Rams seek to close season in style against Tempe High School Friday

Maricopa High School football coach Cory Nenaber is hoping his team (2-7, 1-3) will finish the season in the same fashion as his 2010 Rams did, with a victory at Tempe High School Friday. He just hopes it won’t be exactly the same way.

Maricopa’s 19-18 win a year ago came about in as bizarre a manner as you’ve ever seen. In a confusing turn of events, Tempe appeared to get five downs on a series with the clock ticking toward zero. Then, when the Buffalos attempted a desperation field goal on “fifth down” in the closing seconds, things got even crazier. The kick never really got off the ground and hit one of the Tempe guards.

By rule, if the kick does not reach the line of scrimmage it is a free ball, giving THS a chance to pick it up and run with it. Which is exactly what they did. Amid the confusion, with many of the Rams thinking the kick was simply no good and it was their ball, Maricopa’s K.J. Diehl made a game-saving tackle inside the one-yard line.

So, understandably, Nenaber would rather not see that kind of an ending again. But another season-ending victory? Now, that’s another story.
Nenaber freely admits that trying to predict what the Buffalos (1-8, 1-3) will do Friday night is hard to determine.

“I’ve seen three different films on them and they’ve run three different offenses and three different defenses, so it’s tough to prepare for,” he said. “It’s Senior Night for them. They’re going to be emotional. We have to come out and do what what’ve done for the last three weeks.”

During that time MHS has won twice and lost a heart-breaking decision to Coolidge a week ago.

“We want to send our seniors out the right way, with a win, and keep getting better for next year,” he said.

The Buffalos use a freshman quarterback, Emmanuel Gant, who has completed 55 of 112 passes for 728 yards and seven touchdowns. They also feature three running backs, Raija Holt (390 yards), Dequan Hughes (357) and Clayton Kelly (323) who have contributed to a 164-yard per game rushing attack.

However, the Rams counter with one of the top backs in the region, Randel Barber, who has now gained 1,124 yards and scored 16 rushing TDs entering the final game of his career. He has averaged 175.2 per game over the last five contests and had 14 of his scores over that stretch. Adding in his junior season, Barber comes into his final game with 1,579 yards and a total of 23 touchdowns.

Zach Jones has also added some key yards for the Rams in recent games, and sophomore quarterback Dallas Speer has begun to come into his own. Against Coolidge, he passed for 112 yards, completing six of 11 attempts.

The two teams have faced four common opponents. Each lost to Campo Verde, Arcadia and Seton Catholic, but maybe the most telling results came against Scottsdale Coronado. The Buffalos lost, 63-31, but Maricopa streaked to a 41-7 lead after three quarters over CHS before winning, 48-34.

It will be the second year in a row that Maricopa and Tempe will close the season against each other, both times on the road for the Rams. Game time is 7 p.m