Vipers fall to Canyon Del Oro

Verrado’s team captains Darby Neal, Eric Ruiz, Eric Cabello and Ross Dietz walk hand-in-hand to the center of the field for the coin toss in last Friday’s game played at Canyon Del Oro High School in Tucson.

  Verrado football’s season of firsts came to an end following a 38-21 loss to the Canyon Del Oro Dorados in a game played in Tucson last Friday.  It was Verrado’s first-ever post season football appearance.

  The Vipers struck first, scoring on their first possession of the game. Verrado marched the length of the field and scored on a 1-yard quarterback keeper by Lathon Lax with 7:48 remaining in the first quarter.

 CDO quickly countered to tie the game and went on to score  28 points before the Vipers got back on the board following a 4-yard run by running back Donte Richardson to make the score 28-14.

 The Dorados put the next 10 points on the scoreboard to increase their lead to 38-14, but the Vipers scored once again when Senior quarterback Eric Ruiz hit Senion Nathan Roehl on a 3-yard touchdown pass with less than a minute remaining to make the score 38-21.

  The end of game marked the end of Verrado’s best season in its 7-year varsity history.

  Following the game head coach Derek Wahlstrom said he was very proud of the Vipers.

  “We have a team the 9-2 and made the playoffs for the first time in school history,” Wahsltrom said.  "We set all kinds of school records. The one thing I’d like everybody to know is they’re better young men than they are players. We got some outstanding young men in this team, program and community that we are blessed to coach."

a host of Vipers gang tackles CDO ball carrier Martin Holloway during the fourth quarter of the November 7th game.