Piñon football serves up win – and roast mutton

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

PINON, Ariz.

By the time the stadium lights flicked on in Piñon, the game had concluded while the air carried the smell of roast mutton and frybread turning a football game night into something more like a fall Navajo Fair than a small-town game.

On the field, the Eagles matched that energy with a commanding 44-0 win over Greyhills Academy in a season opener that was cut short midway through the second quarter.

The early finish wasn’t due to mercy rule but rather concern for players safety. Greyhills dressed only 14 players, and after multiple injuries, safety became the priority. At full strength, the Knights expect just 18 on their roster — a stark contrast to Piñon’s deep bench and surging program.

Continued success in Piñon

For head coach Steve Saban, now in his fourth season, the lopsided opener was another sign of how far the Eagles have come.

“We’ve gone 17-3 in the past two years,” Saban said. “Three years ago, we were in a bad position, and we’ve flipped it around. Our kids have been working very hard, and that work is showing.”

Between 2019 and 2022, Piñon managed only seven wins total. Since then, the Eagles have become contenders in the 2A North, built on a foundation of offseason work.

“Our summer was fantastic. We had a great turnout,” Saban added. “We focused on speed training, weightlifting, and overall conditioning. Offseason training is critical for our team to succeed.”

The Manuelito brothers set the tone in the opener. Senior running back Josh Manuelito, who averaged 155 yards a game last season, powered through the Knights’ defense, while his younger brother Adriano, a junior quarterback, handled the offense with poise.

Piñon piled up 36 points in the first quarter alone, forcing Greyhills to chase from the opening whistle.

A football night scene

These days, game night in Piñon is as much a community gathering as it is football. Fans arriving at the stadium walked past rows of food stands, the smell of a variety of food drifting across the bleachers.

“The community has really come out and supported our team,” Saban said. “Before, we’d only have a few people in the stands. Now nearly the whole town shows up.”

Even in the glow of victory, Saban took time to acknowledge the other sideline.

“I do feel for the kids on the other team,” he said. “We were there three years ago. It’s a monumental task, but with the right strategy they can overcome it. I wish them the best.”

Greyhills faces uphill climb

For Craig Claw, the first-year head coach at Greyhills, the night told a different story. He took over the program at the start of the school year with just over a week of practice under his belt.

“We started out late,” Claw said. “We’ve had eight days of practice as a team. We played four freshmen and four sophomores tonight. Everyone is new to each other.”

Greyhills fields students from across western Navajo Nation as a BIE dorm school, a setup that makes team camaraderie nearly impossible to build during the summer months. Without seniors, the team leans on underclassmen still learning the basics.

“It’s a monumental challenge building a football squad from scratch,” Claw admitted. “But the kids want to play, and that’s what we need to support.”

Greyhills has not won a game since October 2018. They endured several seasons without fielding a team. Still, as the final whistle sounded, a small group of parents and relatives embraced their players — encouragement for a team taking the first steps of a long rebuild.

The road ahead

Greyhills will regroup and face a tough cross-street rival Tuba City on August 29 before hosting Red Mesa on Sept. 5 and traveling to Alchesay on Sept. 13. The Knights will host Valley Sanders (Sept. 19), Many Farms (Sept. 26), and Hopi (Oct. 3) before finishing with road games at Kingman Academy (Oct. 10) and rival Tuba City (Oct. 17).

Piñon, meanwhile, visits Hopi next Thursday and returns home Sept. 5 to host Window Rock. The Eagles then travel to Ganado (Sept. 12) and host Chinle (Sept. 19) before opening 2A conference play at Holbrook on Sept. 26. Piñon then hosts Red Mesa and Many Farms before closing at Kingman Academy Oct. 17, aiming for another postseason run.

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