As Sam Sees It<br>
No football game between the Winslow Bulldogs and the Holbrook Roadrunners is meaningless. These two old rivals will lay it all on the line whether the contest is for a regional championship, to stay out of the league cellar or a contest between a highly successful team and one that just can’t find a way to win. The 2002 version of the I-40 rivalry may well be one of the most important such meetings.
The winner of the Nov. 1 contest will probably be the Enchantment Region (3A North) Champion. Both had contests on Friday and needed wins to come into the contest with unblemished league records. A Hopi upset of Holbrook could have even forced the possibility of a three-way tie for that title.
The Roadrunners had two losses going into Friday’s games, while Winslow had only one. Both teams lost to top-ranked Snowflake. Holbrook also lost to Payson in its other non-regional game. Winslow upset defending state champion Blue Ridge in its other non-regional contest.
The Bulldogs have run up bigger margins against virtually all regional foes and will likely be the odds on favorite for the big game. The Roadrunners will be on their home turf, though, and that usually means something.
A lot is at stake as far as seeding for the play-offs is concerned. Both teams will already be assured of being there, but the loser will likely open against a highly seeded team on the road. The winner will almost surely have a home game in which it will be the favorite. Simply put, winning on Friday will greatly increase either team’s chances of winning in the first round of the play-offs.
Winslow fans have a team to be proud of. They should make the trek to Holbrook and show their support for a team that has earned it. A win will probably mean a game in Winslow on Nov. 8 and one more chance to see some very talented seniors perform on their home field. We should not, however, take a victory over the Roadrunners for granted. That, too, will have to be earned on the field of play.
Covering sports for The Winslow Mail has plenty of rewards far beyond salary. One of the most rewarding things for me has been the friendships formed among other journalists and people met at the games. Unfortunately, this year has seen two such friends succumb to the ravages of cancer.
Joe Black, former Major League pitcher and Diamondbacks Community Relations Director, died of prostate cancer in the spring. Jerome Blanton, sports editor of the Arizona Informant, died within the past several weeks of pancreatic cancer. Both were very good men and will be greatly missed. Both had a wealth of friends in and out of the press box.
Congratulations to the Arizona Cardinals for their 9-6 overtime victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 20. This was not the most artistic game ever played, but the Arizona defense especially was magnificent. Regardless of how Sunday’s game in San Francisco came out, the Cardinals should be in the fight for a play-off berth.
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