For the first time in ACP’s football career, our foot ball team qualifies for state!  The whole season our football team has dominated and marched across the field toward success.  They’ve worked hard and it’s paying off!  To qualify for state, a foot ball team has to win a certain amount of games, and we have gone far past the quota!  Many of our games were knock-outs like the Homecoming game that was 42-0 or the most recent game against Gilbert Christian which was 21-0!  Our football team has given their all at every game and this weekend they are participating in the playoffs!  The playoffs will be going on for the next five weeks and will determine who really is the best in the state!  This would be amazing for ACP history and a great way to go out as a senior playing football like our Captain, James Chadwick.

I interviewed Coach Blueford to see what this could mean for our football team’s future and what it is to be in the playoffs.

Q: How many games do you have to win to qualify for state?  

A: There really isn’t a set amount of wins. The AIA (Arizona Interscholastic Association) has a formula that combines the amount of wins, strength of schedule and region play to determine who plays in the post season.

Q: What did you change to make your team more effective this year versus last year?

A: I really didn’t change anything. We started the program with players who had never played football before. Now they are experienced, bigger, faster and stronger. As their abilities continued to grow, we were able to implement more of our playbook. That created more confidence in our players and has resulted in a good season.

Q: How do the playoffs work in terms of going to state?

A: We have four rounds of the playoffs that end with a championship game at Campo Verde. All teams in the playoffs are tough, but our path to the championship is doable if we play to our programs standard. Each week we will play a game unless eliminated. Our team is very confident that if we play well, we can play with anyone in our bracket.

Q: How has qualifying for state for the first time in ACP’s history raised the morale and pride among the football players?

A: There is definitely a sense of confidence and excitement. More than just making the playoffs, there is more excitement for accomplishing a goal that we set in camp this summer. Our players have worked really hard for two years and set their own expectations. So all though we are extremely happy with being in the playoffs, there is a sense among our team that we belong and not being satisfied with just making the playoffs. We are truly Claiming Our Throne!

Our football players will be playing their first AIA State Playoff game against Blue Ridge High School this Friday, November 8th at 7:00 P.M..  Be sure to go to the game and cheer on our team as they break school records in their advancing march toward winning it all.  They have worked so hard earning a record of 8-2, an unimaginable goal from last years record of 1-9, but they did it, so let’s cheer on our dedicated players!  Good luck and have fun, Knights!