By Spencer Bodow

A new era of Tempe Prep football has begun. When Tempe Prep dropped a division to 1A, most sports just saw it as an easier field of competition, but not the football team. Dropping a division to them meant dropping three players from the game. Teams went from having 11 men on the field at a time to a mere 8. But according to Senior Thomas Holmes, “It isn’t that big of a difference.” To be fair, it is still football and the team hasn’t forgotten to play. And after starting out the season with three straight wins, that was clear.

Not only have they proved that they can play, they have proved that they are one of the best teams in 1A. Led by quarterback Diego Foster, who has led the division in total yards through the first half of the season, the team has been lethal in the passing game. Defensively, the Knights have two players, Thomas Holmes and Ridley Diez de Medina, who are both top 5 athletes in the division when it comes to tackles. The first three games, highlighted by a 55-6 win against Fort Thomas, helped the team get their feet settled into 8-man football. But throughout those games, they had their eyes on their toughest opponent, a fourth week matchup against the number one ranked team in the division, Superior.

Not only would a win over Superior be a statement to the rest of the division, it would guarantee them a spot in the playoffs as long as they didn’t lose their last two games. Unfortunately, when the game kicked off, Superior showed why they were the team to beat. Superior scored on their first two offensive plays, leading their way to a 54-7 victory over the Knights. It was an unfortunate night for the football team, but there is still much to look forward to.

The next two games will be played in front of the home crowd, something they’ve had to wait three weeks to do. The Knights, at the moment, will be favored going into each game and look to finish the regular season with only one loss. Senior Hayden Sampson will also be returning after scoring a touchdown and getting injured in the first game.

The Knights won’t have much to lose, which for a football team, is a scary thing. So, a playoff appearance may not be the most likely outcome for the team, but this is a great football team nevertheless. And after all, it is 2020, which means anything could happen.

Photos are from the season opener win over Duncan.