On Friday, August 18th, two intense rivals met for the beginning of a legendary season. Dubbed the Ray Road Rivalry, Arizona College Preparatory faced off against the Chandler Preparatory Academy in a riveting game that crossed the entire field endlessly. The Knights started strong on defense in the first half, offering only two field goals, and kept the entire crowd on their toes. Several times, the Knights pushed through the CPA defensive line and nearly into the end-zone only to be met with intense defense to match. 

The second half may have fared worse on the scoreboard, but the Knights truly held the team together despite injuries across both teams. When the CPA Titans pushed forward, our Knights rose to the occasion with a ferocity heretofore unseen on the field. One thing is for sure – the Knights held their own and held strong against a crushing offense.

What Improved Since Last Season?

The Varsity Football team, above all else, played as a singular unit than a group of athletes. The defensive line success in the first half can be attributed to cohesive planning from corner-back to corner-back.

What’s The Team Looking To Improve?

The offensive line cohesiveness is a priority for the Knights. Our QBs on the team, Mark Chavez and Benito Canales, are capable of hurling bullets straight to our receivers, but the offensive line is often unprepared for the pass. Contrarily, the Quarterbacks may be too pressured by the opposing team and toss interceptions or offer sacks left and right. Getting the receivers in line with the quarterback is a necessity for this team of growing skill and individual growth across the board.

Is This An Indicator of The Rest of The Season?

The first football game for any team can always be a radical outlier from the rest of the season. By comparison, our Knights have already significantly improved on all fronts; the defensive line only let 23 points through their ranks, and the offensive line continued to pound away at a significantly dwindling opponent. The rest of the season is more than promising as our Knights work even harder to create a cohesive line that simply knows when to be ready. Just from game one, it’s clear that the Knights are ready for a season that ACP will not soon forget.