Black and Blue Rivalry Preview: Prescott vs Bradshaw

Nick Rock November 4, 2021 @ 07:40 PM

In small towns up in northern Arizona, the community eats, sleeps, and breathes high school football, especially in Prescott. Prescott vs Bradshaw is one of the most heated rivalries in the state, and this year it looks like it will also be the deciding factor for the 4A Grand Canyon region title. Throughout the many years of the rivalry, Prescott has been historically dominant over Bradshaw. On Friday nights when Bradshaw plays Prescott, there is a different type of energy up there that is unmatched in any other town in Arizona. Prescott enters the matchup in 1st place in the region at 6-2 under coach Cody Collett, while Bradshaw enters this matchup 5-3 under iconic coach Bob Young, who was very successful in his previous years at Mingus. A lot can happen with these two teams, but one thing for certain, is that this game will have a gritty, mean, and dog fight mentality. Bradshaw’s defense has been lights out lately, surrendering just 3 points in their last 3 games, while Prescott will look to capitalize on their explosive offense. Both squads have some very underrated prospects that I am excited to see get loose, so we’ll see on Friday night who will take home the Granite Mountain Hotshots Rivalry Cup and possibly the 4A Grand Canyon Region Title.

Players to Know: Prescott: [player_tooltip player_id="42932" first="Cody" last="Leopold"], ATH ’23: Leopold is one of the best two way players in 4A with loads of potential on both sides of the ball. He holds excellent position versatility to be able to line up pretty much anywhere on the field and make a significant impact. He’s rushed for 962 yards and 12 TD’s, while adding 103 tackles, and 9 TFL’s. [player_tooltip player_id="193690" first="Cody" last="Hanna"], LB, ’23: Another standout junior for PHS, Hanna has been extremely disruptive by racking up 4.5 sacks and 72 total tackles thus far. Tough and gritty kid that will meet ball carriers in the alley with strength at the POA and a nice striking ability when he can get squared up. Cervando Vega, DB, ’22: Vega has been an absolute ball hawk in the back half this season, recording 4 INT’s, 63 tackles, and 4 TFL’s. Vega has been looking like a well-rounded DB working under DB's coach Cody Colville, and Prescott will need him to fly around and have a solid performance this Friday. Definitely an underrated prospect to keep an eye on. Bradshaw: [player_tooltip player_id="110136" first="Malachi" last="Stephenson"], TE/DE ’22: Stephenson is a solid prospect for Bradshaw with nice frame and build at 6’1" 200lbs. He’s racked up 14 receptions for 141 yards while doing his best work at DE by accumulating 55 tackles and 3.5 sacks thus far and will need to have a huge game on Friday night. Elijah Acuna, RB ’22: Acuna has been a very reliable ball carrier for Bradshaw, carrying the rock 96 times for 674 yards and 8 TD’s. Gabriel Ricketts, RB, ’23: The 1-2 punch with Acuna and Ricketts has been nasty for Bradshaw thus far, as Ricketts has made his mark by rushing for 573 yards and 10 TD’s on 104 carries. Bradshaw is very efficient with the run, so you can expect to see a huge workload between Ricketts and Acuna.

Schedule/Results

Prescott (6-2)	Bradshaw (5-3)
@ Glendale: W 27-13	@ Seton Catholic: L 19-29
Camelback: W 30-20	@ Estrella Foothills: W 39-0
@ Washington: W 56-18	Cactus: L 13-56
@ Lee Williams: W 20-19	@ Youngker: W 34-12
Blue Ridge: L 13-15	Mingus: W 57-45
@ Coconino: W 34-28 (OT)	Lee Williams: L 0-3
Mesquite: L 7-37	@ Flagstaff: W 19-0
Flagstaff: W 29-6	Coconino: W 14-0
*Bradshaw*	*@ Prescott*