Yuma Catholic, Casteel set for key 3A Metro battle
Cibola hosts Valley Vista in one of only two local home games
The pickings are slim for home games tonight, as only two teams — and just one big school — will be in town. Cibola, fresh off a 28-0 win at Alhambra, will host another 6A foe in Valley Vista. Over in Winterhaven, San Pasqual will take on Valley Lutheran.
It shapes up to be a tough week for the rest of the YUHSD teams, as Kofa heads to Glendale to face off with Copper Canyon, Gila Ridge plays at Southwest (Calif.) and Yuma High has its region opener at Buckeye Union.
But there is no doubt which is the biggest match- up tonight.
GAME OF THE NIGHT Yuma Catholic at Casteel, 7 p.m.
Casteel, in its first year as a varsity program last season, went 9-2. Both losses were to Yuma Catholic, and both were blowouts — 33-7 in the regular season and 35-0 in the first round of the 3A State Tournament.
But the Colts (5-0 AIA) only had sophomores and freshmen to draw from, and the 2017 version of their team appears to have gotten an upgrade with three grade classes now.
Casteel did need overtime
7 p.m. today, Queen Creek
to beat Monte Vista (Calif.) on Sept. 15, but in their four games against Arizona schools, the Colts have averaged 66.5 points and have shutouts in three of those four contests.
Yuma Catholic coach Aaron Cheatwood does not see as dramatic a difference between last year’s Casteel team and the one the Shamrocks (4-1 AIA) will play tonight in the 3A Metro region-opener for both teams — aside from the obvious difference of having juniors now.
“Casteel’s season this year is very comparable to last year,” Cheatwood said. “They were undefeated when they came in to play us. … But they’re just a little more experienced and bigger.”
And as Cheatwood pointed out, the Colts did have a dominant first half and 5-0 record when they came to Yuma in 2016. The first three opponents this season are the same, but the last two showed Casteel getting wins against tougher opponents than it had a year ago. Last week, following the win at Monte Vista, the Colts allowed only 80 total yards in their 70-7 demolition of Show Low, a team that beat Yuma Catholic in the 3A quarterfinals in 2016 and was averaging 48 points prior to the loss last Friday.
In that first meeting between Casteel and YC a year ago, the YC offense was fairly limited; it was quarterback James Stover’s first start and second game back from a knee injury that sidelined him for four weeks. Cheatwood said this year will be different with sophomore quarterback Gage Reese having five starts under his belt.
“Last year, it was Stover’s first game starting as a full-time quarterback, so we relied heavily on the run game,” Cheatwood said. “We’re in a little bit of a different boat this year with Gage.”
In his last three games,