No. 6 CDO (10-2) at No. 2 Snowflake (9-3)
Date: Friday
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
CDO coach: Dustin Peace (105-49, 14th year and overall with the Dorados).
Snowflake coach: Kay Solomon (76-18, eighth year and overall with the Lobos).
When CDO has the ball:
Run percentage: 72.1 (383 rushes)
Pass percentage: 27.9 (148 passes)
CDO improved to 12-8 in the playoffs in the 14th season under Peace behind the running of junior RB Jose Alba (109 yards on 11 carries) and senior RB Jordan Thomas (15 rushes for 107 yards) in the 28-3 win over Thunderbird last week. Junior QB Tristan McClelland was efficient completing four of nine passes for 176 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Senior WR Daylon Beck continued his big-play performance with two touchdown receptions of 45 and 37 yards. … Thomas has gained 341 yards on 50 carries since becoming eligible midway through the season following his transfer from Ironwood Ridge. … Alba is the team’s leading rusher with 769 yards on 111 carries with six touchdowns. … Senior RB Kendric Astacio is also a threat rushing for 410 yards on 71 carries with five touchdowns. … McClelland has thrown for 1,378 yards completing 69 of 111 attempts with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. … Beck has tallied 29 catches for 781 yards (26.9 yards a reception) with 12 touchdowns. WR Ryan Madsen is next with 18 catches for 296 yards and five touchdowns. … Snowflake senior LB Matthew Brimhall leads the state with 188 tackles (24.5 for loss). He is the captain of a defense that has not allowed a touchdown so far in the postseason — Snowflake beat Arcadia 19-0 in the first round and Prescott 23-3 in the quarterfinals last week. Brimhall had 15 tackles (four for loss) and an interception in last week’s victory. … Two other defenders have at least 100 tackles — senior LB Jordan Mowers (106 with 11.5 for loss) and senior LB Bradden Lewis (100 with 9.5 for loss). Brimhall, Mowers and Lewis are part of an experienced defense that led the Lobos to 3A state titles the last two years before the program went up to 4A this year. … Mowers had two sacks against Prescott. He leads the team with 8.5. … Senior CB Bradon Frost had an interception last week and leads the Lobos with five.
When Snowflake has the ball:
Run percentage: 64.4 percent (416 rushes)
Pass percentage: 35.6 percent (230 passes)
Snowflake rushed for 284 of its 341 yards of total offense in last week’s win over Prescott. Senior RB JJ Lerma led the Lobos with 109 yards on 16 rushes with a touchdown and junior RB Jett McCray had 75 yards on seven carries. … Junior QB Brennan Bryant completed 5 of 14 attempts for 25 yards and senior QB Easton Butler only tried two passes, completing one for 32 yards. … They have shared the QB role this season. Butler is 80 of 135 for 923 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions while Bryant is 51 of 92 for 732 with seven touchdowns and six interceptions. … McCray and Lerma have carried the bulk of the load in the backfield with McCray rushing for 826 yards on 123 carries with seven touchdowns and Lerma amassing 578 yards on the ground on 89 rushes with three touchdowns. … Senior TE Tyler Clare is the leading receiver with 33 catches for 330 yards but has yet to score a touchdown. … Judging from the overall performance of Snowflake’s offense, the Lobos are fundamental with their approach running the ball to set up the pass using its size on the line to its advantage. … CDO’s defense has allowed only 10 points through the first two rounds of the playoffs — 13-7 win over Phoenix St. Mary’s and 28-3 against Thunderbird. Opponents have scored 10 points or less against CDO in eight of the Dorados’ 12 games this season. … Senior S Mavrick Neustadter, who leads the Dorados with 68 tackles, produced a team-high nine in the win over Thunderbird last week. … Sophomore LB Evan Greer had six tackles against Thunderbirds, five of them for loss (with three sacks). He leads the Dorados with eight sacks. … CDO senior LB M.J. Zamorano is behind Neustadter for the team lead in tackles with 65 with 10 for loss. … Senior CB Ethan Krominga tops the team with three interceptions.
Common opponents
None
Series record
CDO will play Snowflake for the first time in program history.
2. CANYON DEL ORO (13-0)
Head coach: Dustin PeaceDorados compete in the 4A Kino. Bold are playoff games. Championship 12/1 starts at 4 p.m. at ASU.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | CDO | Opp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/25 | Eastmark | W | 21 | 14 |
| 9/1 | at Bradshaw Mountain | W | 42 | 7 |
| 9/8 | Desert View | W | 50 | 20 |
| 9/15 | at Amphi | W | 41 | 0 |
| 9/22 | at Marana | W | 49 | 21 |
| 10/6 | at Catalina Foothills | W | 50 | 14 |
| 10/13 | Mica Mountain | W | 17 | 15 |
| 10/20 | at Pueblo | W | 46 | 7 |
| 10/27 | Sahuaro | W | 42 | 0 |
| 11/3 | Walden Grove | W | 21 | 9 |
| 11/9 | Poston Butte | W | 45 | 20 |
| 11/17 | AZ College Prep | W (4OT) | 33 | 27 |
| 11/24 | Mica Mountain | W | 23 | 7 |
| 12/1 | Yuma Catholic |
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon. He became an educator five years ago and is presently a special education teacher at Gallego Fine Arts Intermediate in the Sunnyside Unified School District
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