Two Central Phoenix teams are seeking their first wins Friday night under the lights of the Cortez High football field.

Both the St. Mary’s Knights and Cortez High Colts are 0-3 but eager to pull out their first wins.

“Continue to stay the course and persevere” is the mentality St. Mary’s head coach Tom Brittain says they will have throughout the season.

“We’ve had two games that came right down to the wire against two good teams, so I think we’re doing the right things and we’re getting better every week,” he said.

St. Mary’s lost by one possession in two of its three games, giving the team hope that it can pull this one out against a not-so-tough opponent. Brittain partly attributes the losses to the fact that there are only 20 players active on the team — out of a 32-man roster — due to multiple injuries.

One injury that will prove tough for this team to overcome is the shoulder injury to the dynamic Sam Bryant, who plays running back, wide receiver and occasionally outside linebacker. Bryant is expected to be out a minimum of three weeks but is determined to be at every practice.

“I’m going to be out here trying to help them get better in every way I can,” said Bryant.

While he acknowledges that “it might hurt a little bit” without him on the field, he is confident that with the same line and everyone doing their job, they will be able to pull out a win.

Another key player, Alex Pacheco, is “feeling pretty good” about Friday’s game. As a senior quarterback, Pacheco has been the leader for this St. Mary’s team.

“Lack of discipline for some games and passion for others” is what he believes is the reason for the losses. However, he is ready and prepared for this Cortez team.

Pacheco has passed for 384 yards, thrown five touchdowns, three interceptions and has an average of 128 passing yards per game. Brittain credited Pacheco as a key player on the team and stated he has been a great part of their offense.

Liam Phelan is another vital piece to this St. Mary’s team. As a middle linebacker, fullback and tailback, he prides himself on being the defensive leader.

“I’m supposed to be the one making the big hits and the big play,” Phelan said.

Just as Brittain said, he too faults the losses on lack of players. However, he says everyone is working “super hard and are really fired up all the time.” Phelan is optimistic about the upcoming game and is confident that they will “kick some butt.”

“I think we’re doing the right things, and we’re getting better every week,” said Brittain. “We’re just doing the same things, trusting that we’re going to get better.”