ArizonaVarsity Breakdown: Cibola 19, Havasu 17

I was able to see a great game between 6A Yuma Cibola and 4A Lake Havasu last Saturday in the NAU Skydome last Saturday, as what looked like an early blowout turned into an absolute slugfest that came down to a thrilling ending. Here are my notes and observations from Cibola's 19-17 win over Havasu on 8/25/18.

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Adam Raney got a few sideline chuckles when the stout, 5-11, 220-pound punter walked out onto the field for the Raiders- but the chuckles stopped when he boomed a 44-yarder with his left foot, surprising Havasu and causing their returner to have to backpedal and ultimately muff the punt. He also showed himself to be quite the nimble tight end, and had a productive day on the defensive line as well.

Talk about guts. After a rough first half and an early interception, Ethan Arvizo settled down and led his team on several crucial drives. He had a fourth down QB sneak for Cibola's only first half score, and when he had a second half TD pass was negated due to a penalty, he came back on the ensuing drive to throw for a score, and then later connected on what would be the game winning TD pass on 4th down.

Zeke Rios had a good day overall, totaling 187 yards of total offense- but had Cibola lost- he'd have been remembered for fumbling the ball away when the Raiders were trying to run the clock out late in the game. Fortunately for Rios, the defense gave him a second shot at running down the clock, and he broke free for a long run to ice the game.

I didn't expect to see a potential D1 prospect in this game, but I have to say, I think Jace Taylor can play at the next level. He's tall, moves well, and is fast enough to cause problems with more than just his 6-5 height. He had 7 catches for 118 yards in the first half alone.

In the first half especially, Paul Davis is one of the main reasons Cibola's offense struggled to get comfortable. He was only credited with one sack, but I had him noted as taking down Ethan Arvizo on back-to-back plays in the first quarter.

It's not often that the kicker gets love, but this kid was fun to watch. He had a massive 48-yard gain on a fake punt to set himself up for a field goal, and scored one of Havasu's two rushing touchdowns on the day.

The best thing about this game is that it was good! I went to three games in week one, and this was my fourth of week two, and it was the first that wasn't a blowout. I really liked Cibola's patience and poise considering how much they were pushed around in the first half. I'm not sure that with the new rules in place they'll even have an opportunity to make a playoff run in 2018, but this could definitely be a team that provides fro some great contests throughout the regular season.

I was not impressed with the way Havasu called their offense in the second half. They went into the break with Jace Taylor having 7 catches for 118 yards, and he finished with 7 catches for 118 yards. By the time he was finally targeted with a pass in the fourth quarter, he'd gone cold and dropped the pass. Moreover, two of the three times Johnathan Perez ran the ball, something great happened- so why only give him three touches? Havasu has a big team with a lot of players that look to me to be able to compete well at the 4A level, but without the schemes and ability to adjust I'm afraid they'll make a habit of wasting leads.

There was a rough leg injury at the start of the second half that looked to be season-ending. The player wasn't on the roster, but I'll pass along any updates I hear as I get more info on the situation.

2020 Athlete Jayden Azar is a fun spark plug on the defense or offense. He had an early interception, and added 43 yards on 5 carries. I'd love to see him get more chances to carry the ball.

"How are either of these teams still standing?" - An NAU field worker in the 4th quarter, who made note of the fact that Havasu was playing 6,500 feet above the elevation they drove in from, and Cibola was playing 6,850 feet above what they're used to.

Cibola (1-1) gets an interstate home game against Southwest El Centro (0-1) on 8/31

Havasu (1-1) travels to rival Mohave (1-0) on 8/31