Thatcher proceeded to win its state semifinal game after retired Arizona coaching legend Jesse Parker gave the team a pregame pep talk.

But if Thatcher wants to truly be the stuff of legends, then it’ll have to win its final game. The team in Thatcher’s way of its championship ambitions is Round Valley, the consensus No. 1 throughout the 2A Conference’s season.

But Thatcher, which can also claim it’s the best team in 2A in 2016, won’t be in awe of Round Valley, its Saturday championship opponent at Chaparral High.

“This was the main goal from Day 1,” said Round Valley coach Marcus Bell about getting to the 2A final. “That’s why you put the time in in the summer in the weight room. That’s all we could ask for was a chance, and we are here.”

What Bell and his top-seeded team didn’t expect at were questions about the availability of their primary weapon, quarterback Kyron Woolf.

Woolf suffered an undisclosed injury during the state quarterfinals and didn’t play in the semifinals. Round Valley, which outscored its first three playoff opponents 154-8, has plenty of weapons, but Thatcher is a different beast, so Woolf’s mobility, two-way roles and leadership will be needed.    

The senior signal caller only completed six of nine attempts for 156 yards in a regular season nail-biter against Thatcher. But Woolf also threw a touchdown and rushed for a team-high 139 yards and three touchdowns in Round Valley’s 28-21 win against Thatcher on Oct. 14. 

“Yea, he better,” said Bell when asked after Saturday’s 37-8 semifinal win over Benson if Woolf would play in the final.

With six tackles and one of his team’s three interceptions on Oct. 14, Woolf also helped keep Thatcher well under its 43 points per game average.

Round Valley’s defense also had seven sacks in that game.

Thatcher also suffered a key injury, but it occurred at the start of the season, allowing the squad to adjust after losing running back Kaleb Mattice, a state championship hurdler, who hasn’t played since Week 2. One of the players who stepped up in Mattiece’s absence was Nathan Lee, who quickly motored his way for a 70-yard rushing touchdown in the semifinals. 

Besides its loss to 13-0 Round Valley, the only other defeat 11-2 Thatcher suffered was to 3A’s Snowflake, which won 13-12.

But that close loss to a very good team in a higher conference signaled that Thatcher was a 2A contender. The team solidified its good standing with an impressive victory over Phoenix Christian, a team that was averaging 330 rushing yards per game but was limited to 119 in its state quarterfinal 52-6 loss to Thatcher.

With Thanksgiving approaching, Thatcher’s defense stuffed another opponent, No. 2 seed Santa Cruz, when it counted the most in the state semifinals. In that game, Thatcher stopping arguably the best player in 2A, Santa Cruz’s Devin Neal, three times near the end zone, keeping him from scoring a potential game-winning touchdown as regulation ended and a two-point point conversion in overtime.

John Trujillo, who caught a 46-yard touchdown pass against Santa Cruz, zoomed around right end to grab Neal’s legs, halting Neal’s attempt to elevate and dive into the end zone as time expired in regulation. Another player who stepped up on defense was Thatcher starting quarterback Jake Dunlap. 

Dunlap’s family knows Jesse Parker, and Parker may have given Dunlap a lesson or two about how to also play safety. From that position, Dunlap intercepted a Santa Cruz pass and returned it for a 54-yard touchdown.

If Thatcher doesn’t see Woolf (47 touchdowns, 3,147 rushing yards in career), then backup Brian Hill appears ready to direct the offense. The senior led his team to victory in the semifinals and ran for a 24-yard touchdown.

Round Valley also has 1,000-yard rusher Braden Brown. On defense, lineman John Stokes tied a season high with 11 tackles in Round Valley’s regular season game against Thatcher.

Linebacker Dylan Workman and defensive back Sullivan Udall are Round Valley’s leading tacklers.  

Note 

Round Valley’s football program won its first state championship 50 years ago, and members of that team will be in attendance during the 2A title game on Saturday at Chaparral.

Round Valley’s 1966 team will be honored at halftime of the 2A title game along with Santa Cruz’s 1966 state championship team. Round Valley also won state championships in 1971, 1970, 1979, and 1980, and Thatcher took home championship trophies in 1986, 1988, 1998, 2001, 2002, and 2006. 

For a free 2-6A state football championship prorgram, go here.