No. 4 Sabino held on to defeat No. 12 Round Valey 28-20 Thursday night to advance to the 3A semifinal round where the Sabercats will take on No. 1 Mohave (11-1) on Saturday, Nov. 18 at Mesa High School at 6 p.m. Mohave beat No. 9 Blue Ridge 54-14 to set up the game with Sabino. No. 2 Valley Christian (11-1) will play No. 3 Paradise Honors (10-2) in the other semifinal game, to be played at 2 p.m. in the first game of the double-header.

Round Valley (7-5) scored first with Brett Jordan hitting Connor Leuker from ten yards out on a fourth down play with 4:15 left in opening quarter but the conversion attempt failed and Sabino took a lead after Cameron Hackworth found Shamar Berryhill all alone from 11 yards out with 9:47 left in the half and a 2-point pass to Savaughn Berryhill made it 8-6.

Jordan replaced Ryker Marble in the first quarter due to an injury but Marbel came back in and he connected on a double pass to Jordan, who hit Brody Crick from 34 yards out, to put the Elks up 12-8 with 4:57 left in the half.

Hackworth came into the night 440 yards shy (8.254) of the career passing record for Southern Arizona currently held by former Catalina Foothills standout Rhett Rodriguez (8,694) but the senior used his feet to keep the Sabercats alive and he broke free for a 9-yard score to put Sabino up 14-12 with 1:59 left in the half and he later ran for 67 yards to put Sabino up 20-12 with 9:25 left in the third quarter but Marble had an answer. Marble hit Crick from 72 yards out and then Marble ran in the conversion to tie the game at 20-20 with 9:03 left in the third.

Hackworth used his feet again on a 17-yard dash to put Sabino up 28-20 with a 2-point pass to Devon Waxwood with 3:39 left in the fourth. Ryker came close to drawing Round Valley closer after he picked up a fumble at his own one but he was stopped after an 80-yard return and Round Valley was unable to score. The play almost mirrored a similar situation where Isaiah Robertson blocked a 47-yard field goal attempt by Marble as time expired in the first half and then Robertson scooped up the ball and he almost ran it back for a score by Marble was able to track him down.

Sabino (9-3) beat Mohave 34-29 at home in late October and Paradise Honors beat Valley Christian 52-33 in late September.