Records: Griffins 7-2; Eagles 5-3
Last week: Glendale Prep beat Apache Trail 70-40; Harvest Prep beat Summit 40-20
Players to watch: Senior running back Zach Yada has rushed for over 1,000 yards on the season for the Griffins and has consistently rushed for more than 100 yards a game, including 194 in a 48-26 win over Mayer-Orme. ... Sophomore middlelinebacker Estaban Sanchez had a season-high nine tackles in Harvest Prep's win over Summit. Sanchez will be key with Glendale Prep's balanced offense.
Harvest Prep coach Nathen Baker's comments: “(Glendale) basically has the same team as last year and they were the state champions last year.”
The lowdown: In the Arizona Charter Athletic Association standings, Harvest Prep is 3-3 and in fifth place while Glendale is 6-0 and in first place. ... Glendale Prep beat Harvest Prep twice last season — 66-36 in the season opener and 44-24 in Yuma. ... Apache Trail, which Glendale beat by 30 last week, defeated Harvest Prep 58-28 on Oct. 12.
