Salpointe Catholic is rolling at the best possible time.
The Lancers are fresh off a 42-0 thrashing of Pueblo in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs. The win was Salpointe鈥檚 fifth straight since a close loss to Cienega on Sept. 28. The Lancers are 10-1, and their defense has pitched five shutouts while holding teams to a touchdown or less on three other occasions.
Bene coaches the most dynamic running back in the state in sophomore Bijan Robinson, a player with 1,426 rushing yards and 24 total touchdowns, already with scholarship offers to four Pac-12 college programs.
Still, Bene calls this moment 鈥渂ittersweet.鈥 The Lancers will look to advance further with a win over Glendale Cactus on Friday night at home.
鈥淚鈥檓 happy for everybody, but at the same time you know that if you lose, it鈥檚 over,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he practices end, the time you spend with the kids and the team ends immediately.
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鈥淔or me, I just get such a great joy out of spending time with these kids that you obviously never want it to end, especially when you have a group of kids like I have.鈥
It鈥檚 true: Salpointe鈥檚 run could end tonight, 10 months after the team first gathered for offseason conditioning. Or the Lancers could advance all the way to the Dec. 2 state championship game at Arizona Stadium with a couple more playoff wins.
The Star spoke with Bene this week to preview Friday night鈥檚 game against the Colts:
What is it about this defense that it鈥檚 been able to perform so well lately?
A: 鈥淥ur defense has been solid all year. Despite the loss of Gabe Madril, who鈥檚 had a tremendous impact and is a difference-making type of player. 鈥 I think our kids have a really good grasp of what we want them to do and so then on Friday nights it鈥檚 easy to make adjustments because they understand the big picture.鈥
Who has stood out on defense?
A: 鈥淟ike every football team, everything starts up front. We鈥檝e had some really good play out of our defensive line. I think our team speed and then our linebackers are really good led by Chris Aguirre, he has 100-plus tackles.
鈥淏ut I think the back end of our defense is maybe as talented as we鈥檝e had in a long time with Alex Withers, Lathan Ransom and Derrick Bush. Those guys are able to cover, really make it hard on opposing quarterbacks and it allows our D-line and linebackers to get after the quarterback. While it鈥檚 a total team effort, I think the fact that the back end of our defense is so solid it鈥檚 allowing the front seven to really get after people.鈥
Cactus has a high-powered offense, led by Damaria Norris, who has rushed for 1,827 yards and 32 touchdowns. What are you expecting in this game?
A: 鈥淚 mean, I don鈥檛 know that I鈥檝e seen a player as complete as Damaria Norris. He鈥檚 their do-everything back. He runs it, he catches it, he punts for them. He returns kicks. He鈥檚 as good of a football player as I鈥檝e seen in a long time and so when you have such a dominating player like that, obviously we have to stop him and try to contain him and make other guys make plays. He single-handedly one of the best players in the state so extremely impressive and that鈥檚 our challenge to shut him down and force other kids on their team to make plays.鈥
On the other side, you have Bijan Robinson, who鈥檚 obviously dynamic too. How has he improved from last season?
A: 鈥淗e鈥檚 grown by leaps and bounds. He鈥檚 a totally different kid. I mean, obviously physically he鈥檚 bigger, faster, stronger, but I always tell people mentally is where he鈥檚 grown the most. He鈥檚 maturing, he understands the game better. He鈥檚 learning the game. He鈥檚 having a super sophomore year and I think combined with Mario, that鈥檚 a one-two punch that鈥檚 been really successful for us.鈥
What do you like about this group you鈥檙e coaching this season?
A: 鈥淭hey鈥檙e just good kids, man. They鈥檙e respectful. I think they emulate all that鈥檚 good in a student-athlete, they represent our school and they鈥檙e fun to be around. We have a very competitive environment, but the kids are good teammates. We stress about a winning culture and I try to share my vision of what a winning culture should be and you want the kids to buy in and these kids have bought in.鈥
