Anthony Chiu is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Seton Catholic Prep for AZPreps365.

The Sentinels of Seton Catholic Prep will face off against the Knights of Arizona College Prep tonight, Oct. 14, in a matchup between two 4A Desert Sky teams.

The Sentinels, 2-3, are coming off a week where they played two games in four days, winning both. The Sentinels have two wins and one loss in conference play coming into this matchup. The Knights, 4-1, have won four straight games and are undefeated in conference play with two wins.

After losing their first three games of the season by a combined 97 points, the Sentinels have won back-to-back games and even matched last season’s win total in the process.

Head coach Pete Wahlheim attributes his team’s resilience and positive attitude for the team’s mid-season turnaround.

“Our kids are very resilient. Although we lost our first three games, they continued to practice well and kept their attitude positive,” Wahlheim said. “During the first few weeks, even though we lost, we played well in spurts. We were inconsistent on both sides of the ball, but we knew we could win games if we could clean up a few things.”

Quarterback Jake Morris, a senior, used the first three games of the season as an opportunity to take on a leadership role, a role he has embraced.

“This year it has been a lot more important to keep leading and setting an example for the younger kids,” Morris said. “Many of our players have quit the team or have gotten injured leaving us with just over 20 kids to play with in these last few games. However, I have continued to push everyone to keep going and keep hope.”

Running back Luc Aguilar said the team stayed together and continued to play as one.

“We all had a reason to keep pushing, and it was simply to show up and play for each other,” Aguilar said.

Aguilar has been a revelation for the Sentinels during their winning streak. Coming off a knee injury suffered in the spring, Aguilar has slowly worked his way into the team’s lead running back role, rushing for 160 total yards in the Sentinels two wins.

Coach Wahlheim had high praise for Aguilar.

“Luc will continue to get more touches as the season rolls on … I believe he is one of the top sophomore backs in the state and look forward to what he does down the road. The running game has always been something we focus on as the staple of our offense. With much of our passing game being play action, the running game helps a lot.”

Morris also credited Aguilar for his recent play.

“Having a great running back and offensive line that opens up the run is very helpful,” Morris said. “It allows us to waste time and get first downs when we need them. It also allows the pass to open up making my reads easier as they have to defend both the run and pass.”

Arizona College Prep is led by quarterback Jaxon Castro, who is third in passing yards at the 4A conference level with 1,309.

Wahlheim and his staff know it will have its hands full with the Knights’ electric, pass-first offense, but are confident in their gameplan.

“Our goal is to limit big plays and be physical with their receivers,” Wahlheim said. “We will show a few wrinkles they have not seen and try to pressure him when we can.”

The message is clear for the Sentinels. Build on their recent momentum and stay together. As Morris put it, “We just need to stay together and be confident and keep winning.”