Smith runs wild; Devils trip Lions

By Tyler Hansen
ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Sunnyside rolled into its regular-season finale last season fresh from a 36-point win.

Two years ago, the Blue Devils won by 72 points before the final week. The year before that, they won game No. 8 by 58.

The days of treating its region opponents like a junior varsity team are over, but beating Sunnyside is still a tall order.

The Blue Devils gave visiting Mountain View enough chances to spoil their night Friday, but running back Mike Smith and their customary, punishing defense provided the gusto in a 23-9 victory in a 5A Southern Region game.

Smith carried 34 times for 277 yards and two second-half touchdowns.

"The teams that we're playing now, there are no blowouts," said Sunnyside coach Richard Sanchez, whose team moved up to Class 5A after scoring perpetual blowouts in years past in 4A. "Our starters are playing 48 minutes now, and that's a plus."

The Blue Devils (6-3, 4-0), who started 2-3 against a tough nonregion slate, enter next week's finale at Salpointe Catholic (7-2, 4-0) in a first-place tie with the Lancers.

Smith, a 5-foot-8-inch senior, ran around and through Mountain View's capable defense, but it only produced two field goals in the first half.

He broke loose for a 65-yard TD to open the second half and give Sunnyside a 13-9 lead.

"We weren't clicking at the same time. We'd get something going but couldn't get it in," Smith said.

Even though the Mountain Lions (4-5, 2-2) managed to stay close in the fourth quarter, Smith broke through for a 9-yard TD to clinch it.

Mountain View coach Wayne Jones said the key to defending Smith is to "kindly hold your breath. You stop him two or three times, and the next time he can go the distance."