TUCSON — "We got to figure out a way to get over the hump," Pat Ryden, head coach of the Salpointe Lancers football team, said.
Since moving up to 6A, Salpointe Catholic hasn't made it past the semifinals, and the team is determined to change that Friday night.
The Lancers confidence going into Friday night against Casteel High School starts with what they've already proven: winning games away from home.
Salpointe didn't just survive it's brutal schedule, it embraced it. The Lancers spent much of the fall on the road in Phoenix, taking on some of the toughest programs in Arizona and walking out with statement wins.
Those long bus rides, loud crowds and play-off level environments forced this team to grow up fast.
Ryden says that's exactly why the schedule was crafted the way it was. Every challenge, every road game, every hostile atmosphere was meant to prepare the Lancers for moments like Friday night's 6A semifinal against Casteel.
