Every week Apollo football hears its record diminished by a chorus of voices saying that it hasn’t played anybody.

So every week – 10 in a row at this point after a second-week 38-33 loss to Sunnyslope – the Hawks take the field and blow the doors off the next team in line.

Naysayers are running out of weeks. And no one would describe the Hawks’ next opponent as a pushover.

“The Sunnyslope game offered us a lot of things we could fix. The hard part after Sunnyslope, and what everybody’s looking at on the other side of the 17 is, ‘who did you play?’” Apollo coach Aaron Walls said. “And I don’t think they realize our starters are out after the half because it was already done.”

If #12 seed Casa Grande was an easy mark (doubtful) in a first round Apollo rout, battle tested #13 seed Campo Verde would provide a much stiffer test.

The 6-5 Coyotes lost to Open Division teams Highland and Desert Mountain, defending 5A champion Higley, Millennium and Sunnyslope. And Campo Verde entered the Nov. 17 quarterfinal off its highest point since 2019, a 28-21 upset of #4 seed Cactus a couple miles up the road on Nov. 9.

For some observers unfamiliar with Apollo, Campo Verde was the team most likely to pull a road upset Friday night.

“We wanted to prove everyone wrong. Everyone had us as an upset,” senior tailback/safety Adam Mohammed said. “We lost to them last year but this is a brand new team. We’re willing to play everyone.”

Campo Verde's dreams of another upset were dashed - literally - in about seven minutes. That's how long it took for Apollo to race to a 21-0 lead.

University of Arizona-bound back Mohammed took the opening snap in (appropriately) the Wildcat formation and raced for an 80-yard touchdown. Then the Hawks forced a quick three and out and senior cornerback/receiver Trey Smith returned the ensuing punt 67 yards for a touchdown.

“Usually every week they don’t give me a chance, man. But once that ball’s in the air I’m going to go get it. And I promise you, I’m going to go return it,” Smith said. “Don’t give me a chance.”

Then Sophomore Elijah White intercepted junior Treyson Shahan, setting up a 14-yard rushing touchdown by Mohammed.

Campo Verde regained its bearings and scored on a five-yard run by Andrew Mask. But Apollo added another score before the end of the opening quarter as junior quarterback Sylus Stevenson kept the ball on a read option play and ran it in.

The Coyotes settled down defensively and made a crucial special teams play in the final minute after Mohammd had to fall on an early snap at his one. Senior Gavin Silene blocked a punt and his teammates recovered at the Hawks' 18.

On the next play, Shahan rolled right then hit senior running back Athan Ferber on a throwback screen for a walk in 18-yard touchdown. There was reason for the home team to worry entering halftime, at least until the near Coyotes kickoff.

Campo Verde took over to start the third and pounded the rock. Apollo slowed the visitors at the 24 and Kyle Stacy kicked a 41-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 28-17.

Then he kicked off to Smith, who fumbled the kick initially, recovered it on the bounce and slashed through the coverage unit for a 66-yard return. Mohammed scored on the next snap from 28 yards out and the Coyotes' six-minute drive was in vain.

“There was a little bit of concern tonight, especially going into the half, because these guys haven’t had to play a second half game. They responded,” Walls said. “Our special teams have been through the roof. I think we had two big kickoff returns and one punt return. Who are you going to kick to, Trey or Adam? Kam’s back there too. So you’d better kick it into the end zone.”

Undaunted, Campo Verde went back to the ground and Mask punched in another one, from a yard out. It was 35-24 late in the third quarter.

Smith and Mohammed wouldn't see this kickoff. Stacy drilled the ball into the turf and it boundced straight to the second line of the return team and senior cornerback Jordan Walker. It was Walker's turn for a backbreaking return.

“Who else are they going to kick it to? They kicked it to 10 (Walker) and he got a kick return,” Smith said. “If you watch, our kickoff return is banging every week.

Seventy yards later Walker had another return touchdown and Apollo finally [ulled away from the resilient Coyotes.

“It was really crazy. I saw it coming,” Walker said. “They had four on the right side and the two and two had split. There was a hole wide open in the middle, so I just grabbed the ball and went.”

The fourth quarter was quiet, save a one-yard touchdown by Mohammed that made the final score 49-24.

Then the decibel level picked up as it was time to celebrate Apollo's first state semifinal appearance since 1985 - and only its third in 53 years of varsity football. The other Hawks semifinal squad was in 1979.

“To the community, I feel like it means everything. This school’s never had a ring. And we’re ring chasing right now,” Waler said.

Now the kids with rings are in the way. Defending champion and #1 seed Higley plays host to Apollo in a 5A semifinal at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24 in Gilbert.

A lot is on the shoulders of the Hawks' front seven against the typical warp speed offense. It is taked with slowing down senior tailback Daxen Hall - one of Mohammed's competitiors as Arizona's top back with 1,881 yards and 23 touchdowns on 224 carries.

Plus a pair of undersized rush ends will need to harass sophomore quarterback Gunner Fagrell (2,381 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, 9 interceptions).

“We’re trying to figure out how far can we go into this thing with guys playing on both sides of the ball. It’s Week 13 and we’re beat up. Those guys worked hard and they really worked hard all summer,” Walls said. “Angel Hernandez and Joseph Sumpter have really stepped up their games. Damian Khaivilay (Coll-e-av) and Kalev Escobar, those two showed up and they were linebackers last year. We ended up moving them down to d-line and those guys give people fits, especially teams like Campo that are built to run the ball and now have to pass pro against a smaller, quicker lineman.”

Hernandez is the line's main two-way ironman. Mohammed's future University of Arizona teammates Matthew Lado and Michael Watkins typically alternate at defensive tackle, with Lado seeing more snaps.

Three juniors, Sar Thaw, Mason Cole and Donavyn Estrada, stepped up this year to make sure linebacker would not be a weakness.

“Donovan Estrada at linebacker, he couldn’t play with us last time, but he plays a great game every time he plays. Mason Cole is great all around, great in coverage and great in the box. Sar Thaw is a great hitter coming downhill,” Walker said.

Mohammed is the fifth and youngest boy in his family to play for the Hawks and would run the field nearly a decade ago during breaks in older brother Mohammed's practices.

While the brother closest to him in age, Ahamed Mohammed, became this basketball school's all-time leading scorer and now plays at West Texas A&M, Adam returned the family name to the field.

Earlier this season, he broke the school rushing record of 3,820 yards held by former New York Giant and Chicago Bear Prince Amukamara. Now at 5,078 yards and counting (2,045 of that this season) Mohammed can appreciate how far Apollo football has come.

“I’ve been around the program for a while. Seeing everything unfold right in front of us is a blessing,” Mohammed said.

Amukamara's senior season head coach was Zach Threadgill was Apollo's coach through the 2018 season. Walls moved up from offensive line coach in 2019 and struggled to mesh with play callers.

Then Threadgill agreed to come back as offensive coordinator. With Bennet McLaughlin, a former staff mate during Larry Fetkenhier's last decade as Cactus coach, handling the defense, Walls could focus on the line again and everything fell into place.

This Apollo staff is like a meshing of Threadgill's Hawks coaches with Fetkenhier's Cobra crew - including Chris Laskos, recently honored by the Arizona Coaches Hall of Fame for more than 20 years as an assistant.

Walls said he's happy these coaches, and the greater Apollo community, will no longer be off the radar.

“I think a lot of people just say, ‘Oh, it’s Apollo. They’re in the hood. These guys don’t know what they’re doing. They might have a couple of players, but they’re not coached.’ The coaching staff here is fantastic. I’ve got a lot of guys that are experienced, that have been with me and that I trust,” Walls said. “I’m super proud for this community and that we get to represent this community in the final four. It’s been a long road. COVID threw us for a loop. We lost some kids before that time. We lost some big kids before this season, one kid transferred to Chaparral and another transferred to somewhere else. I’m proud of the kids that stayed and did what they were supposed to do. We’ve worked them harder than any other group.”