Friday, Aug. 26, did not provide the start to the Camp Verde High School football season any Cowboy wanted or anticipated.
A first-quarter deficit of one touchdown increased two times by halftime at Chino Valley High School, which proceeded to pour on three more touchdowns in the third quarter in a 52-0 final.
Changes, it was almost needless for Steve Darby to say afterwards, will be made for the Friday,
Sept. 2, home opener at 7 p.m. against Scottsdale Christian Academy, the sixth-ranked team in the 2A Conference.
“We will make needed adjustments this week,” the fourth-year Cowboys head coach said after junior starter Payton Sarkesian and senior backup Trey Terry combined to lose four fumbles despite throwing for eight more yards than the Cougars. “We will put this last game behind us and move forward.”
That task will keep Darby and his staff busy in practice this week with drills and position changes following a third-quarter collapse the Cowboys offense had no answer for.
The culprits, Darby said, were poor pass protection and ball management, resulting in a total of five turnovers — all fumbles.
“None of the turnovers were forced,” Darby said. “Payton received a hard hit late in the second quarter that affected his play the rest of the night.”
That hit ushered in Terry, who coughed up the ball three times due to simple nerves, Darby said.
“When Trey came in, he admitted he had the first-game jitters,” Darby said. “Trey will bounce back and be fine.
“Our quarterbacks were rushed hard all night, giving them little time to throw.”
Further crippling the CVHS offense was the absence, unspecified by Darby, of two starters from the opener — senior wideout Carson Zale and junior lineman and punter Mikey Salas, whose return this week should “shore up the rest of the defense,” Darby added.
It was that CVHS defense, led by 30 combined tackles split between juniors Bryce Garcia and Ryan Loza, that kept the Cowboys within striking distance to start the second quarter after the Cougars missed the extra point attempt following their opening touchdown on the ground.
“Bryce Garcia has been impressing us all preseason,” Darby said, “so we knew he would perform well.”
A sack, to go with a 35-yard pass reception and 74 kickoff return yards for Loza, provided positive contributions as well for CVHS.
“Loza had a decent night returning the ball,” Darby said. “We hope to get him more involved in the offense this week.”
Junior Kevin Oothoudt played a great game at safety, Darby added. Oothoudt, with four punts for 140 yards, also filled in ably for Salas.
