The temperature of early-morning Tucson and energy by Pueblo’s defense was at a high level Saturday in a 13-0 win over Nogales at Saturnino “Curly” Santa Cruz Stadium, site of where Sly Lewis played when he attended the school more than 30 years ago.
Lewis was victorious in his debut as head coach, a festive occasion for Pueblo and its crowd that overflowed from the home stands to under a row of tents beyond the south end zone.
Santa Cruz, who coached Lewis at Pueblo in the early 1990s, was invited by Lewis to attend as the honorary captain. Santa Cruz took part in the pre-game coin flip and remained on the sideline for most of the game.
When Santa Cruz agreed to be the honorary captain, Lewis said he was like a “kid in a candy store at Christmas.”
“It was awesome; I’m so happy he was able to come out,” Lewis said. “I know coach is old school, so he’ll have some pointers for me. He’s going to critique a little bit and I’m open to that.”
Santa Cruz might give Lewis a pass for some of the difficulties the Warriors had, especially on offense, because of the program being in transition with the new coaching staff.
Longtime Sabino assistant @CoachSlylewis1 returned during the offseason to his alma mater to coach @PuebloFootball. On Saturday, he represented the Warriors in a football game for the first time since playing for legendary coach Saturnino “Curly” Santa Cruz in the early 1990s.… pic.twitter.com/vcB8cGrV8G
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) August 31, 2024
The Warriors struggled with 138 yards of total offense although Andres Carpenter showed signs of being a standout catching two passes for 68 yards including a 32-yard touchdown strike from Roman Otero.
That type of team production is foreign to Lewis, who was the offensive coordinator of Sabino’s team that won the 3A state title last year with talent such as quarterback Cam Hackworth, receivers Shamar and Savaughn Berryhill and running back Mason Cade.
The story of the game was Nogales, which was 0-10 last season, unable to move the ball on the ground and through the air. The Apaches mustered 44 yards of total offense (75 passing and minus-31 rushing).
Pueblo’s defense amassed 21 tackles for loss, with all members of the defensive front consistently in the backfield.
“It goes all around from effort, being at practice, just communicating all around to know your players and having that bond,” said junior cornerback Andray Rodriguez, who intercepted a pass in the second half.
.@PuebloFootball CB Andray Rodriguez had an interception as part of the Warriors’ defense that shut down Nogales in a 13-0 win in the season opener for both teams. pic.twitter.com/yD6EHwg22v
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) August 31, 2024
The game was rough from the start for both teams, indicative of a season opener that included a program that is struggling (Nogales) with another one under a new system (Pueblo) after a coaching change.
In the first quarter, Pueblo fumbled the ball away twice and the Warriors had a 19-yard punt while Nogales could not score from the 1 on three consecutive runs, missed a field goal and also had a 19-yard run for a touchown called back because of a holding penalty.
Pueblo’s first possession of the second quarter started at the Nogales 43 after a 29-yard punt. Three plays later, Otero connected with a wide-open Carter for the 32-yard touchdown with 7:27 left before halftime.
Carter scored Pueblo’s other touchdown on a 17-yard run with 9:04 remaining in which he broke tackles and drove defenders backward with his grinding running style although he is all of 5-foot-6 and 140 pounds.
When the final horn sounded, Lewis walked on the field and shook the hand of every Pueblo player who walked past him.
The Sly Lewis Era at Pueblo begins with a win. Warriors shut down Nogales with a 13-0 victory. pic.twitter.com/u1bnhyBXXD
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) August 31, 2024
While standing in front of his players during a postgame talk, he took off his baby blue Pueblo hoodie to reveal a picture of his late brother JJ. He became emotional.
He shared his exuberance with his players of being a head coach for the first time, at his alma mater 33 years after he graduated. The spirit of his brother was with him.
“It feels amazing,” Lewis said. “The guys came out ready to play. We left a lot on the table, a little bit, but the biggest thing is we got out injury free and put some points on the board.
“The defense played amazing. I’m just so proud of all the coaches, the players and administration. It’s been a stressful week, I’m not going to lie. But it was all worth it. It’s great to see all these families together and ‘The Block’ hot again.”
Pueblo travels to Casa Grande Vista Grande (1-0) while Nogales hosts Casa Grande (1-0) on Friday.
FOLLOW @JAVIERJMORALES ON TWITTER!
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 in 2016 and is presently a special education teacher at Sunnyside High School in the Sunnyside Unified School District.
Recommended for you
