It was just another record breaking night at the office for Yuma Catholic running back Kody Hazlett as he led the Shamrocks to a 49-8 victory over San Tan Foothills.
With four touchdowns and 206 yards, Hazlett broke a few barriers Friday night. He brought his regular season total to 2,022 yards and broke the single season rushing record of 1,928 yards set by Ed Harris in 2009.
But like any team player, if you ask him about the records, it’s no big deal.
“[The record] means a lot,” Hazlett said. “But it’s more for everyone, not just me. I wanted to be able to do it with all the guys up front. Now doesn’t mean anything until we win state. That’s the next thing.”
The Shamrocks will find out who they’re facing in the first round of the first round of the state playoff at 9 a.m. Saturday.
On a night where not much went right for San Tan Foothills, coach Rodger Schenks knows his young team will take this loss as a learning experience.
“Our freshmen and sophomores now know what it’s like to play a top four or five team in state,” he said. “We’ll take our knocks, drive home and see what we need to do get better.”
With nine freshmen and sophomores on their starting offense, the Sabercats have some room to grow in the offseason.
“We only have two seniors,” Schenks said. “Hopefully they’ll understand what it takes to get to that next level. Last year these kids were playing for stickers and orange slices, and now we’re asking them to line up and play for a state championship. Mentally it’s a big thing for these guys, but we have to coach them and work with the kids that we have.”
Despite the blowout loss to the Shamrocks, there’s a slim chance San Tan Foothills will have a shot at the postseason.
“We find out (Saturday) if hopefully we snuck in and end up being a 15 or 16 seed still and help them get ready for next week,” Schenks said.
