By Raymundo Frasquillo
DUNCAN – The Dan Coats-coached Duncan Wildkats (2-1 overall, 1-0 region) host the Saint David Tigers (2-1, 1-0) on Friday, Sept. 11. The kick-off is 7 p.m. on Packer Field.
Duncan has seeding wins over Fort Thomas (28-14, Aug. 28) and Sedona Red Rock (52-18, Sept. 4), along with a loss to New Mexico Lordsburg (14-48, Aug. 20), while Saint David has wins over Kearny Ray (30-6, Aug. 21) and sells Baboquivari (90-6, Aug. 28) as well as a loss to Colorado Mancos (30-32, Sept. 4).
The Tigers are 10-7 versus the Wildkats since 2003 in the 8-man format, with a 37-21 (636-356) average score per game, or a 16-point margin, and 4-3 on Packer Field.
1A Saint David Tigers (2-1)
Saint David visits the Duncan Wildkats (Sept. 11), hosts 1A West Region Salome Frogs (Sept. 18), visits the 1A East Region Superior Panthers (Sept. 25) and the Winkelman Hayden Lobos (Oct. 2), hosts the Fort Thomas Apaches (Oct. 9) and the 1A West Region Bagdad Sultans (Oct. 16).
The Tigers have seeding wins over Kearny Ray (30-6, Aug. 21) and sells Baboquivari (90-6, Aug. 28), as well as a loss to Colorado Mancos (30-32, Sept. 4).
There are 25 Tigers on the roster, including seven seniors, six juniors, four sophomores, and eight freshmen. The seniors are Emmitt Etter (6), Logan Flake (3), Luke Gorman (8), Tot Pacheco (0), Kaden Parkinson (90), Connor Posey (7), and Keston Richardson (13); juniors Garrett Etter (14), Grant Haymore (1), Vaughan Hennessey (76), Xavier Martinez (11), Champ Pacheco (99), Samson Riesgo (55); sophomores Gabe Davis (36), Landon Hatch (44), Canon Haynie (10), and Porter Wilson (20; and freshmen Collin Glenn (25), Bentley Johnson (22), Case Larson (9), Steven Long (87), Miguel Murzyn (12), Kace Richardson (5), Aaron Schmidt (34), and Jack Wood (63).
The Tigers are competing in the 4-team 1A South Region with the Duncan Wildkats, the Fort Thomas Apaches, and the Sells Baboquivari Warriors.
Saint David is 59-31 overall under 10th-year (2017-26) head coach Braden Davis.
1A Duncan Wildkats (2-1)
Duncan hosts the Saint David Tigers (Sept. 11) and 1A Independent Phoenix Maryvale Prep Matadors (Sept. 18), visits the Sells Baboquivari Warriors (Sept. 25) and the 1A East Region Kearny Ray Bearcats (Oct. 2), and hosts the 1A East Region San Manuel Miners (Oct. 9) and the 1A East Region Winkelman Hayden Lobos (Oct. 16).
The Wildkats have a seeding win over Fort Thomas (28-14, Aug. 28) and Sedona Red Rock (52-18, Sept. 4), along with a loss to New Mexico Lordsburg (20-48, Aug. 21).
There are 18 Wildkats on the roster, including seven seniors, four juniors, a sophomore, and six freshmen. The seniors Jacoby Crosby (7), Conner Free (11), Billy Johnson (63), Joe Nandino (52), Dayton Penry (1), Lloyd Wienrich (88), and Aaron Zamora (80); juniors Mark Bejarano (5), Jarren Butler (55), Karsen Lacey (4), and Drake Waters (61); sophomore Max Barker (35); and freshmen Tanner Babers (25), Zane Hancock (36), Charles Lane (24), Vance Lucio (16), Ian Lunt (81), and Chris Nandino (52).
The Wildkats are competing in the 4-team 1A South Region with the Fort Thomas Apaches, the Saint David Tigers, and the Sells Baboquivari Warriors.
The Wildkats are 8-20 overall under fourth-year (2023-26) head coach Dan Coats.
1A Desert Heights Prep Coyotes (0-3)
Desert Heights Prep visits the 1A South Region Fort Thomas Apaches (Sept. 11), hosts the Bagdad Sultans (Sept. 18), visits the Bullhead City Mohave Accelerated Patriots (Sept. 24) and the Phoenix Valley Lutheran Flames (Oct. 2), hosts the 1A South Region Sells Baboquivari Warriors (Oct. 9), and visits the Salome Frogs (Oct. 16).
The Coyotes have seeding losses to Joseph City (18-44, Aug. 21), Phoenix Maryvale Prep (20-40, Aug. 27), and Scottsdale Cicero Prep/North Phoenix Prep (20-65, Sept. 4).
There are 18 Coyotes on the roster, including six seniors, five juniors, four sophomores, and three freshmen. The seniors are Brody Barrett (12), Dylan Downing (5), Jeremiah Fowler (4), Xaiden Gomez (8), Damien Ortega (7), and Jorge Sierra (17); juniors Elijah Andrews (11), Wyatt Bohman (24), Oziel Gonzalez Jr. (3), Joe Perea (9), and Lawrence Vilhauer (72); sophomores Milan Carevic (23), Aiden Day (77), Pablo Munoz (61), and Micah Rowley (44); and freshmen Enzo Sams (63), William Weins (22), and Wyatt Wistar (13).
The Coyotes are competing in the 5-team 1A West Region with the Bagdad Sultans, the Bullhead City Mohave Accelerated Patriots, the Phoenix Valley Lutheran Flames, and the Salome Frogs.
Desert Heights is 22-33 overall under seventh-year (2020-26) head coach Kendrick Felix
1A Fort Thomas Apaches (1-2)
Fort Thomas hosts the 1A West Region Glendale Desert Heights Prep Coyotes (Sept. 11) and 1A East Region Superior Panthers (Sept. 18), visits the 1A East Region Kearny Ray Bearcats (Sept. 25), hosts the Elfrida Valley Union Blue Devils (Oct. 2), and visits the Saint David Tigers (Oct. 9) and the 1A Independent Phoenix Maryvale Prep Matadors (Oct. 16).
The Apaches have a seeding win over Baboquivari (18-8, Sept. 4) and losses to Salome (0-50, Aug. 21) and Duncan (14-28, Aug. 28).
The roster includes 30 Apaches: eight seniors, six juniors, six sophomores, and 10 freshmen. The seniors are Aaden Clyde (3), Antonio Kessay (71), Traeson Mull (33), Mark Nino (22), Brian Sign (30), Tayshaun Stanley (35), Adrian Thorne (73), and Kameron Upshaw (56); juniors Kayson Benally (80), Rigdon Claridge (1), Malachi Johnson (12), Vernon Nofchissey (21), Brannon Stanley (35), and Tavion Williams (34); sophomores Kani Anderson (63), Taiten DeClay (51), Noah Gustina (32), Alonzo Kenton (81), Melvin Rustin (7), and Connor Tessay (4); and freshmen Jeremy Benally (45), Jaron Black (54), Aiden Chatlin-Spez (23), Khierem Goseyun (39), Dylan Quade (55), Carmichael Kindelay (31), Jiovonnie Lang (14), Kenny McCabe Jr. (15), Avanecio Nosie (6), and Andy Yazzie (10).
The Apaches are competing in the 4-team 1A South Region with the Duncan Wildkats, the Saint David Tigers, and the Sells Baboquivari Warriors.
Fort Thomas is 6-22 overall under fourth-year (2023-26) head coach Evan Stringfellow
1A West Region
The region standings after three weeks of competition are Mohave Accelerated (3-0 overall, 0-0 region), Bagdad (1-2, 0-0), Salome (1-2, 0-0), Valley Lutheran (0-1, 0-0), and Desert Heights Prep (0-3, 0-0).
1A South Region
After three weeks of competition, the region standings are Duncan (2-1 overall, 1-0 region), Saint David (2-1, 1-0), Fort Thomas (1-2, 1-1), and Sells Baboquivari (0-2, 0-2).
Region pairings to date include Saint David over Baboquivari (90-6, Aug. 28), Duncan over Fort Thomas (28-14, Aug. 28), and Fort Thomas over Baboquivari (18-8, Sept. 4).
This week, Duncan hosts Saint David (2-1), Fort Thomas (1-2) hosts 1A West Region Glendale Desert Heights Prep (0-3), and Baboquivari (0-2) visits 1A East Region Superior (1-2).
Duncan – 52, Red Rock – 18
Duncan received the opening kick, needed 48 yards to score, and gained 11 before a bad snap lost four yards. The ensuing 3rd-and-14 play resulted in an interception.
The visiting Scorpions covered 87 yards in 10 plays using 3:29 on their initial possession. The conversion run was stopped.
Duncan countered with a punt on 4th-and-14 on its second possession, kept the Scorpions from attaining a first down on 4th-and-12 with 2:02 left in the first quarter, and connected on a 40-yard pass play to tie the score at 6-6 six seconds later. Junior Karsen Lacey from senior quarterback Dayton Penry. Senior Joe Nandino bulled his way in for the conversion run. Duncan led 8-6 with 1:54 left in the first quarter.
The Wildkats went on to outscore Red Rock 44-12 during the remaining three quarters.
On the evening, the Wildkats averaged 5.1 (36-183) yards per carry and 13.6 (10-136) yards per pass to total 319 yards of offense on 46 plays. Duncan scored four rushing touchdowns, two with passes, and one on an interception return.
