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No. 17
CHAMPIONSHIP: Class 4A, Division I
SCORE: Canyon del Oro 40, Sabino 0
DATE: December 5, 2009
SITE: Arizona Stadium
GAME SUMMARY: Ka’Deem Carey set the tone early, rushing for 131 yards in the first quarter en route to 268 yards and six touchdowns (five rushing and one passing) as the Dorados ran the table that season under first-year coach Dusty Peace and won their first state championship since 1977.
The Dorados finished 14-0 and Sabino went 11-3 under Jay Campos.
Carey, who went on to establish himself as the best running back in Arizona history, had touchdown runs of three and nine runs in the first quarter before breaking loose on a 68-yard scoring run in the second quarter to give CDO a 21-0 lead.
Jared Tevis, another Dorado standout who went on to star at Arizona, stopped Sabino on a fourth-and-one on a dynamic tackle and recovered a fumble on the play in the first half. Tevis’ 17-yard reception from Mike Lewis occurred before Carey’s 68-yard touchdown.
Sabino’s Keanu Nelson, who went on to Stanford, was one of the lone Sabercat standouts rushing for 86 yards on 17 carries and also recording two interceptions.
CDO punctuated its win, building a 34-0 lead in the third quarter when Peace called for a halfback pass resulting in Carey connecting on a 12-yard scoring strike to Josh Robbins, who also went on to Arizona and is a son of Arizona great Randy Robbins.
THEY SAID IT: “Ka’Deem is Ka’Deem. He will always suprise everybody. He did it here on a big stage tonight, against a quality opponent, against great athletes who play hard. He really showcased that he is the best player in the city, for sure.” — CDO coach Dusty Peace (went on to 13-1 in his second season, falling in the 2010 championship game to Scottsdale Saguaro) to the Arizona Daily Star
DID YOU KNOW: The Sabino-CDO matchup in a state title game is one of seven championships that have featured two Southern Arizona teams playing each other. The list:
2020 — Eloy Santa Cruz 42, Benson 7 (2A)
2009 — CDO 40, Sabino 0 (4A, D1)
1993 — Mountain View 63, Sahuaro 32 (4A)
1987 — Patagonia 36, Valley Union 18 (1A)
1978 — Eloy Santa Cruz 40, Willcox 36 (3A)
1976 — CDO 24, Douglas 14 (4A)
1964 — Marana 14, Willcox 7 (2A)
BOX SCORE (printed in the Arizona Daily Star):
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