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FOOTBALL: MARICOPA (2-6, 0-5) @ CHANDLER SETON CATHOLIC –– (2-6, 1-4), 7 P.M.
Rams aim to keep teams from passing fancy
By ERIC Mungenast
Staff Writer
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Eric Mungenast/Maricopa Monitor, Senior Terrance Motley lunges at Notre Dame Prep quarterback Will King during the team’s 41-7 loss last Friday. The team plays Seton Catholic tonight at Mesa Community College at 7 p.m.
The slate ended last Friday against Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep, which took advantage of a monster three-touchdown game by wide receiver Joe Versen to roll past Maricopa (2-6, 0-5) 41-7.
Up next this weekend is Chandler Seton Catholic High School (2-6. 1-4 in East Sky), lead by quarterback Justin Sieczkowski, who as thrown for 25 touchdown passes and more than 300 yards per game this season, although he completes just 53 percent of his passes.
Despite the aeronautical fireworks, the team has won just two games this season, and has been subject to a few lopsided losses, including a 65-24 shellacking to Phoenix Arcadia last week.
Head coach Eric Reed noted Seton Catholic’s passing prowess, as well as its 3-5 defense, which he said Maricopa could attack.
“I see a lot of things I like,” Reed said.
But to beat Seton Catholic’s passing game, Maricopa needs to improve its passing defense, which Notre Dame quarterback Will King exploited for three long touchdown passes last Friday.
Reed said the team must minimize those long defensive lapses, which have plagued his defense the entire season, with the defenses’ goal to “bend and not break.”
The one aspect the defense has been successful with this year has been forcing turnovers, especially last weekend when senior Kendal Morris intercepted for a 52-yard touchdown that briefly gave Maricopa the lead.
Added with two fumbles, the defense forced more turnovers than the offense gave up for the second week in a row, and could be a deciding factor in Friday’s game.
“I think we’re pretty even with Seton Catholic,” Reed said. “Whoever has the most turnovers will lose.”
To help the defense, the offense needs to improve upon its performance, especially after the defense forces a turnover.
The quarterback situation is in limbo still, after senior Travis Brown could not play last week. Reed said Brown, junior Patrick Davis and K.J. Diehl will all take snaps at quarterback.
“They’re still going to split time,” he said.
Another important factor will be kicker Armando Cano, who has routinely forced touchbacks during kickoffs and even attempted two 56-yard field goals last week.
Reed wants Cano, who had never kicked before this year, to get more opportunities to kick during games, and hopes to utilize him as a receiver on offense and possibly as a linebacker on defense once he becomes more familiar with football.
“He’s the best athlete in the school,” Reed said.
The game kicks off at 7 p.m. tonight at Mesa Community College. For a recap, visit www.trivalleycentral.com on Saturday morning.
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