Campo Verde looking to return to 5A title game
Let’s break down the two 5A state semifinal football games Friday night and predict the final score:
No. 5 Gilbert Campo Verde (5-2) at No. 1 Peoria Sunrise Mountain (7-2), 7 p.m.
Since the back-to-back losses to Ironwood and Desert Edge that could have been a back-breaking two weeks, Sunrise Mountain has bounced back strong, winning its last three games, including wins over Buckeye Verrado twice.
Campo Verde will try to pound the ball behind a strong line with RB Caden Calloway hoping for a better experience than what happened in last year’s semifinal win over Notre Dame Prep. Calloway suffered an injury that didn’t allow him to play in the final, a loss to Williams Field.
Sunrise Mountain is tough on the ground and has 29 sacks and 10 interceptions. OLB Owen Thomas leads Sunrise with 10 sacks. Led by first-year head coach Ryan Freeman, Campo Verde’s only losses came in the opener to 6A Williams Field (18-8) and on Oct. 30 to Open semifinalist Tucson Salpointe Catholic (21-14). This schedule could pay off for Freeman’s bunch.
Prediction: Campo Verde 23, Sunrise Mountain 20
No. 7 Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep (5-2) at No. 6 Glendale Ironwood (6-2), 7 p.m.
If Ironwood can get over the emotional hangover of rallying from a 27-7, second-half deficit to beat Desert Mountain 35-30, the Eagles should do well. Now they know what it takes to dig out of large holes. Just let senior quarterback Will Haskell go to work. Haskell added another go-to guy last week with former Tolleson athlete James McElhenny playing his first game and contributing to the comeback with a touchdown catch.
Notre Dame’s defense has improved in the last couple of week with the return of OLB/DE J.D. Roberts, who missed most of the season due to a shoulder injury. In his last two games, he had eight tackles in a win over Horizon and eight more tackles in the quarterfinal win over Phoenix Sunnyslope. The Saints offense has been less predictable with QB Tyler Schweigert turning it on in the last three games, throwing for 685 yards and eight TDs, completing 45 of 66 passes. That passing game is opening up the run for Luke Nash, who is coming off his best game with 144 yards and three TDs rushing in the 42-7 win over Sunnyslope. Never say never about Ironwood and it’s resiliency. But Notre Dame appears to be peaking at the right time.
Prediction: Notre Dame wood 28
35,
Iron