Stryder Bigler is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Red Mountain High School for AZPreps365.com.

 

Undefeated is not enough for the Red Mountain High School varsity football team. Even with a 3-0 to start the season, players and Coach Kyle Enders are looking for more.

No. 13-ranked Red Mountain faces an unfamiliar foe on September 20 at 7 p.m. when the No. 35-ranked Downey Vikings from Downey, California, make the trek to Mesa, Arizona. 

While Enders said his team is prepared for the upcoming matchup, it is difficult to assess the other team when they know so little about their opponents.

Preparation is of the utmost importance to securing a win for their squad, Enders added.

“They have all their games on YouTube, so we have seen all their four games,” he said. "We use breakdown data on two or three of them.”

Senior Simon Lopez said he prepared for this matchup by getting in a lot of reps.

“Always being prepared,” he said. “Working with the offense, working with the line, just making sure everything is right.”

With an undefeated start to the season, Enders said some high school football games are close and the team that out-executes is usually the team to win the game.

“When you're playing some of those top tier teams, it comes down to a few plays,” Enders said.

Junior Westin Hancock said he feels prepared to go out and execute the game plan set by Coach Enders.

“Lot of film watching, getting prepared, looking at what I'm going up against,” Hancock said.

Both schools enter this matchup undefeated. Downey's last game was a shutout against Westlake High School 21-0. 

Red Mountain's average margin of victory is 42 points and most recently beating Desert Ridge 54-7.

Enders has to remind his players to take it one game at a time.

“It’s week by week, man,” Enders said. “They seen it last year. We took some tough losses at the end of games. Nothing budged. They knew it's just a matter of we are right there. Nobody folded. Nobody pointed fingers.”

Junior Jameson Wade said he is excited to put the state of Arizona and California on notice with their play this weekend.

“I think we are gonna show them what Arizona football is about,” Wade said.