The #1 team in the 2A Conference, the Eagles of Thatcher High School, travel to the Dome in Round Valley to take on the #3 Elks. Watch the game by clicking the image below:
Some are saying this will be a preview of the State Championship game. The Elks come to the contest with a single blemish on their record, an 18-13 loss to Silver New Mexico in the second week of the season. Since then some key changes to their offense, most notably the move of Kason Woolf to Quarterback, has Round Valley churning up yards and blowing through opponents, which is reminiscent of last year.
On paper Thatcher could be considered a 25-point (or more) favorite in this game. There are 5 common opponents between Thatcher and Round Valley and Thatcher has a 64-point advantage when you compare margin of victory.
The most glaring example of the Eagles’ dominance can be seen when comparing the Show Low and Santa Cruz games. Round Valley won those games by 7 points and 1 point, respectively. Thatcher defeated Show Low by 54 points and Santa Cruz by 42 points, but Elks fans will be quick to point out that Round Valley has made significant changes to their offense since those games. And when you compare the other three common opponents (St. Johns, Benson, and Morenci), Round Valley has a slight edge.
Regardless of who you root for in this game, it promises to be a good one, and will likely become an instant classic.