Kofa, Cibola meet for spot in region championship
It’s season-saving time for the YUHSD teams. Cibola, Kofa, Gila Ridge and Yuma High have two wins apiece and a combined record of 8-19. All of them have winnable games tonight, some more so than others, and one is a headto-head matchup that will decide who has a fighting chance at making the playoffs and who will be eliminated from contention.
GAME OF THE NIGHT Kofa at Cibola, 7 p.m.
The Raiders are off to their worst start in a decade, and yet, still look to have a decent chance at making the playoffs be- cause of their division’s construction. The 6A Southwest region is divided into two sub-regions: Tucson and Yuma, the winners of which play each other for the title. Tonight’s CibolaKofa game determines who moves on to play the top Tucson team.
7 p.m. today, Raider Field
“It’s a huge game,” Cibola coach Lucky Arvizo said, later adding, “When you have those inner-city games, they’re real unpredictable going in there. Our focus is trying to execute, make as little mistakes as you can and win the turnover the battle.”
For Kofa (2-4 AIA), its record isn’t exactly anything out of the ordinary like it is for Cibola (2-5 AIA), but it is largely a disappointment after a five-win campaign a year ago. The Kings see their chance to turn their season around tonight.
“The guys know exactly what’s riding on this game,” Kofa coach Ben Franz said. “This is a big point in our season. We come off a tough loss two weeks ago … but if we get a win this week and next week, the playoffs are still within grasp.”
Both teams are coming off a bye week, but two weeks ago against Valley Vista in a 28-25 loss, Arvizo thought is the best the Raiders have played all year.
One area of concern for Kofa will be Cibola’s rushing attack. Senior Jesse Escott carried the ball 28 times for 97 in the first half