By Zach Alvira
Head of Content
Salpointe Catholic knew the importance of Friday night’s contest against region foe Mounrain Pointe in Ahwatukee.
The Lancers, despite a good showing the week prior against the defending Open Division champion Liberty, were sitting just on the outside of a home playoff game in the 6A Conference tournament at No. 9. Their opponent was No. 7. Just inside the top eight cut line.
Every power point is pivotal at this point of the season, and with two games remaining, Friday night’s 29-12 win over Mountain Pointe was key.
“Every win is important for us. Every game is important to us,” Salpointe Catholic coach Pat Ryden said. “Last week against Liberty, I think our kids played a heck of a game. I think there was a little bit of a hangover, if you will. Having the chance to potentially host a home playoff game, that’s huge.”
The first half was a forgettable one for both teams.
Turnovers, stalled drives and an overall lack of consistency was a burden on either offense. Salpointe Catholic got on the board early with a 75-yard pass from Rayce Alvarez to Nathan Spivey. But the Lancers sputtered from there.
Multiple three-and-outs gave Mountain Pointe life. The Pride got on the board in the first quarter with a 51-yard field goal by Francisco Orduno. But even after turnovers forced by the Pride defense, Salpointe dug in and kept them out of the end zone.
“Obviously they turned the ball over, but we like to think we force those turnovers,” Ryden said. “But we just made plays. I can’t say enough about our defensive efforts tonight.”
Mountain Pointe attempted two more field goals, both of which came on the heals of drives that stalled inside Salpointe territory. The first was missed. There was no attempt on the second due to a fumbled snap.
The Pride, utilizing a two-quarterback system with seniors Robert Knorr and Michael “Butter” Tollefson rotating, were unable to finish. That is, until Tollefson came up with a little magic.
Facing pressure, he scrambled left, then right, dodging tacklers in the meantime. Finally, after about 5 seconds worth of scrambling, he unloaded and found Chase Shumate in the end zone for a 35-yard score.
The touchdown cut into Salpointe’s lead nearing the half. But the fourth quarter brought new life to the Lancers. A dominating one.
Linebacker Dino Drossos picked off Robert Knorr in the second quarter, returning it for a touchdown. In the fourth, he picked up a fumble en route to a touchdown.
The two defensive scores proved to be pivotal for the Lancers. It gave them life, especially for the offense.
Morgan Quiri, the Lancers 6-foot-5 wideout, doubt himself behind the Pride secondary multiple times for large gains. Two straight we called back due to penalties. The third went for more than 40 yards. In total, the standout receiver caught six passes for 127 yards. Most of which came in the second half.
“We saw on film they want to jump the ball and make the play,” Quiri said. “We took advantage of that. My quarterbacks just let me go make a play on the ball.”
Salpointe’s two-quarterback system worked, to an extent. Both Alvarez and sophomore Matthew Avelar found success through the air. The two combined for 214 yards. They also combined for four turnovers, three of those interceptions.
But despite the adversity, they found ways to lead the offense. Avelar cashed in on a drive by scrambling for a 10-yards score in the fourth quarter. That helped put the game away.
“It shows a lot of growth from the first game to right now,” Spivey said of Salpointe’s ability to overcome adversity. “It shows the maturity. I can’t wait to keep playing with my brothers.”
The win for Salpointe sets up a region title matchup in two weeks at home against Brophy. The Lancers will undoubtedly be favored at home against a struggling Saguaro team next Friday in Tucson.
Left with nine games this season due to a cancellation, Ryden reminded his team how pivotal every game is. Now they have a chance at a region championship heading into the postseason.
“We’ve talked about it since the beginning of the season, the chance to play Brophy again,” Ryden said. “We’re looking forward to it. But we have to take care of business next week first.”
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