In what will be a Class 6A non-region clash of teams with records at .500 or below, the Boulder Creek Jaguars are making the trek from Anthem to Tempe to face the Corona del Sol Aztecs on Friday night.

“(We are) trying not to make the same mistakes we made last week,” Corona del Sol coach Jon Becktold said after practice Monday. “(We are) trying to get a little better, and we’ll see what happens.”

Boulder Creek comes into the contest at 1-1 after defeating Skyline 23-15 at home and falling 70-20 to Highland on the road. Even after the trouncing, the Aztecs recognize the firepower that resonates within the Jaguars’ locker room.

“Well, they got some good offensive players, some key guys,” Corona del Sol junior defensive tackle Alden Moody said. “We’re trying to shut them down, and offensively, they don’t have too much going on. They have a three-front, so we’re going to try to bust through the middle.”

Corona del Sol came into the season looking to improve on its 2-8 record from last year under Becktold. It already is halfway to its win total from last season three games into the year, boasting a 1-2 record heading into Friday.

After losing the season opener 49-14 to Mountain View on the road, the Aztecs ventured back home to Tempe looking to draw an even record. They would defeat Mountain Ridge 19-14 before going back on the road to take on undefeated Basha. They were handily defeated 35-20 in that one.

Corona del Sol is spearheaded offensively by senior wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. The three-star recruit and Arizona State commit has amassed 293 receiving yards across three games.

“We don’t have very much offensive production right now,” Becktold said. “Ricky is our best kid. He’s for real, but, yeah, we rely on him a lot, but other people are going to have to start making some plays eventually.”

Although Pearsall tends to carry the load on offense, the team recognizes that other teams are going to make it a priority to shut him down.

“Well, Ricky is a playmaker,” junior offensive lineman Jakob Hill said. “But he helps everybody else, so he gets us up. But we can do stuff without him. We practice without him just for that reason. We’re fine without him.”

Elsewhere on the offense, senior quarterback Ryan Helt leads Corona del Sol in rushing yards with 72.

 “That’s not by design,” Becktold said. “That’s scrambles.”

Having a quarterback who is able to escape the pocket and create positive yardage in desperate situations will be a key factor throughout the season. It may be the difference in the upcoming game with Boulder Creek.

This game may have an extra incentive for the Aztecs, as it is their homecoming weekend. Not only do the players have the pressure of winning on their shoulder pads, but they also have the anxiety of securing a date to the dance.

“We’re just trying to get a win,” Hill said. “Which (would be) great because it’s the homecoming game. And also just get (on) a roll so we can start winning again.”

However, until his team starts winning, Becktold said he believes that having the “home field advantage” is not an advantage at all.

“We’ve only won (one) game so far here,” Becktold said. “So we don’t really have home field advantage yet.”