Arizona high school playoff roundup: Glendale, Desert Edge, Chaparral among teams advancing

Here is a roundup of several key Arizona high school football playoff games from Friday night, Nov. 26, 2021:

Glendale advances to 4A semifinals

By Madison Thacker

No. 4 seed Glendale defeated No. 12 Tucson Canyon del Oro in the 4A quarterfinals Friday night, 38-27, and will move on to the semifinals.

Despite their strong start, the Dorados' defense couldn't stop the Cardinals' running game led by quarterback Zechariah Owens and Keyon Walker

Big plays

CDO’s offense came out strong, scoring with a run from Kendric Astacio on the opening drive of the game.

Kayden Luke ran it in for another Dorados’ touchdown on their second drive and with a completed 2- point conversion, CDO was in the driver's seat, leading 14-0.

The Cardinals, Keyon Walker, got Glendale started with a couple of big runs to put quarterback, Zechariah Owens, in the position to score a touchdown.

By forcing a fumble on the next drive, the Cardinals tied the game up. Despite the Dorados’ efforts to score in the final closing moments of the half, the game remained tied.

Glendale came out in the second half with a 59-yard touchdown pass and immediately got the ball back for Walker to score a rushing touchdown. With a run from Luke, the Dorados' were able to get back on the scoreboard and make it 26-21 late in the third quarter.

Despite their late touchdown in the fourth quarter, the Dorados' couldn't force a stop against the Cardinals offense.

Key Quotes

"We came out a little sluggish and we came off and looked at film, figured out what they were doing and our kids know how to come back and they are pretty resilient," Robert York said, head coach of Glendale.

"We have to clean up the penalties and then we can't come out flat on the first drive of the series and that last touchdown they had, we have to finish out the game and keep them out of the end zone," York added on what the focus is for next week.

Up next

Glendale advances into the 4A semifinals and will take on No.1 Poston Butte on Friday Dec. 3.

Desert Edge over Desert View in 5A

By Anthony Perez

On a night that featured plenty of physical football, it was a defensive stand late in the game by the No. 3 seed Goodyear Desert Edge (10-2) that helped seal a 31-13 win over the No. 6 seed Tucson Desert View (10-2) at home and push the squad into next Friday’s 5A state semifinals.

Standout performers

After a quiet game last Friday against Tucson Cholla, where he was held to just 10 rushing yards, Desert View’s Serge Gboweiah appeared to regain a more formidable form. The senior put his team on the board early in the second quarter with a 14-yard run to cut the Desert Edge lead to 13-7, while senior Carlos Alvarez scored Desert View’s other touchdown when he found the end zone with 4:36 left in the third quarter to cut his team’s deficit to six.

But the quarterback-receiver duo of Adryan Lara and Gavin Parks produced two of Desert Edge’s touchdowns; the first one coming late in the first quarter on a 40-yard pass that opened the scoring for both teams, while the second one came late in the third quarter and gave the host team a 25-13 lead. Lara also had a four-yard touchdown run in the closing seconds of the first half.

Highlight of the game

With Desert View in possession of the ball on a fourth and goal situation and trailing 25-13 with 8:27 to play in the fourth quarter, its drive was stopped just a couple yards short of the goal line. The Desert Edge goal line stand kept its lead at 12 points and Desert View was never able to regain momentum or score again.

Quote of the game

“It feels amazing. All the hard work we’ve put in. We’ve been training for over a year at Friendship Park, just progressively getting better as a team, as a unit. We’ve been through some ups and downs, but a lot of ups, and I’m grateful for the bonding experience with my team. I’m just very blessed.” — Desert Edge junior wide receiver Gavin Parks on he and his teammates being in the 5A Conference’s final four.

Up next

Next Friday, Desert Edge will play No. 2 seed Tucson Salpointe Catholic, which defeated No. 7 Scottsdale Notre Dame Friday night.

Chaparral edges Pinnacle in 6A

By Howard Schlossberg

Nothing was predictable Friday night in Chaparral's 41-36 win over visiting Pinnacle in the 6A quarterfinals.

Pinnacle scrapped everything from its regular-season loss to the Firebirds and almost pulled off the unpredictable. But Brayten Silbor, with 271 yards passing and TDs to Cody Judge, Jamarei Ashby-Phan and Grady Hickey refused to let his offense falter.

And the most unpredictable play of all, Hickey's 36-yard game-clinching TD jaunt, was his only carry after 8 receptions for 117 yards for Chaparral.

Key plays

Both teams registered huge plays beyond Hickey's only carry late in the fourth, which gave the Firebirds a 41-30 lead that critically made it a two-score difference.The teams combined for 750 yards of total offense.

For Chaparral, Gavin Higley somehow slipped past defenders after a nice catch and sprinted to a 61-yard score in the second half. Cody Judge did the same for a 51-yard score and Jamarie Ashby-Phan slipped out of the backfield for a TD pass as well.

But upstart Pinnacle (4-8), playing its hearts out, never quit. Zach Wren might have had his best game, buying time with his legs to hit big Duce Robinson eight times, including a TD, to keep the Firebirds within reach for Pinnacle. Robinson's ridiculous athleticism had him making catches that even had the Chaparral sideline amazed.

But it was Hickey's surprise appearance in the backfield for one big run that carried the day.

Key players

Chaparral's C.J. Eastwood gained all the short, tough yards out of the Wildcat formation, for Chaparral, including a second-quarter TD. He also made big plays on defense. But it was big Anthony Lucas who had two key tackles for loss, one on Wren and another on fleet-footed Baylor Adam's on a reverse, who disrupted Pinnacle's offense.

"Anthony was fighting his guts out," said his coach, Brent Barnes.

Adams, Myles Libman and Robinson were thorns in Chaparral's side all night, combining for 20 catches and the bulk of Wren's 273 passing yards.

Libman even completed a pass on a fake punt.

Key quotes

Barnes told his kids the game would be a lot different than the 42-0 game during the season.

"Hats off to them. They made it a game," he said. "We still found a way."

Pinnacle coach Dana Zupke said: "We played hard. I'm proud of them. We certainly had our opportunities," he noted. "We had to keep them off balance."

His season over, fighting back tears, Wren said he would play with no other team.

"I wouldn't trade a minute with these guys," before not being able to hold back the tears anymore.

Hamilton rides 2nd half over ALA QC

By Austin Nicholson

Hamilton High School's perfect season continues after a convincing victory in the first round of the Open Division playoffs on Friday night. The Huskies took care of the upset-minded ALA Queen Creek Patriots 38-14 to move on to the semifinals.

Despite the lopsided score, this game was no gimme for Hamilton.

Things started off great for the Huskies. They scored a touchdown on their opening drive, thanks to a two-yard scramble from Hamilton's star-studded quarterback Nicco Marchiol. He finished with two rushing touchdowns and had one through the air as well.

But for the remainder of the first half, it was shaky for the West Virginia commit.

On the team's next drive, Marchiol's pass was tipped and then intercepted by the Patriots' Nate Laduke. Early in the second quarter, the Huskies signal-caller pitched the option a little behind running back Logan Krei, and ALA QC took over on its own 2-yard line.

But the real story of the first half was missed opportunities by the Patriots, Even after getting the interception and fumble recovery, they failed to capitalize and scored zero points off the two turnovers. Eventually, Marchiol made them pay with a four-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Christian Anaya with just over four minutes left in the second quarter to make it 21-7 Huskies. That gave the senior wideout 16 scoring grabs on the season.

And despite that, ALA QC had the momentum going into halftime. Following a 45-yard catch by wide receiver Elijah Peters and a holding call on the Patriots, quarterback Logan Hubler found Ryan Meza from 11 yards out to cap off the scoring drive. Hamilton elected to run out the remaining 40 seconds, and ALA QC had the ball to start the second half.

All that momentum shift did for the Patriots, however, was wake up the sleeping giant.

The Huskies' defense played even stouter in the second half, and defensive back Genesis Smith picked off Hubler late in the third quarter. ALA QC's defense finally gave in, and Marchiol and Hamilton's offense outscored their opponent 17-7 in the final two quarters. A late score from running back Breylon Blount with less than three minutes left sealed it for the No. 1 team in the state of Arizona.

Standout performer

No surprise here. Marchiol was tonight's standout performer for Hamilton. HIs three total touchdowns propelled his Huskies past the Patriots.

Play of the game

Despite the losing effort, Hubler had the play of the night for ALA QC. With just under four minutes left in the game, he ran the quarterback draw 69 yards to the house to make it 31-14.

Quote

"A couple of turnovers [in the first half] took a couple of scores away, but, other than that, every possession we were good offensively," head coach Mike Zdebski said post game.

"[Our defense] played a really great game. [ALA QC is] a very good offensive team. They give you a lot formations, a lot of shifts, a lot of motions, a lot of gadgets. They make you work."

Up next

After Friday night's win, Hamilton will play the winner of Saguaro and Cactus. The Huskies will host the semifinal round matchup on Friday, December 4 at 6 p.m. MST.

Desert Mtn. holds off Sunrise Mtn.

By Jeremiah Sosa

In what was a low-scoring showdown between the No. 4 Desert Mountain Wolves, and the No. 5 Sunrise Mountain Mustangs, the Wolves were able to top the Mustangs 17-8, behind a game winning touchdown from sophomore cornerback Santana Wilson.

Late into the fourth quarter, Desert Mountain holding on to 10-8 lead, the Mustangs drove down the field, looking to take the lead ahead. However, penalties and the Wolves' defense forced the Mustangs to kick a field goal.

With the Mustangs lining up for a kick that would put them ahead of the Wolves, Desert Mountain's sophomore cornerback Santana Wilson flashed from the left side of the field, blocked the kick, and returned it 75-yards to the house to give the Wolves the game-sealing touchdown.

Big Plays

Desert Mountain senior Tristen Banquil put game’s first points on the board with a 36-yard field goal. Desert Mountain went ahead 3-0 with his kick.

Later on in the second quarter, Sunrise Mountain was able to punch in their first score of the game with a 2-yard touchdown run from junior running back Rex Underhill. They then completed a two-point conversion, to go up 8-3 over the Wolves.

Late in the second quarter, Wilson was able to kill a Sunrise Mountain last minute drive, by intercepting the Mustang's quarterback, then took the ball 35 yards in the opposite direction, to keep the 8-3 score going into halftime.

Halfway into the third quarter, Wilson's counterpart in the secondary, Dylan Tapley, was able to pick off the Mustangs quarterback to give the ball back to his team.

A few drives later, with the Mustangs at their own 30-yard line, the Wolves defense hounded Sunrise Mountain's punter, blocking his kick, setting up the Wolves offense inside of the 20-yard line.

A few plays later, the Wolves were able get their first touchdown on the board, which came in the form of a 15-yard touchdown run from senior Zack Kilburg. This put the Wolves ahead 10-8, at the end of the third quarter.

The last score of the game came from Desert Mountain's Wilson, when he single-handedly blocked the field goal attempt from the Mustangs, then returned it 75 yards the other way.

Standout Performers

One of standout performers of Friday night's game was Desert Mountain sophomore safety Dylan Tapley. Tapley recorded two interceptions, one halfway in the third quarter, and another late in the fourth quarter that sealed the victory for the Wolves.

The other standout performer was sophomore Santana Wilson. Wilson also recorded an interception, his coming in the second quarter. Wilson also had the play of the game, blocking a field goal from Sunrise Mountain that would have given them the lead, and taking it all the way to the house.

Quotes

"I was excited. I was just filled with emotions, I just had to run to my team. I was just really hyped," Wilson said about his game winning touchdown.

"I felt like we did perfect on offense, defense. I know we couldn't score offensively, but special teams made up for it, so I'm happy with the win," Wilson added.

Desert Mountain Head Coach Conrad Hamilton was overall pleased with the way that his defense played, given the amount of different looks the Mustangs threw at his team.

"Our secondary did a good job. (Sunrise Mountain) tried to take us out of our game. They went away from their spread. They ran extra tight ends, extra offensive lineman in the game and tried to slow down the game a little bit," Hamilton said. "That did keep them in the game, and move the chains offensively."

"(Sunrise Mountain) did a good job defensively, they played good man coverage, stopped our run, and that's why the game was a close as it was," Hamilton added.

Up Next

The Desert Mountain Wolves travel to face the No. 1 Horizon Huskies in a playoff semifinals showdown, on Dec. 3.

Red Mountain edges Brophy in thriller

By Ben Stapley

For the second straight week, the Mesa Red Mountain pulled out a one point playoff victory. The latest was a 14-13 thriller over Brophy Prep in quarterfinal matchup Friday night at Red Mountain High School.

After holding off Centennial 20-19 one week ago, the Mountain Lions foud themselvs down by a 13-point, first-half deficit against Brophy Friday night in a 6A quarterfinal matchup.

Brophy quarterback Elijah Warner led the offense effectively in the first half. The senior tossed one touchdown, while kicker Marcus Lye connected on two first-quarter goals.

But two big offensive plays and timely Red Mountain defense turned the tables in the second half.

Red Mountain (10-2) is making its fourth semifinal appearance since 2016.

Brophy finished 7-5

Player of the game

Red Mountain quarterback Carter Crispin made the two biggest plays of his life Friday night. The junior threw a short touchdown pass on the last play of the second quarter to cut Brophy’s lead to 13-7. The score shot life back into Red Mountain’s sideline and its defense, as Brophy’s offense fluttered in the second half.

Crispin was on the receiving end of the game’s biggest play, which came near the end of the third quarter. Receiver Ja’kobi Lane took an end around from a running back, just as Crispin had snuck out near the end zone where Lane found him wide open for the score.

The extra point gave Red Mountain its 14-13 lead and ultimately, the win.

Stat of the night

Red Mountain and Brophy both combined for more penalties (16) than net rushing yards (11).

Quotable

“We made some big plays at the right time and our defense was outstanding in the second half.” — Red Mountain head coach Mike Peterson.

Up next

The Mountain Lions will square off next Friday against No. 1 seed Highland in the 6A semifinals. .

Chandler runs away from Queen Creek

By Damian Adams

Trailing Queen Creek on to a third-quarter lead, Chandler's defense forced Queen Creek into a three-and-out in a tight ball game, vaulting them into a 34-7 run to end the game.

The Wolves beat Bulldogs, 48-28, setting up No. 2-seed Chandler for a home game against No. 6 Liberty in the Open semifinals next Friday.

The first half was a different story.

Tied at 14 late in the second quarter, Queen Creek's William Waddington recovered a fumble at Chandler's 4-yard line, setting up Payton Barlow 1-yard run with under a minute to go.

Queen Creek took a 21-14 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The game was started with a drive by Chandler in which they exclusively ran the ball all the way down the field for a touchdown.

Queen Creek was able to come back and strike with a nice balanced drive.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona high school playoff roundup, Nov. 26, 2021