Football Preview: Deer Valley Skyhawks vs. Copper Canyon Aztecs
The Deer Valley Skyhawks are taking a road trip to square off against the Copper Canyon Aztecs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Deer Valley will be coming into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.
If Deer Valley beats Copper Canyon with 42 points on Friday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. Deer Valley blew past Washington 42-3 at home last Friday. Considering the Skyhawks have won five matches by more than 20 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Deer Valley's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Tyler Lebaron, who threw for 165 yards and four touchdowns, and Adan Sanchez, who gained 84 total yards and two touchdowns. Coleston Paxton also helped with two touchdowns in total.
Deer Valley wouldn't let Washington keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force three fumbles. Deer Valley can thank Anthony Rosas and Carter Guggenberger for forcing all of them.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Copper Canyon, who bounced back after a loss on the road on October 4th. In a tight matchup that could have gone either way, they made off with a 27-26 victory over Maryvale. The win was some much needed relief for the Aztecs as it spelled an end to their five-game losing streak.
Copper Canyon found their leader in underclassman Brooklen Ortiz, who threw for 204 yards and three touchdowns.
Copper Canyon didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Travonta Hadley, Donald Berry, and Nolan Huizar picked up one apiece. The dominant performance also gave Hadley a new career-high in rushing yards.
Deer Valley's victory was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-0. As for Copper Canyon, their record now sits at 2-5.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Deer Valley has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 152.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Copper Canyon struggles in that department as they've been averaging 177. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Deer Valley against Copper Canyon in their previous meeting back in October of 2023, as the squad secured a 41-2 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Deer Valley since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
