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Cactus Shadows football eyeing regional championships

BY KEATON MALLORY

Foothills Focus Staff Writer

Coming off a five-game winning streak, the Cactus Shadows High School football team will face its toughest test of the season as it takes on Desert Mountain High School at home at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5. DMHS is the No. 1 team in the 5A Northeast Valley section, with an overall record of 8-1 while being undefeated in its in-section games.

As Cactus Shadows had two weeks to prepare with its bye week, it is looking to upset Desert Mountain and maintain a chance to take over the top spot in the section and make the playoffs.

This game will have big playoff implications for Cactus Shadows. After starting out 0-3, CSHS players said they needed to basically win the rest of the season to have a chance to make the postseason. CSHS used those first three losses as motivation and has since flipped its season around completely. It now sits at 5-3.

While all of Cactus Shadows’ wins have come in a dominant fashion, Desert Mountain has done the same. DMHS has allowed a maximum of only seven points in each of its defeats this season, winning by an average of 30 points per game. CSHS has won each game by an average margin of just over 31 points.

The quarterbacks on each team, senior Corbyn Vasily for CSHS and junior Drew Tapley for DMHS, have played efficiently throughout the season, throwing only three interceptions and one interception, respectively. Vasily has thrown 18 touchdowns on the year with a completion percentage of 67.4. Tapley, meanwhile, has completed 15 touchdown passes while also completing 73% of his passes.

Cactus Shadows head coach Mike Hudnutt said this game will come down to the two things he always stresses, especially when playing well-coached teams like Desert Mountain.

“It’ll come down to turnovers and special teams,” Hudnutt said.

On the defensive side of the ball, Desert Mountain has caused 20 turnovers while Cactus Shadows has caused eight, in which each team has a positive turnover ratio. The leaders of those defenses are senior linebacker Jacob Steward for Cactus Shadows and senior defensive end Porter Sweet for Desert Mountain.

Steward has played exceptionally well this year, gathering over 150 total tackles along with 11.5 sacks. Sweet has 62 tackles and 12.5 sacks on the year. The two defenders have combined for a total of 59.5 tackles for loss on the season, with Steward contributing 28 and Sweet with 31.5.

Steward said he and the team have one goal for this season, and beating Desert Mountain would almost certainly ensure that it accomplishes it.

“All we want is to make the playoffs,” Steward said. “We’ll take it one game at a time, but we just want to make the playoffs and bring home a championship to our school and our community.”

As both teams have very dominant players on each side of the ball, each team will have its hands full this week. Hudnutt has had his eye on this game for a while now and is excited to play Desert Mountain.

“DMHS has recently become a rival for us, so seeing them on the schedule always catches our eye,” Hudnutt said in week six of the season. “It’s always a battle when we play them, and we’re looking forward to it.”

Hudnutt also said that although Cactus Shadows has shown promise, it is still looked at as the underdogs going into this week.

“They’re always very well coached, but I’d like to believe that we are, too,” Hudnutt said.

This game gives Cactus Shadows the chance to do something it hasn’t done in more than 10 years.

“This game gives us the opportunity to be regional champions for the first time since 2010,” Hudnutt said. “It’s make or break this week, and we’re excited and we’re really looking forward to it.

YOUTH

Jacob Steward has played exceptionally well this year, gathering over 150 total tackles along with

11.5 sacks. (File photo)

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