Yuma Talk

Week two of high school football schedule continues tonight with three live broadcasts on AIA.365.com, which all kickoff at 7 p.m.

Hopefully Mother Nature will be more accommodating after lightning caused the postponement of Thursday night’s Queen Creek – Higley game, which will be completed either tonight or Saturday.

Game 1, Tucson Sabino (1-0) at Phoenix Moon Valley (0-1):

Tucson Sabino travels to Phoenix to take on Moon Valley in a 4A-I non-region matchup. Sabino is coming off a dominating 57-17 win over Sahuaro which saw the Sabercats run up 499 yards of total offense. A 24-point third quarter broke open a close battle as Sabino went into the half with a slim 20-17 lead. Stephen Fraser paced the attack with 138 yards rushing and three touchdowns on just nine carries.

Sabino has established itself as one of the top 4A programs in the state and looks to reach the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season. Sabino played in the 2006 championship game where they lost to Scottsdale Saguaro.

Meanwhile, Moon Valley looks to rebound from a surprisingly lopsided 40-19 loss to 3A contender Show Low last week at Northern Arizona University. Moon Valley fell behind 27-7 after the first quarter and added 12 fourth-quarter points to make the blowout a little more respectable. The bright spot was that the Rockets piled up 214 rushing yards with Cord Deal accounting for 111 yards on just nine carries.

Moon Valley made its return to 4A-I this season after a two-year stint in 4A-II, where they reached the playoffs last season despite a 5-6 record. A return to the postseason will be a challenge as the Rockets step up a division and face a tougher region schedule.

Game 2, Tempe McClintock (0-0) at Peoria Sunrise Mountain (0-1):

Tempe McClintock travels to Peoria to take on Sunrise Mountain in a 4A-I non-region matchup. This game is the season opener for McClintock which is coming off a 5-6 season and a loss to Peoria in the quarterfinals of the 4A-I playoffs. McClintock is led defensively by all-region linebacker Hayden Tippett.

Sunrise Mountain is coming off a 28-7 loss to Liberty in its season opener. It was the first 4A-I game for Sunrise Mountain which finished 1-9 last season while playing in Class 5A-II. The Mustangs were held to 279 yards of offense and 156 of them came on three big plays. Mike Murillo is coming off a strong game that saw him finish with a team-high 11 tackles.

Game 3, Mesa Skyline (1-0) at Ironwood Ridge (0-1):

Skyline is making a long trip to Oro Valley to take on Ironwood Ridge in a 5A matchup. Skyline is likely facing a transitional season as the Coyotes graduated many key players, including two 1,000-yard rushers but that didn’t stop them from posting a 30-6 win over Chandler in its opener.

The Cougars finished 8-4 last season and lost to Tempe Marcos de Niza in the quarterfinals of the 5A-II playoffs. Reaching the playoffs for a third consecutive season will be a challenge, especially after moving up from 5A-II to the tough 5A-I East Region.

Ironwood Ridge, which plays in 5A-II, is seeking its first win of the season after suffering a 37-13 loss to 4A-I power Canyon del Oro. The Nighthawks were led offensively by quarterback Tyler D’Amore who went 11-20 for 183 yards and a touchdown. Ironwood Ridge is coming off a strong 2008 , which saw the Nighthawks enter the playoffs as a #4 seed and advance to the semi-finals where they lost to state champ Peoria Centennial.

To watch the free online broadcasts of the games, visit www.AIA365.com.