Logan Lober is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Casteel High School for AZPreps365.com

Casteel High School looks to regain its success from the first two weeks in its Friday night matchup against Trevor Browne.

Casteel opened the season with 37 points in a win against Boulder Creek and followed that up with 35 points in a win against Queen Creek. 

Last week, the Colts traveled to California to face off against Carlsbad but could not repeat the success they had in the first two weeks, losing 49-9. 

Even though Casteel left California without the outcome it hoped for, head coach Bobby Newcombe was still appreciative of the overall experience of facing an out-of-state school.

“The high school atmosphere they presented was phenomenal,” Newcombe said. “We're fortunate to be able to go in there and compete with a team out of state and see what they're all about. And, you know, they took it to us a little bit. We have to come back and bounce back and have a better game this week.”

Casteel is led by quarterback Paul Palmer, who’s in his first season as varsity starter and is fourth in the 6A Premier region in passing with 439 yards. 

His coaches expect more of that type of success going forward.

“He's got a lot more in him, and he constantly wants to come in, watch film and learn the game,” Newcombe said. “He has a passion for football, and he has a passion to learn the whole package of the game. That's what we're trying to pour into him, he's open to it and he's absorbing a lot of it. So, he's got a lot better football yet to come.”

As they head into a new week, Newcombe has liked what he’s seen through two days of practice.

“Sometimes a butt-kick is a great teacher,” Newcombe said after Tuesday’s practice. “Our guys have had two good days of practice, and we’ve got a great game, great opportunity this week and that’s our focus.”

Another focus for the Colts has been on the defensive side of the ball. 

“Obviously, it was a pretty hard loss last week,” defensive end Brock Raj said. “We struggled a lot with keeping the quarterback in the pocket and that run defense. This week I think we’re going to probably work on some open-field tackling and ball awareness.”

Raj and the Colts know it will be a battle, especially with it being their second consecutive road game.

“It’s a big mind game to be honest with you,” Raj said about playing on the road. “You go into a different school and everybody there is against you, and you kind of got to mentally fight through all of that.”

On the other side, the offense has been going over last week’s film and figuring out what needs to be cleaned up. 

Offensive lineman Junior Ayala-Rivera said his position group has been “focusing on keeping our block, finishing through, not letting go of them and just staying engaged.”

Trevor Browne is 1-2 on the season, including back-to-back losses against Maricopa and McClintock. 

With Trevor Browne looking to get back on track on their home field, Newcombe knows his guys will have to give it their all. 

“We're going to have to play hard and play aggressive. Browne’s a good football team,” Newcombe said. “They canceled the JV game this week, so I'm sure they have all their dudes on their varsity team ready to roll. So, we’ve got to have our T's crossed and I's dotted.”

Casteel kicks off against Trevor Browne at 7 p.m. this Friday at Trevor Browne High School.