Thatcher may be state’s best small-school team

The question now isn’t so much could Thatcher win it all at the 3A level? It is: Could this be the greatest small-school football team in Arizona high school history?

There would be arguments be made until forever. But Thatcher is making such a devastating run that it could be in the conversation.

The Eagles, who can finish running the table Friday in a mid-afternoon 2A championship showdown against Eagar Round Valley at Gilbert Campo Verde High School, have gone 13-0, while outscoring their opponents 57988.

And that’s without throwing double-digit passes in a game.

The closest anybody has come was 3A playoff team Safford, who lost 2820 on Sept. 7. That was before 6-foot-2, 230-pound junior defensive end Collin Thompson became eligible.

Thompson, a transfer from Safford, was finally cleared to play in the last month, adding another big dimension to a stellar defense.

Since the Safford game, the Eagles have obliterated everybody in their wake, outscoring their next nine opponents, 445-52. Included along the way was a 42-3 rout of Round Valley on Oct. 19.

Thatcher beat Benson 50-6 in the playoffs with quarterback Jack Kortsen failing to complete a pass in five attempts.

“They run a unique offense but they have the personnel to do it,” Round Valley coach Marcus Bell said. “All of their linemen are at least 250 pounds. They have a big back who is 200 pounds. The biggest thing they have is so much depth.”

Round Valley (11-2) has a good team. But it will take a flawless effort and a flawed performance by Thatcher to bring down the Green Machine led by Kortsen and running backs Riley Morris and Quinton Turley.

2A championship

Friday, 3 p.m. at Gilbert Campo

Verde High School

No. 1 Thatcher (13-0) vs. No. 3 Eagar Round Valley (11-2)