Grammer: No shortage of motivation for Sunnyside vs. Salpointe
GEOFF GRAMMER
Tucson Citizen

If the Sunnyside High football team simply treated Friday night's game against Salpointe Catholic as just another football game, well, then it wouldn't be Sunnyside.

The program that coach Richard Sanchez has built into one of Arizona's most consistent over the past 16 years has always been at its best when playing with a chip on its shoulder.

And while the annual showdown against the Lancers has developed into Tucson's best rivalry game, that doesn't mean the Blue Devils players aren't trying to convince themselves there is even more on the line in Friday night's Tucson Citizen Spotlight Game of the Week.

"Salpointe can have all the money, all the cars, whatever," Sunnyside junior defensive back/running back Alfred Leon said. "But they can't have football. Not this week. Not here on our field. The whole community comes together for this. It's games like this when you remember that it's all about family here."

And while Sanchez wouldn't go as far as talking about any perceived socioeconomic differences between the two schools, he said, "I'd be lying if I said it was just another game."

Sunnyside won three of the past four games in the series, including a 17-0 shutout in 2007 at Salpointe.

Salpointe coach Dennis Bene, who points out "at least half" of his 50-player varsity roster attends the private Catholic school on some form of financial aid, said the Lancers try hard to treat every game as the biggest of the year.

"I think it tends to be a bigger game for Sunnyside than it is for Salpointe," Bene said. "That's not to say its not big for us, but I think there are a lot of teams that want us to be their rival. I have to keep my kids focused on the big picture. You try and keep it in the perspective of the next game will always be bigger than the last."

Bene has his work cut out trying to get his Lancers (3-0) to come down from the high they were on last week when they upset defending Class 5A Division I state champion Phoenix Brophy Prep 17-9.

"We let them enjoy that one until about Monday," Bene said. "Then we set our sights on Sunnyside."

Sunnyside (2-1) was much quicker to turn the page on its 42-0 win over Phoenix Central.

"We talked about Salpointe right after that game," Sanchez said. "They enjoyed (the win) for about 20 minutes."

For Sunnyside senior running back Manny Aguilar, it doesn't get any bigger than an opportunity to knock off an unbeaten Salpointe team at home. "This game is all about pride," Aguilar said. "I know what they've done so far this year, but I also know what my team - especially my offensive line - is capable of. We get the Salpointe stuff thrown in our face all the time down on this side of town, and we get a chance on Friday to settle it on the field."