Technically, the state playoffs are three weeks away but, for many teams living on the edge, the playoffs began this week. Such is the case for Sabino.

Tucson Sabino (5-3, 3-0) started out 0-3 with losses to Tucson Salpointe, Tucson Sahuaro and Goodyear Desert Edge but those losses were all against non-sectional opponents.  Sure, the losses damaged the Sabercats power ranking, but winning their section guarantees a playoff bid.

Sabino was ranked 19th coming into their Thursday night game against Cholla (0-8, 0-3) but they are in a battle with Tucson Pueblo (5-2, 2-0) for the Division III/Section II championship.  Pueblo is ranked 20th so it is looking like the section champion will be in the playoffs and the other will be sent home with a ranking far too low for an at-large bid.

It all may come down to the Pueblo at Sabino game scheduled for October 31.

"We know we need to focus on each opponent," said junior defensive end Charles Harden. "We are getting better everyday and we need to use practice to help us focus on what we need to do."

Harden came up big for the Sabercats on defense. He teamed up the other junior DE Jackson Jesionowski on a couple of huge sacks and an early tackle of a Cholla punter and then later on a touchdown on a bad snap on another punt that Harden fell on in the end zone after Jesionowski separated the ball from the punter.

Cholla had a difficult time before the game even began with a delay in arriving to Sabino due to traffic that caused them to enter the field only 15 minutes before kickoff. Still, the Chargers played until the final whistle but they could only manage 104 yards on 43 plays.

The Sabino defense was so stifling that Cholla only managed to cross midfield only once late in the third quarter. Cholla did have some success running the ball with sophomore Larry Lecount gaining 40 yards on nine carries and junior quarterback Bobby Vega adding 36 but it wasn't enough to keep the Sabino offense off the field.

Emilio Araiza threw for 188 yards to lead Sabino. The senior standout hit on his first seven passes with his first two going for touchdowns. In fact, Sabino's first two offensive plays went for touchdowns.

Araiza hit senior Albert Green IV on a 20-yard scoring strike and senior AJ McBrayer on a 55-yard pass and Sabino led 14-0 barely five minutes into the game.

McBrayer's older brother Jason McBrayer helped lead Canyon del Oro to state championship in 2009.  Also on that undefeated (14-0) Dorado team were University of Arizona recruits Jared Tevis, Josh Robbins and Ka'Deem Carey. Coincidently, CDO defeated Sabino 40-0 in that title game held at Arizona Stadium.

AJ McBrayer caught four passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns to lead Sabino's receiving crew. Green collected 36 yards and two touchdowns, Tyler Fellner caught a touchdown pass and Brandon Colston caught another.

Senior Marquis Chamblee rushed for 85 yards on ten carries with his last being a 25-yard scoring run. Sophomore Drew Dixon replaced Araiza late in the game but still managed to collect 71 yards on three completions with a touchdown and he also ran for a 19-yard score.

Sabino will travel to Douglas next Friday and Cholla will host Pueblo. The game was played on Thursday night due to a state-wide broadcast by Cox7 Arizona. The game will be replayed Saturday night at 7 pm.

The Cox7-AZ crew included Dallas Cowboy and AIA365.com radio voice Kevin Ray, three-time Cowboy Super Bowl champion Dale Hellestrae and Buena graduate and sideline/social media reporter Lindsey Smith.

More photos at AllSportsTucson.com