Photo: Quarterback Jayden Thoreson of Mica Mountain gets tackled for a loss by James Giggey
Prescott at Mingus
The Badgers remained undefeated on the road with a 49-21 win over the Mingus Marauders in Cottonwood last night. Prescott won only two of five home games this season, but found perfection on the road.
It was a quick start for the Badgers who dominated the first quarter and a half. Jaxon Rice stepped up for injured QB Alex Vaughan, completed 9-13 for 107 yards and 2 TDs, connected on a 36 yard pass play to Jake Hilton for a a 7-0 with 8:05 in the opening quarter. The first offensive play by Mingus was a disaster as Cervando Vega picked up the fumble, taking it to the Marauders 26. The very next play, Cody Leopold, who rushed for 249 yards on 27 carries, scored the first of his four touchdowns on the night on a 26 yard blast. Vega once again was credited for a second fumble recovery, setting up a one yard run by Cian Mckelvey with 4;01 on the first quarter clock, and a 21-0 Badger lead.
The Mingus offense had a lot of trouble early, and the Badger defense appreciated the help in keeping a potent offense off the scoreboard in a rare quarter shutout.
Cody Leopold scored on a two yard run to open the second quarter, and it was 28-0. After yet another stalled drive by Mingus, Jaxon Rice connected on a 15 yard pass play to Christopher Brown with 7:17 left in quarter number two and a 35-0 Badger lead.
The Marauders were finally to show what they had done most of the year, and that was to score points. Mingus QB Zachary Harrson called his own number, running 67 yards on a bootleg to get the goose egg off the board with 7:10 left in the half.
The Badgers fumbled the ball back to Mingus as Joe Freudenreich fell on the loose ball. That set up the next Mingus touchdown, when Harrison connected with Freddy Jimenez from 12 yards to out, to close the gap to 35-14 at the half.
The Marauders made it a little more interesting, scoring to trim the Badger lead to 35-21 with 9:26 in the third, when Angelo Alvarez scored on a two yard run.
The Badgers answered with a strong drive, capped off by a Leopold four-yard touchdown run.
Leopold finished the scoring off with his fourth of the game, and his 16th of the season, with a 33-yard run with 7:40 left in the game. Prescott rushed for 411 yards, averaging 6.5 yards per carry and ended up with 518 total yards.
The Badgers finish the regular season at (4-1) in the Grand Canyon region, and (7-3) overall. Mingus ends a disappointing season at (0-5) and (2-8).
PRESCOTT BADGERS 49, MINGUS MARAUDERS 21
Score by Quarters- 1 2 3 4 – T
Prescott 21 14 7 7 – 49
Mingus 0 14 7 0 – 21
Scoring Summary
P-Hilton 36 yard pass from Rice (Gross kick)
P-Leopold 26 yard run (Gross kick)
P-Mckelvey 1 yard run (Gross kick)
P-Leopold 2 yard run (Gross kick)
P-Brown 15 yard pass from Rice (Gross kick)
M-Harrison 67 yard run (Kick failed)
M-Jimenez 12 yard pass from Harrison (Harrison run)
M-Alvarez 2 yard run (Bueno kick)
P-Leopold 4 yard run (Gross kick)
P-Leopold 33 yard run (Gross kick)
Mica Mountain at Bradshaw Mountain
Malachi Stephenson rushed for two touchdowns to help lead the Bradshaw Mountain Bears to a 36-7 win over the Mica Mountain Thunderbolts in Prescott Valley.
The Thunderbolts in their first year of varsity action, with sophomores and juniors on the roster, scored first setting a school record in the process as quarterback Jayden Thoreson connected on a 99 pass play to Melvin Khan. Ethan Black added the PAT for a 7-0 lead with 7:53 left in the first half.
The Thunderbolts score seemed to wake up the Bears offense. Bradshaw Mountain put together a strong drive that tied the game on a 8 yard run by Malachi Stephenson at the 4:12 mark. The Bradshaw defense, which has been stellar the last five games, allowed no more points.
Both teams had some issues with ball security, and a Mica Mountain fumble set up a scoop and score by Aiden Ott, as the senior ran for the TD from 17 yards out. Ott was at it again on the next series, recovering a second fumble, setting up a 7 yard touchdown run along the far side line by quarterback Grady Rose to close out the first half.
Halftime by the Bradshaw Mountain Band and Color Guard was quite impressive with their swashbuckling theme that included a Pirate ship.
A pair of blocked punts were the highlights of the third quarter, but no scoring resulted from them. Malachai Stephenson and Aiden Ott teamed up to get the block for the Bears and Jacob Flores got the block for the Thunderbolts.
A bad snap over the Mica Mountain punters head that went out of the end zone, gave Bradshaw two points for the safety, and a 23-7 lead with 10:03 left.
The Bears added two touchdowns to close out the game. Gabriel Ricketts who rushed for 102 yards on 20 carries, scored on a 31 yard run at the 5:27 mark, and Malachai Stephenson ran for a 46 yard score with 5:02 left.
The Bears, champions of the Grand Canyon Region, end the regular season at (7-3). Mica Mountain ends the year at (3-3).
BRADSHAW MOUNTAIN BEARS 36, MICA MOUNTAIN THUNDERBOLTS 7
Score by Quarters- 1 2 3 4 – T
Mica Mountain 0 7 0 0 – 7
Bradshaw Mountain 0 21 0 15 – 36
Scoring Summary
MM- Khan 99 yard pass from Thoreson (Black kick)
BM-Stephenson 8 yard run (Mitchell kick)
BM-Ott 17 yard fumble recovery (Kick failed)
BM-Rose 7 yard run (Gross run)
BM-Safety, ball snapped out of end zone
BM-Ricketts 31 yard run (Mitchell kick)
BM-Stephenson 46 yard run (Kick failed)
GRAND CANYON REGION STANDINGS
School- W-L W-L
Bradshaw Mountain 4-1 7-3
PRESCOTT 4-1 7-3
Lee Williams 3-2 7-3
Coconino 3-2 5-3
Flagstaff 1-4 4-6
Mingus 0-5 2-8
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS SCOREBOARD
Lee Williams 35, Deer Valley 30
Coconino 26, Flagstaff 7
ALA-Queen Creek 48, Benjamin Franklin 18
Apache Junction 60, Trevor Browne 44
Buckeye 45, Estrella Foothills 17
Cactus 29, Peoria 13
Catalina Foothills 34, Douglas 0
Canyon Del Oro 49, Sahuaro 19
Central 33, North Canyon 30
Cibola 23, Gila Ridge 14
Combs 55, Tempe 6
Glendale 41, Thunderbird 19
Lake Havasu 48, Youngker 13
Mesquite 51, Marcos de Niza 14
Moon Valley 47, Shadow Mountain 6
Poston Butte 35, Arcadia 20
Sierra Linda 56, Washington 18
St. Mary’s 48, Seton Catholic Prep 21
3A Quarterfinals
ALA-Gilbert North 38, Sabino 7
Snowflake 44, Thatcher 13
Valley Christian 35, River Valley 28
Yuma Catholic 68, Round Valley 13
2A Quarterfinals
Arizona Lutheran 33, Pima 27
Benson 48, St. Johns 6
Morenci 35, Gilbert Christian 23
Parker 36, Willcox 22
Championship
St. David(10-1) vs. Mogollon (11-0), 6pm at Coronado H.S.
Badgers-Bears….. Take Two
The two rivals are paired up to face each other in the first round of the AIA playoffs. Bradshaw beat Prescott 24-6 two weeks ago in Prescott. Despite winning the first game and being Grand Canyon Region champs, the Bears get a road game, in a somewhat weak 4A playoff bracket. Northwest Christian, despite being (3-7) even made the playoffs.
The original top two teams, Cactus and ALA-Queen Creek, both moved up to the Open Division, moving every team up two spots. Otherwise Prescott would have been on the road seeded #10, Bradshaw #11.
A plus for the Grand Canyon Region was getting four teams in. Lee Williams and Coconino also made it. No matter how you slice it though, you have to win to move on. We will all see what the two teams learned the first time, when they meet again Friday at Bill Shepard Field.
4A FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS-Friday, November 19, 7pm
#16 Northwest Christian (3-7) at #1 Poston Butte (8-2)
#15 Deer Valley (7-3) at #2 Casa Grande (9-0)
#14 Benjamin Franklin (6-4) at #3 Mesquite (7-3)
#13 Coconino (5-3) at #4 Glendale (9-1)
#12 Canyon Del Oro (6-4) at #5 Lake Havasu (7-2)
#11 Lee Williams (7-3) at #6 Apache Junction (7-2)
#10 St. Mary’s (7-3) at #7 Buckeye (8-2)
#9 Bradshaw Mountain (7-3) at #8 Prescott (7-3)
