Basha answers with comeback win over Saguaro in Open final rematch for the ages

Just when it felt like Scottsdale Saguaro would get payback for last year's Open Division state championship defeat, Demond Williams Jr., answered.

If the Sabercats didn't see enough of him last December at Mountain America Stadium, they won't forget what he did to them on Friday night.

Over and over, the Chandler Basha senior quarterback either sliced through the defense with his legs or found playmakers, including a freshman who came of age, in Friday night’s dramatic 35-31 win before an overflow crowd at Saguaro.

With 4:17 to play, Williams found freshman running back Noah Roberts over the middle. He sprinted between defenders, made a move to his left and was gone for a 42-yard score that ended up being the winning points.

Senior Miles Lockhart put the finishing touches on the comeback with his fourth-down pass breakup in a rematch of last year’s Open Division state football championship game.

This game was just as dramatic an ending as last year’s title game with Basha coming up with the stop.

Lockhart was able to pop loose Mason Bray's pass to Reiss Rinaldi at the Saguaro 35 with 2:37 left on fourth-and-8. A first down later, Williams went into victory formation and sixth-ranked (Super 10) Basha (2-1) bounced back from last week's 22-21 loss to Gilbert Highland.

This was the first loss in the Zak Hill coaching era at Saguaro (2-1).

"A same play that happened, I missed it before," Lockhart said. "I saw the same thing coming back at me. I was there in the right place."

Here are the biggest takeaways from this classic:

Both teams strike fast

Fourth-ranked (Super 10) Saguaro has a really good offense with Hill calling the plays. And Bray not only has a great arm but some wheels and he's not afraid to try to run through people. Several times, Bray got out and made plays with his legs to find the first-down marker and extend drives. There were times, however, that Saguaro's offense bogged down by holding penalties. The killer came on Saguaro's last possession. A holding penalty negated Bray's brilliant first-down run, pushing the Sabercats back to their 15.

But as long as the confident Bray is running the offense and there's a huge home-run hitter at tailback in Jaedon Matthews, Saguaro's going to be tough to stop the rest of this season. Bray has more than just a couple of weapons, too. Tight end Kamden Segall has emerged as a big go-to target. He caught a 45-yard scoring pass with nine minutes left to give Saguaro a 31-28 lead.

On the last play of the third quarter, Bray found Segall for a 5-yard touchdown and a 24-21 lead.

Saguaro had rallied from a 21-7 deficit with Matthews taking off for a 32-yard gain on third-and-10 in the final minute of the half that led to his 15-yard TD catch that made it a one-touchdown game with 26 seconds left. Matthews had a 26-yard scoring run late in the first quarter that tied it at 7. So often, Mathews got Saguaro out of a hole with great bursts for big plays.

"That's a really good Saguaro team," Basha coach Chris McDonald said. "I'm really proud of the way we responded this week. Just a happy coach. And I'm very happy for them, because they really wanted this."

Demond Williams Jr. is so dynamic

Williams, who is headed to the University of Arizona after this year to play for the Wildcats, has so many ways to bust a defense. His ability to tuck it and go and go and go, it's a defensive coordinator's greatest challenge to keep him from slipping out defenders' grasps.

He showcased his brilliance on one play in the first half when he ran to his right, then to his left, then faked out three defender with various juke moves for a 35-yard gain. That led to one of his five touchdowns. Twice in the final quarter, he gave Basha back the lead with a 14-yard run and the 42-yard pass play to Roberts.

"He's a player," McDonald said of Williams. "We did a poor job last week of not putting the ball in his hands enough. He puts a lot of stress on defenses, if we put him in the right struction."

Freshman sensation Noah Roberts is special

The modest Williams gave most of the accolades to the freshman Roberts, who had a big catch-and-run early in the game leading to a touchdown, besides the game-winning TD.

"That's my guy," Williams said. "In my opinion, he's going to be one of the best running backs in the nation after this year.

"You can tell by the confidence he brings to practice every day that he's one of the ones."

Roberts said he was in sync with Williams all game.

"I just caught the ball and thanked my teammates for blocking downfield to let me get in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown," Roberts said. "We have a connection. Me and him, we've been working on the wheel routes all season."

To have an impact this early in his career, Roberts said, "I worked hard for this."

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert atrichard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Basha answers with comeback win over Saguaro in rematch for the ages