Tyler Henry
ASU Student Journalist

Early "playoff" run continues for Hamilton at Basha

October 5, 2018 by Tyler Henry, Arizona State University


Hamilton tears through their banner before an early season clash with Tolleson (Photo courtesy of AZ Central)

Fall has arrived in Arizona, and with it, temperatures below triple digits. But while autumn ensures cooler weather, it also guarantees that the Friday night lights will shine brighter than ever.

With the football playoffs scheduled to begin in four weeks, many teams will begin their playoff runs in late Sepember.

“Our playoffs started last week at Brophy,” Hamilton head coach Mike Zdebski said.

The Huskies fell behind early this season, starting 0-2 against Chaparral and Highland, but followed the slow start up with a 3-1 run, placing them back in contention for a playoff spot at No. 14 in 6A. However, Hamilton ends its 2018 season with four very tough, one-loss regional opponents, including Brophy, who they fell to last week, 14-13.

“It all comes down to turnovers and penalties. That’s how it’s been from day one,” Zdebski said. “We always give up more penalties than our opponents. You take that out and we could be having a completely different conversation right now.”

Following the loss to Brophy, Hamilton fell to 3-4 on the year, and travels to Basha tonight for a battle with the 5-1 Bears.

One newer face that could give the Huskies an edge going forward is junior quarterback and Casteel transfer Nick Arvay. The newly eligible Arvay will make his third start for the Huskies this season following a rough five-interception outing against Brophy. 

Despite the early struggles,  Zdebski is confident that Arvay will be the leader of this team going forward.

“He’s our guy, absolutely, no doubt,” Zdebski said. “He hasn’t really had an opportunity to start in a while. He may try to force some things sometimes but he’s a good QB, a great kid, and a very coachable guy.”

Arvay won’t be the only quarterback getting his third start this week. Basha will once again turn to junior Gabe Friend, as senior starter Connor Phelan continues to recover from a low-grade shoulder injury.

“Gabe has been doing absolutely amazing,” Phelan said. “I’m so proud of the way he stepped up in the Red Mountain game when I couldn’t play. He’s becoming a true leader on this team and someone to keep your eye on.”

Basha head coach Chris McDonald seemed confident in Friend as the starter and continued to focus on the defensive success the Bears have found this season, allowing less than 14 points per game.

“We can’t go into this final stretch expecting to light up fireworks and put up 40-50 points like some of these teams are capable of doing,” he said. “We’ve just got to go out there, keep playing solid football and see what happens.”

With a senior-laden roster and a lot of positive momentum, Basha is looking forward to making the most out of their success, as winning has brought a new energy to this team.

“We’re all in on this season,” McDonald said. “We’re throwing all our chips in the pot and we’ll see what happens.

In the last 13 years, Hamilton is 9-0 against Basha. Tonight's game begins at 7 p.m.