Mario Padilla finished with 212 yards rushing. (Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)
Ed Doherty Stadium was one of the quietest places on earth at this time last year. The lights were turned off and the gridiron was transformed into a pitch for the powerful Lancer soccer programs. Salpointe football was but an echo of years past – that’s what happens when a team finishes 5-5 and misses the state playoffs for the first time since 2009.
Actually, the Lancers were forced to skip the 2009 playoffs due to an infraction of the rules so the playoff streak goes back to 2001. Even then, Salpointe finished 8-2. It was a different time – not all good teams were awarded a postseason berth back then.
This year, fourth-seeded Salpointe (10-2) is not just a good team but a great team because only a great team could beat No. 5 Marcos de Niza the way it did on Thursday night in the quarterfinal round of the 4A playoffs. The Lancers won 48-6 against a team that averaged over 300 yards passing and over 37 points a game. Remarkable…..
COMPLETE STORY AT AZPreps365.com
THURSDAY NOV. 10
4A FOOTBALL QUARTERFINALS
No. 4 Salpointe beat No. 5 Marcos de Niza, 48-6
No. 6 Catalina Foothills beat No. 3 Sunrise Mountain, 52-49
5A FOOTBALL QUARTERFINALS
No. 1 Cienega beat No. 9 Mesquite, 63-38
No. 3 Ironwood Ridge lost to No. 6 Queen Creek, 42-26
No. 7 Marana lost to No. 2 Williams Field, 41-14
SATURDAY NOV. 12
2A FOOTBALL QUARTERFINALS
No. 2 Santa Cruz hosts No. 10 Scottsdale Christian, 6 p.m.
No. 3 Thatcher hosts No. 6 Phoenix Christian, 6 p.m.
No. 5 Benson at No. 4 Pima, 6 p.m.
3A FOOTBALL QUARTERFINALS
No. 5 Sabino hosts No. 13 Winslow, 6 p.m.
FRIDAY NOV. 18
4A FOOTBALL SEMIFINALS
No. 4 Salpointe vs. No. 1 Saguaro, 7 p.m. at Desert Mountain
No. 6 Catalina Foothills vs. No. 2 Higley, 7 p.m. at Williams Field
5A FOOTBALL SEMIFINALS
No. 1 Cienega vs. No. 5 Centennial, 7 p.m. at Tucson
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