By Zach Alvira
Head of Content
It was only fitting that the fireworks on the field Friday night in Tempe between Corona del Sol and Desert Vista led to even more off the field when the game concluded.
Coaching staffs of both teams had to be separated midfield after the final buzzer, as a brief argument ensued. But unlike the haymakers thrown in the second half by both offenses, the argument never turned physical. Cooler heads prevailed.
Or, perhaps both sides were mentally and physically exhausted after Corona del Sol’s 42-39 win over Desert Vista, a game that saw nearly 1,000 total yards combined between the two teams.
"We did not play very well," Corona del Sol coach Jake Barro said. "You come away with a win, that's what matters. But we have a lot to fix for next week.
"Kids stepped up and made plays. There were a lot of things that weren't going right, but we were able to mask that with athleticism."
The first two quarters of the game were dominated by strong defensive play from both sides.
The Aztecs found the end zone early, scoring on their first offensive possession. They scored again early in the second quarter. Desert Vista answered with two touchdowns of its own before the half. The Thunder defense, led by defensive lineman Offisong Okon and linebacker Andrew Hoyt, pressured Corona del Sol sophomore quarterback Luke Farrell throughout the second quarter.
The Aztec defense, led by linebacker Keane Abril, did the same in the opening 12 minutes. The Aztecs forced errant passes by Desert Vista junior quarterback Seth Hanson. For a while, it seemed defense would be the theme of the night.
However, that changed in a hurry.
"Our coach just told us to lock in," Ruiz said. "We were making a lot of mental mistakes with alignment. We just started executing our plays and then started hitting deep."
The two teams combined for 359 yards of offense in the first two quarters. Farrell connected with Domonick Ruiz for a touchdown early on. Ruiz ran in another in the first half.
Hanson, meanwhile, connected with receivers Isaac Price and Aeneas Redmond for the Desert Vista’s two scores of the half.
That was just the precursor of what was to come.
The two quarterbacks put on a clinic. They picked apart the opposing secondaries, finding wideouts left and right to convert and drive down the field. Eventually, sustained six or seven play drives turned into quick hitters.
Ruiz found the end zone for a third time on a 2-yard run. He followed it up with two more touchdown catches of 77 and 74 yards. Simuel Store got in on the action with a touchdown catch of his own for the Aztecs.
Desert Vista, meanwhile, answered every blow from the Aztecs.
Slant routes from Redmond and Price created space for the two wideouts. Good protection up front allowed Hanson to find his receivers. Price scored first in the second half among the two seniors, taking a slant 32 yards for the score. On Desert Vista’s next possession, Redmond broke a tackle and took it 47 yards for a touchdown.
Facing fourth down late in the game, Hanson connected with junior Cooper Walsh, who came into the contest with just a handful of catches on the year. He caught two passes Friday night, the second a 31-yarder on fourth down.
"Football is a true team sport and tonight we saw that," Desert Vista coach Jake McSpadden said. "It's a beautiful thing when the whole team is involved."
Desert Vista’s final drive came under two minutes remaining. The Thunder once again drove down the field, converting on third and fourth down tries along the way.
Penalties backed the Thunder to the Aztec 12, where they faced fourth down yet again. This time, the magic had run out, as Hanson’s pass fell incomplete.
"As the game progressed, we knew at any moment it could be one play that seals the deal," Barro said. "You never know when it was going to happen. We had plenty of opportunities. But here at the end, we wanted to see how they lined up, got an extra DB on the field then it was one-on-one. Finally, the play to seal the game happened. Our defense stepped up and finished it off."
The two teams who have a combined four wins on the year played like playoff teams Friday.
Farrell finished 12-of-16 for 302 yards and three touchdowns. Ruiz caught seven passes for 216 yards and scored four total touchdowns on the night.
Hanson completed 33-of-51 passes for 407 yards and five touchdowns. Price, his top target, caught 13 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns. Redmond had 11 catches for 134 yards of his own and a pair of scores. Kevin Jackson, the Thunder’s starting running back in place of injured Kyler Drunasky, scored a touchdown of his own while accounting for 76 yards on the ground.
"The run-pass options were working like crazy," Price said. "We should have come out with the W. It hurts the soul. We could have had a couple more big plays but the small things got us."
Now 2-7, Desert Vista looks ahead to the Ahwatukee Bowl on Thursday, where it will face rival Mountain Pointe. Corona del Sol, meanwhile, eyes a non-region matchup against Casteel.
The Aztecs also have two wins on the year. But that isn't stopping them from enjoying a victory over one of their close rivals.
"We had to get a win so we can push for the playoffs, hopefully," Ruiz said. "We don't lose to DV. Never."
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