Week 11 Arizona HS football roundup: Saguaro dominates, Liberty cruises, Camp Verde rolls

Saguaro dominates Chaparral

By Howard Schlossberg 

With the brutal part of its difficult schedule in the rearview mirror and everyone getting healthy, Saguaro is getting back to being the Saguaro that the Arizona prep football community has become all too familiar with.

The Sabercats (5-3) won their fourth straight in rolling up more than 600 yards of total offense in a 59-17 win at home Friday night over archival Chaparral in a 6A Northeast Valley game.

Five different Sabercats scored touchdowns and Alan Hall even added a field goal. Saguaro ran out to a 14-0 lead just 5:32 into the game as Devon Dampier efficiently directed an offense that averaged nearly 10 yards per snap.

Key Plays

The tone was set early, as Dampier piloted a 63-yard touchdown drive to open the game. In fact, his first touch was a 40-yard run and his last touch was a 44-yard TD run in the 4th.

Jaedon Matthews and Zaccheus Cooper complimented each other all night, alternating carries. Matthews had three scores, including a dazzling 70-yard run on which he showed the speed that has college scouts wide-eyed.

Matthews was clear to credit his success to his offensive line and Dampier's direction of the offense in his postgame comments to the Republic.

Cooper had 87 yards and his power running between the tackles compliments Matthews off tacke and sweep runs perfectly. Cooper had a 3-yard walk-in score to finish a 72-yard scoring drive early in the 3rd quarter.

The defense did the rest, taking advantage of the big lead that turned a talented Chaparral team one-dimensional, something you don't want to be against harassing pass-rushers like Garrett Martin, Christian Nunnally and Magnum West.

They had talented Miles Vandenheuvel throwing on the run all night, albeit effectively in accumulating 289 yards passing combined with his alternate, Bryce Herges, who put up a TD drive.

All told, Chaparral had six plays that lost yardage, leaving them in field-position holes of which they could not dig out.

Key Players

Dampier finished with 147 rushing and 237 passing in a stellar performance. Chris Nimcheski had three catches for 84 yards and two TDs. Matthews and Cooper combined for more than 200 yards rushing.

Vandenheuvel had 205 yards passing and Gavin Mesa had 9 catches for 107.

Key Quotes

Saguaro head coach Jason Mohns couldn't heap enough praise on his rising stars. Cooper and Matthews "are blocking for each other," selflessly enabling each other, he noted.

As to Matthews' breakaway speed, "He's just got a different gear," said Mohns. "When he gets a crease, it's over."

As Chaparral discovered.

"They were the better team," said Firebirds head coach Brent Barnes. Unfortunately for his 3-5 club, "The team that showed up tonight is not who we are."

Up Next

Saguaro can afford no losses as it drives toward an Open Division spot. The Sabercats visit Pinnacle next Friday.

Chaparral entertains Brophy Prep next Friday.

Liberty cruises over O'Connor

By Alex Suarez

The Liberty Lions, hosted Sandra Day O’Connor Eagles Friday night and cruised to a 53-0 win.

The Lions, No. 2 in the AIA 6A rankings coming into Friday's game, were able to display their talents on both sides of the ball.

The Eagles, ranked No. 10 in 6A, weren't able to get anything going on the offensive side of the ball because of the swarming Lions defense, which forced three turnovers, giving the offense prime field position.  Liberty’s offense capitalized on the big plays, with two touchdowns 35-yards or longer.

Standout Performers

LIberty quarterback Navi Bruzon continued his stellar play, throwing three touchdown passes for 220 yards.

The Lions My’Keil Gardner had a fumble recovery that he returned for a touchdown.

Liberty's Prince Zombo had a touchdown on three catches for 66-yards.

Key Plays

In addition to Gardner's fumble return, Bruzon's 42-yard touchdown to Grant Brunelle was a standout play.

The Lions win kept them firmly in place to secure an Open Division playoff spot, which will go to the top 8 teams overall, regardless of conference, based on AIA computer ratings. Most of those teams will likely come for 6A.

Key Quotes

“I thought we played really well,” said Colin Thomas, Liberty head coach. “When our guys play with that type of passion and energy, we’re really tough.

“The defense creates turnovers like that and the offense just feeds off of it,” said Thomas. “We played really well in the first half and I’m proud of the guys."

Up Next

Liberty (8-0) will host Centennial (7-1) next week. The Coyotes were ranked No. 8 in 6A this week. Sandra Day O’Connor (5-3) will host Boulder Creek (5-3).

Camp Verde rolls into the playoffs

By Lucas Gordon

Camp Verde is rolling into the 2A playoffs after defeating Phoenix Cortez in the regular season finale for both teams. The Cowboys took down the Colts, 56-26.

Key Plays

Campe Verde got out to an early lead as they were up by 21 at the end of the first quarter. Junior wide receiver Christian Sanabria opened the scoring with a 37-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Tyson Buckley.

Sanabria was not done scoring as he picked up an 8-yard touchdown on the next possession putting the Cowboys up by 14.

Camp Verde's defense in the first quarter gave the offense great field position that led to the touchdown drives.

The Cowboys recovered two fumbles in the first quarter and blocked a punt. The defense did start to show its weaknesses in the second quarter.

Heading into the second quarter, Cortez looked like they were ready to make a comeback. The first two possessions that Cortez was able to make it to Camp Verde's side of the field, they ended up scoring.

Junior quarterback Dominique Drake scored two touchdowns with his legs on back-to-back possessions to cut the lead to 28-14.

Campe Verde was able to answer back right before half to take a 20-point lead into the locker room.

Coming out of halftime, Camp Verde dominated the rest of the game.

Sanabria caught another touchdown in the third quarter and Buckley threw for two more. The defense recovered two more fumbles and were able to grab an interception.

Cortez, which notched a winning season after it ended a 50-game losing streak in the season opener, added some points in garbage time, but it was not enough at the end of the game.

Key Quote

Camp Verde's head coach, Aaron Gronwald, was happy with the way his team performed in the second half after letting Cortez back into the game in the first.

"We made our adjustments and I think we played much better in the second half. Were going to get back in there on Monday, watch the film, and fix our mistakes because there will be no easy routes for us."

Gronwald believes that his team is capable of anything heading into the playoffs.

"We don't even have a ceiling. No one is perfect but when these guys want something they'll take it."

Up Next

Camp Verde will be playing in its first playoff game this year next week against an opponent that will be named when the rankings are announced. Cortez's season will end but it was still a success for the team as they broke their 50-game losing streak. and finished 7-3.

ALA Gilbert North downs Apache Junction

By Ben Stapley

American Leadership Academy-Gilbert North will spend another week flexing its No. 1 ranking in 4A, after taking care of Apache Junction, 35-21 Friday night in an 4A East Sky region contest in Gilbert.

Apache Junction (5-3, 1-2) was able to move the ball effectively most of the game, but ALA Gilbert (6-2, 2-0) tightened up its defense in the red zone, which was the difference in the game.

Key Playmakers

ALA quarterback Adam Damante threw four touchdowns and 306 yards. Brandon Phelps caught two of those touchdowns, the latter of which made for the game’s most bizarre play.

Leading 21-7 in the third quarter, Phelps took a screen pass from Damante and turned it into a dazzling 70 yard score.

But Phelps was called for two unsportsmanlike penalties, one for taunting during the play, and another for flashing a No. 1 too close to a camera after scoring.

The touchdown counted, but Phelps was ejected.

Pending an appeal by ALA, Phelps would be suspended for the Eagles next game against Benjamin Franklin.

Stats of the game

Apache Junction’s offense crossed ALA’s 15-yard line or closer three times without scoring. The biggest play defensively came in the third quarter, when Tyton Slade picked off a pass in the end zone for ALA. That play set up Phelps 70 yard catch and run.

Prospectors running back Isaiah Savoie scored all three Apache Junction touchdowns.

Quotes of the Game

“(Apache Junction) was a tough team, we just kind of operate with a bend but don’t break mentality defensively,'' said ALA coach Randy Ricedorff.

Up Next

Apache Junction travels to Arcadia and ALA Gilbert visits Benjamin Franklin High School in Queen Creek.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Week 11 Arizona HS football roundup: Liberty cruises,Camp Verde rolls