Preview: Unbeaten MHS faces emotional game against Tempe (video)

The Maricopa High School Rams will host the Tempe High School Buffaloes in an emotional section clash Friday night.

Last year, Tempe won a close game 49-41 over Maricopa at Rams Field in the opening game of the 2014 season. Close losses are part of a learning process for young teams, but watching members of the Buffaloes team dance on the “M” at midfield after the game upset many of the players.

That includes 12 seniors on the 2015 roster who played in the game last year, and they haven’t forgotten the insulting gesture.

“They’ve had this game circled on the calendar after what transpired last year, so they’re looking forward to it,” MHS football head coach Chris McDonald said. “It was a very tight game that went back and forth. We came up on the short end of the stick and there were some post-game things that transpired on our field, and our players remember it.”

On offense, the Rams will look to continue the balanced attack that has been so effective to start the year.

A high ankle sprain to sophomore running back Cameron Sanders could still be an issue, but the emergence of junior running back Maverick Agram last week against Apache Junction gives the offense plenty of confidence in both the passing and rushing attack.

The key for the offense will be the front line opening holes for running backs and providing senior quarterback Aaron Owens time to pass the ball. Tempe’s defensive line is expected to be larger than the Rams front five, but the experience of the Maricopa line could be the difference in the trenches.

“They have a line that’s bigger than us, but this is a big game for our kids,” McDonald said. “We’re very similar teams with similar styles. They have athletes just like we do.”

For the defense, the key will be slowing down the Buffaloes passing game. Tempe Junior quarterback Damian Triana is a dual-threat player who leads his team in both passing and rushing yards. The Rams defense will look to disrupt his rhythm and prevent him from reaching senior wide receiver Bilal Muhammad, who has hauled in 17 passes and three touchdowns so far this season.

“The quarterback is a good athlete, and Bilal Muhammad is a good player, too,” McDonald said. “They’ve got plenty of athletes. They have some pieces that can hurt you.”

Friday night’s game will be the first Rams home game since the season opener nearly a month ago. Maricopa is one of just five unbeaten teams left in Arizona Interscholastic Association Division III football. The Rams want to reach the halfway point of their season with a 5-0 overall record and a 2-0 record in section play.

Tempe, on the other hand, has started the season just 1-3. However, just like Apache Junction High School last week, the Buffaloes will be playing with renewed life as they enter section play for the first time this season.

“This week we need to stay focused at practice,” senior all-purpose player Isaiah Pedro said. “This one is going to be an emotional game. We’ll take it to heart, but we’re going to go out there and do our job and hopefully we’ll get the win.”

Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. at Rams Field on the high school campus at 45012 W. Honeycutt Ave. in Maricopa. Halftime will be the official launch of events for Homecoming, which is Oct. 23.