Week 4 Arizona high school football roundup: Desert Mountain, Higley, Centennial win

Centennial shuts out Mountain Pointe to stay undefeated

By Alex Chenevey

In one of the bigger non-section games, No. 7 Peoria Centennial (3-0) picked up its second shutout victory of the season, defeating No. 9 Ahwatukee Mountain Pointe 35-0 at Centennial in front of a passionate home crowd.

Centennial scored in the first two minutes of the game and never looked back. The Coyotes defense bottled up a solid Mountain Pointe (2-1) rushing attack spearheaded by senior running back and Texas commit Christian Clark, who couldn’t get much going on the ground for the Pride.

Key plays

On Centennial's first drive of the game, sophomore quarterback Kainan Manna dialed up a deep ball down the left sideline and found senior wide receiver/defensive end and Washington commit Noah Carter for a 30-yard touchdown to open up the scoring only a minute and a half into the game and to give Centennial the early 6-0 lead.

Senior running back Tony Greer found the end zone from 11 yards out on a well blocked sweep play to the left to give the Coyotes a two-possession lead, 13-0. In the third quarter, Centennial pounced on a high snap off of a Mountain Pointe punt attempt that went over the punter’s head and senior cornerback Marcus Logan recovered it in the end zone for the Coyotes to give them a 20-0 lead.

Carter then sealed things. On a Mountain Pointe punt, he caught the Pride special teams napping, picked up the ball after it bounced a few times, ran diagonally to the left sideline and got some great blocks for the long punt return touchdown to give Centennial a 28-0 lead after a two-point conversion.

After a Coyotes onside kick attempt which was recovered by senior wide receiver/cornerback Kenneth Worthy, senior running back/free safety SaMar Turner punched in the short two yard touchdown to give Centennial their fifth touchdown of the game and a 35-0 lead in the fourth quarter.

As Mountain Pointe fired their final throw of the game into the endzone, Logan came up with a leaping interception as time expired to give the Coyotes the shutout win.

More: Arizona high school football: Week 4 schedule, scores

Key players

The whole Centennial defense was sensational, clamping down on the Pride’s offense, sending relentless pressure towards Mountain Pointe junior quarterback Robert Knorr. The defense forced five punts and a fourth down stop.

Carter was the best player for Centennial, notching a receiving touchdown and a return touchdown along with several snaps on defense. He’ll be a name to watch as the season goes on. All of Centennial’s touchdowns came from seniors, as running backs Tony Greer and SaMar Turner scored one touchdown each and senior cornerback Marcus Logan recorded a fumble return touchdown.

Key quote

“Our kids took the game plan and ran it to perfection,” said Centennial head coach Richard Taylor. “They’re willing to put in the time, and when you’re willing to put in the time, it usually shows up all on the field.”

Up next

Centennial goes on the road next week to face Glendale Mountain Ridge who are winless (0-3) while Mountain Pointe will have their first home game of the season and host Phoenix Central, who are undefeated (3-0.)

Desert Mountain downs Chaparral on late field goal

By Anthony Perez

Scottsdale Desert Mountain’s (3-0) home opener looked like it was going to be a tight game where offensive opportunities would come at a premium. But Wolves' Head Coach Conrad Hamilton made some adjustments and got just enough offense out of his team in the second half to help push his squad past rival Scottsdale Chaparral (1-2), 24-21, on Friday night.

The win gave Desert Mountain consecutive wins over their intracity rivals for the first time in school history.

Standout performers

After the offense began to open up in the second half it was the quarterbacks that took center stage. Chaparral’s Marcel Jones completed his lone touchdown pass of the game in the third quarter when he found an open Tristan Armstrong for about 60 yards. The reception gave his team a 14-7 edge. He then contributed with his legs when he was pushed past the goal line with 7:45 left in regulation to tie the contest up at 21.

Despite Jones’ best efforts, he was outdueled by Desert Mountain’s Brady McDonough, who had a couple touchdown passes of his own. He found an open Jack Freeburg to help tie the game up at 14 with 2:14 left in the third quarter. McDonough later connected with senior Dylan Tapley for a 20-yard catch that gave their team a 21-14 advantage, it’s first of the night, with 9:05 left in the fourth quarter.

Highlight of the game

With about 8:00 to play in regulation, Desert Mountain was standing on the doorstep of the Chaparral goal line with a first down. It was unable to find the end zone on this golden opportunity but successfully hit a 20-yard field goal for a 24-21 lead. With time starting to run out and the game still hanging in the balance, Desert Mountain’s defense held strong the rest of the way and was able to preserve the slim margin and help bring home the win.

Quote of the game

“We want to pride ourselves on playing defense. I don’t think this is one of our better defensive performances, but again, we harassed the quarterback all night, they really didn’t run the ball that well. We gotta get better at tackling and spacing, and stuff like that. But overall, I think this was a good team victory.” - Desert Mountain Head Coach Conrad Hamilton on the nature of Friday night’s game

Up next

Chaparral travels to central Phoenix to take on Brophy Prep, while Desert Mountain heads west to face Glendale Cactus. Both games are on Thursday night.

O'Connor unleashes power running game, beats Cactus

By Howard Schlossberg

Sandra Day O'Connor is back on track.

After a tough loss to Liberty, the Eagles rebounded Friday night with a devastating ground game in a 55-21 win at home over previously unbeaten Cactus (2-1).

In a performance in which the game ball should be awarded to the offensive line, Nathan Bayus gained 199 yards on 30 carries and scored 6 touchdowns. The Eagles (2-1) were relentless and just kept pounding the Cobras, throwing just 3 passes.

Key plays

The Eagles ran the ball 62 times for 490 yards and had three backs over 100 yards. They broke the game open early with the defense forcing a 3-and-out and giving the offense excellent field position on their first possession.

They took advantage, scoring on a 35-yard drive in six plays, capped by Bayus from a yard out.

Rinse. Wash. Repeat, two more times in the first half and three more times in the second half. Kaden Armstrong had a TD run and Hayden Satterlund had a 50-yard interception return in the third quarter.

Key players

Yes, Bayus was remarkable, demonstrating both power and speed. But Armstrong (11 carries, 127 yards) and Bentley Corbin (14 carries, 107 yards) ripped off big chunks repeatedly.

While Tyler Armstrong and T.J. Millsap paced the powerhouse offensive line, Daunte Messina, Julian Campos, Zach Jamil, Jackson Barton and Satterlund lead the defense that held Cactus to 273 total yards.

Key stats

O'Connor rolled up 490 rushing yards, but Cactus did get some things done. Nikko Boncore-Montoya has 11 catches for 166 yards and two TDs and Jordan Davis, in addition to a pick, scored on 37-yard reception and a 42-yard run.

Key quotes

"It was awesome. They kept giving us great field position," O'Connor coach Brian Cole said of his defense.

What do the Eagles need to work on though? "The passing gane," he said, noting, " There's going to be a time when we need it."

Up next

Tough schedule continues for O'Connor, with a trip to ALA Queen Creek next Friday. Cactus looks to rebound at home against Desert Mountain.

Higley storms back in second half, downs Marana

By Ben Yates

Homecoming game for Higley ends in a sigh of relief, as the Knights survived a night full of offensive struggles against the Marana Tigers to pull off a win, 29-24.

Both teams entered the game ranked in The Republic's 5A Top 10.

Higley quarterback Gunner Fagrell threw two interceptions in the game as the Knights offense struggled in the first half. Marana's offense seemed to click and they entered halftime up 24-15, with quarterback Jason Wood leading things, scoring on one play himself.

Higley woke up in the second half, its defense bearing down on Marana and the offense moving the ball.

The Tigers were called for about seven penalties in the third quarter, allowing for the Knights to gain yardage, and get back in the game.

Key Players

Daxen Hall scored four touchdowns for Higley, including one on a punt return. Marana's Dezmen Roebuck had one touchdown and an interception in the first half, playing on both sides of the ball.

Wood, Marana's quarterback, was a huge on offense. In addition to his rushing TD, he tossed a 43-yard touchdown pass to Jaelen Collins

Key quotes

"We just talked about believing in each other, we didn't change anything schematically. We did some things out of character in the first half. They came out in the second half and did exactly what they were supposed to." - Higley Head Coach Eddy Zubey

"It was definitely nerve-racking, we could've executed better, but we came out with a victory." - Higley RB Daxem Hall

"I feel like we balled out, we played our heart out that first half, I feel like second half we could've come out a lot stronger." - Maran QB Jason Wood

"That third quarter killed us, we had almost seven penalties. We gave them [Higley] so many yards, that ultimately gave them that run to get them back in the game." - Marana Head Coach Phillip Steward.

Up next

Higley travels to Desert Edge while Marana visits Marana Mountain View. Both games are on Friday.

ALA QC tops ALA Gilbert North

By Damian Adams

The American Leadership Academy Queen Creek Patriots were able to get their second win of the year as they defeated the American Leadership Academy Gilbert North Eagles, 49-28.

The Patriots got on the board first with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Enoch Watson to Jayden Williams, but the Eagles would go on a 21-0 scoring run.

Eagles quarterback Conner White threw two touchdown passes during that run. The first was to Isaac Massey. The second was to Brandon Phelps. The Eagles looked to have all of the momentum until the last few minutes of the second quarter.

The Patriots did not let that run deter them as they went on a run of their own, scoring 24 straight points to go up 31-21 in the third quarter. They would continue to hold on to that lead and add to it.

Turning point

The Patriots scored a touchdown to cut the Eagles lead to 21-14 with one minute left in the second quarter. The Eagles tried to be aggressive but fumbled the ball. The Patriots recovered it and kicked a field goal as time expired for halftime. The Eagles were up 21-17 going into halftime.

The first possession of the second half, the Patriots drove down the field and scored. Enoch Watson threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Boe Sparks. The Patriots would take the lead 24-21 and never give that lead up.

Player of the game

American Leadership Academy's quarterback, Enoch Watson threw four touchdown passes and ran for another. He did a great job of keeping his composure in the first half when they were down 21-7 as he led the comeback.

Up next

American Leadership Academy Gilbert North will host Paradise Valley. American Leadership Academy will host O'Connor.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Week 4 Arizona HS football roundup