Game Previews
by AZPreps365.com Staff

#2 Saguaro Aims For 7th Straight Win Against #17 Greenway

October 17, 2013 by Game Previews, AZPreps365


The Saguaro Sabercats aim for a seventh straight win on Friday as they host the Greenway Demons in Scottsdale. The Sabercats are currently second in Division III in the AIA365.com Rankings (http://www.aia365.com/rankings/football/d3), while the Demons are 17th and fighting for their playoff lives.

Saguaro (6-1) is coming off an impressive 40-31 win at Williams Field last Friday. The Sabercats beat Queen Creek the week before, handing both teams their first losses of the season. The Bulldogs and Black Hawks are ranked third and fourth, respectively.

The Sabercats have a tough stretch to end the season. After Greenway, Saguaro hosts 10th-ranked Higley (6-1) and then wraps up the year at Marcos de Niza (5-2), which is ranked fifth in Division II.

Luke Rubenzer is having a solid senior season for the Sabercats. He has completed 70 percent of his passes for 1,929 yards with 25 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He also has a team-leading 577 yards and three scores on the ground.

The Demons (4-3) have won two of their last three games including a 50-7 rout of Independence last week. Greenway will need a strong finish to earn one of the nine at-large bids into the playoffs. The Demons, searching for their first trip to the postseason since 2010, host Dysart (1-6) next week before ending the regular season at Goldwater (3-4).

Kade Greenhalgh has thrown for 1,203 yards with 16 TD's and four interceptions for Greenway. He also leads the team with 402 rushing yards and five touchdowns. In order to pull off the upset, the Demons will need solid play by Greenhalgh and the defense to step up. Saguaro is averaging nearly 50 points per game this season while giving up just 19 points a contest.

Saguaro is 2-0 all-time against Greenway, but the teams haven't played since back-to-back meetings in 2005 and 2006.

 

Thomas Jenkins