2A Team of the Week: Ganado Indians

It was a heavyweight fight to kick off the season: Ganado, the number one team in 2A Division I, taking on Tidehaven, the number three team in 3A Division II.

A year ago when they faced off, Tidehaven was a resounding winner, 38-12.

This past Friday, Ganado flipped that script.

Ganado running back Logan Bures finished with 145 yards and four touchdowns on the ground and quarterback Landyn Arriaga pitched in with another 100 yards rushing as the Indians raced to a 49-26 victory.

“Starting the season with a win against a very high quality program is big in terms of confidence and momentum,” Ganado head coach Josh Ervin said. “What stood out the most about our performance on Friday was the overall depth of the team and kids being able to come off of the bench and continue to execute and be successful.  Our special teams were also a huge highlight of the night for us with some big returns and blocks.”

That depth was evident at the quarterback position. Arriaga threw for 86 yards and a score, while freshman quarterback Kyle Stancik completed five of his seven passes for 63 yards and another touchdown. Fellow freshman Beau Bures had a pair of his explosive plays with two catches for 76 yards.

Defensively, Logan Bures was also the leader, finishing with 11 tackles. Sophomore linebacker Kole Bures was right behind him with 10 tackles.

A year ago, Tidehaven finished 13-1, losing in the 3A Division II regional final by just three points. Ganado’s three-touchdown victory over a team of that caliber shows the Indians have certainly earned their top spot in 2A Division I.

Next up, they’ll get a chance to play in front of their home fans for the first time this season on Friday against another 3A opponent, the Boling Bulldogs.