Wildkats unleash aerial barrage against Apaches
By Raymundo Frasquillo
ELFRIDA – The Dan Coats-coached Duncan Wildkats (1-1 overall, 1-0 region) travel to Elfrida to take on the Valley Union Blue Devils (1-1, 0-1) on Friday, Sept. 5. The Wildkats have a 3-2 record in Elfrida during 22 seasons (2003-24), averaging a score of 30-20 (152-100) per game or a 10-point margin.
Duncan has combined records of 10-11 overall, 2-2 in the section, and 5-5 in the region versus Valley Union, averaging a score of 25-30 (552-621) per game, or a 5-point deficit. The 2007 (Aug. 24) contest was not played because of a lightning strike-caused blackout.
This week, the 8-man 1A South Region also has Saint David visiting 1A East Region San Manuel and Fort Thomas hosting 1A West Region Salome on Sept. 5, and Sells Baboquivari visiting 1A West Region Bullhead City Mohave Accelerated on Saturday, Sept. 6.
1A South Region
This week, the 8-man 1A South Region also has Saint David (2-0, 2-0), Duncan (1-1, 1-0), Fort Thomas (1-1, 1-1), Valley Union (1-1, 0-1), and Baboquivari (0-2, 0-2).
VALLEY UNION Blue Devils:
Valley Union (1-1 overall, 0-1 region) has averaged a score of 18-37 (36-74) per game or a 19-point deficit through two games played. The Blue Devils succumbed to Saint David (0-58, Aug. 22) and topped Glendale Desert Heights Prep (36-16, Aug. 29).
The Blue Devils visit the Kearny Ray Bearcats (Sept. 12), host the Baboquivari Warriors (Sept. 19), Fort Thomas (Oct. 3), and the Mayer Wildcats (Oct. 10), and visit the Phoenix Valley Lutheran Flames (Oct. 17).
Valley Union lists an 18-man roster with eight seniors, five juniors, and five sophomores. The seniors include Bryan Cagle (9), Angel Caperon (26), Alexander Gerard (99), Yahir Luna (1), Zion Moore (5), Alejandro Parra (58), Myles Richardson (3), and Ivan Rosales (48); juniors Michael Durazo (11), Christopher Gonzalez (34), Justo Ibarra (28), Manuel Rojas (14), and Kaydon Valdez (40); and freshmen Jason Feathers (18), Jose Ibarra (32), James Richardson (8), John Scott (22), and Jacob Sterritt (25).
Skylar Hill (12-15 overall, 8-10 region, 0-1 state, 5-6 at home) is in his fourth season as the Blue Devils’ head coach.
The Blue Devils are competing in the 5-member 1A South Region with the Duncan Wildcats, the Fort Thomas Apaches, the Saint David Tigers, and the Sells Baboquivari Warriors.
DUNCAN Wildkats
Duncan (1-1 overall, 1-0 region) is averaging a score of 37-43 (74-86) per game or an 8-point deficit through two games. The Wildkats fell to the New Mexico Lordsburg Mavericks (16-58, Aug. 22) and topped the Fort Thomas Apaches (58-28, Aug. 29).
The Wildkats visit the Saint David Tigers (Sept. 12), host the Dishchii’bikoh Wildcats (Sept. 19), the Baboquivari Warriors (Sept. 26), and the Ray Bearcats (Oct. 3), and visit the San Manuel Miners (Oct. 10) and the Mayer Wildcats (Oct. 17).
Duncan lists a 16-man roster with six seniors, five juniors, three sophomores, and two freshmen. The seniors include Ky Coats (67), Joseph Contreras (52), Joshua Free (65), Taygan Jensen (5), Pablo Ruiz (7), and Lucas Soohy (76); juniors Jarren Butler (55), Conner Free (11), Billy Johnson (63), Dayton Penry (1), and Aaron Zamora (80); sophomores Mark Bejarano (10), Karson Lacey (4), and Drake Waters (36); and freshmen Max Barker (35) and Cade Stephens (37).
Dan Coats (2-11 overall, 4-10 region, 2-7 at home) is in his third year as the head coach.
Duncan is competing in the 5-team 1A South Region with the Elfrida Valley Union Blue Devils, the Fort Thomas Apaches, the Saint David Tigers, and the Sells Baboquivari Warriors.
Duncan – 58, Fort Thomas – 28
Duncan crossed the goal line seven times on Dayton Penry receptions, twice on Taygan Jensen kickoff returns, and added two Penry conversion receptions to total 58 points. It matched the 58 points scored against the Apaches in the 2011 (Sept. 23) pairing, a 58-14 homecoming and section win on Packer Field, but fell short of the most scored, 64-26 during the home section win in 2013 (Sept. 19).
An average score per game of 31-29 (702-670) or a 2-point margin was held by Duncan before the 2025 pairing, while Fort Thomas was 10-7 in region play, 1-4 in section play, and 1-0 in a state playoff game.
The Apaches also put up 64 points during a 64-32 region home win in 2017 (Sept. 29). Fort Thomas leads the 23-year series 12-11, going 10-7 in the region, 1-4 in the section, and 1-0 in the state playoff.
Duncan received the opening kick, covered 69 yards in four plays using 1:17 as Pablo Ruiz connected with Penry for the first of his seven touchdowns; Fort Thomas turned the ball over on downs after losing 13 yards in four plays using 59 seconds; and Penry crossed the goal line on 1st-and-goal from the seven seconds later.
The Apaches were unable to cross into the end zone during the rest of the quarter.
Officially, Duncan averaged 22.7 (15-22-340) yards per catch with two interceptions and 0.3 yards on 11-3 carries. A week prior, the Wildkats netted 47 aerial yards on 4-23 completions with three interceptions or an average of 11.8 yards per catch, as well as 6.3 yards (24-152) per carry against New Mexico Lordsburg.
