Photo: Malachai Stephenson carries the ball as 32 Cody Hanna, 72 Landen Francis, and 30 Jake Wright are in pursuit
Varsity Football
Another chapter was written in the local rivalry with the Bears for Bradshaw Mountain winning a battle of defenses, with a 20-14 win over the Prescott Badgers. The two teams combined for 99 points last week, but ended up with 34 this week.
Both teams normally thrive on the ground, but it was the Bears defense that found a solution to the powerful Badger running game, holding the Badgers to just 93 yards. Bradshaw Mountain rushed for 257 yards, using up chunks of the clock in the process.
Tanner Mitchell hooked a 37 yard field goal attempt after Ricketts ran 48 yards to the Prescott 20.
The game was scoreless for the first sixteen minutes, but suddenly the scoreboard came alive with three touchdowns being scored in the final four minutes of the half. Prescott looked like they were in good shape after a Bear penalty moved the ball to the Bradshaw 28. Not so fast, as the momentum quickly swung the other way.
Bradshaw Mountain would strike first when Malachai Stephenson picked Cody Leopold’s pocket, stripping the ball, and bolted 72 yards for the touchdown. Mitchell added the extra point for a 7-0 lead with four minutes left in the half. The Badgers tied the game two minutes later on a seven yard run by Cody Leopold, his 21st rushing touchdown on the season. Bradshaw Mountain would take the lead into half time as Stephenson ran 42 yards for a score with less than a minute to play.
Photo: 4 Jake Hilton is forced out of bounds. The senior had a big night with 10 receptions for 127 yards, including a 51 yard touchdown
Prescott took the second half kickoff and moved down the field, but the drive stalled, and ended with a missed field goal from 33 yards by Cole Gross. The Badgers defense got the ball right back, and the offense scored on a big 51 yard pass play from Jaxon Rice to Jake Hilton. Tied at 14, the Bears were able to put together a 14 play, 80 yard drive together, burning the remaining six minutes in the third quarter. The home team would take the lead again when quarterback Grady Rose faked a handoff to Ricketts and ran around the right end from six yards out with under eleven minutes to play. The PAT attempt failed, and the door was still open for a Prescott comeback.
Photo: 24 Cody Leopold is about to bring down 44 Gabriel Ricketts
Credit the Bears defense, holding the Badgers in their final three times with the ball. Prescott’s high scoring offense would fail down the stretch, with a pair of opportunities provided by the tremendous defensive efforts by the Badgers D. First, after a big fourth down stop, the Badgers QB Jaxon Rice threw an interception on their first play, with 3:13 left. Prescott had to burn their timeouts, and the defense once again held the Bears, with Landen Francis sacking Rose back at the Badger 47 on fourth down, giving the Badgers one final opportunity with 2:17 left. Four incomplete passes from a high pressuring effort by the Bears, closed out the game. Bradshaw Mountain took a knee to kill off the final 1:55.
Malachai Stephenson, who scored a touchdown on both sides of the ball, said, “What a game. We just came out and knew that we had to do our jobs. Pedal to the metal and knowing everyone was doing their best was the difference.”
Stephenson finished with 122 yards on 17 carries. Fellow Bear, Gabriel Ricketts carried the ball 26 times for 146 yards.
Prescott was averaging 49 points a game coming in but could only find the end zone twice. Leading rusher Cody Leopold was held to just 28 yards on eight carries. Cian Mckelvey, led the Badgers in rushing with 50 yards on six carries. Jaxon Rice, who switched jerseys with Uriah Tenette, wearing number nine to honor his late cousin who played for the Bears, threw for 123 yards, completing nine of 12 passes, with the one crucial INT. Uriah Tenette, wore number ten, completed all three of his passes for 23 yards. Jake Hilton had a big night, catching ten passes for 127 yards and a touchdown.
The Badgers drop to (1-1) and (5-2) overall will have to regroup quickly as a good Lee Williams comes to town for a Friday night showdown at 7 pm. The Bears will host Coconino in another big game.
BRADSHAW MOUNTAIN BEARS 20, PRESCOTT BADGERS 14
Score by Quarters- 1 2 3 4 – T
Prescott 0 7 7 0 – 14
Bradshaw Mountain 0 14 0 6 – 20
Scoring Summary
BM-Stevenson 72 yard fumble return (Mitchell kick)
P-Leopold 7 yard run (Gross kick)
BM-Stevenson 42 yard run (Mitchell kick)
P-Hilton 51 yard pass from Rice (Gross kick)
BM-Rose 6 yard run (Kick failed)
GRAND CANYON REGION STANDINGS
School- W-L W-L
Lee Williams 2-0 5-2
Bradshaw Mountain 2-0 4-3
PRESCOTT 1-1 5-2
Coconino 1-1 3-4
Mingus 0-2 4-3
Flagstaff 0-2 2-5
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS SCOREBOARD
Kingman 30, Chino Valley 26
ALA-Gilbert North 47, AZ College Prep 7
Bagdad 46, El Capitan 22
Blue Ridge 35, Winslow 25
Canyon Del Oro 49, Pueblo 14
Carl Hayden 56, Maryvale 6
Central 27, Betty Fairfax 20
Coconino 46, Mingus 8
Lake Havasu 55, Greenway 14
Lee Williams 63, Flagstaff 19
Marcos de Niza 35, Combs 28
Mica Mountain 53, Douglas 7
Mohave 55, Parker 6
Moon Valley 35, Youngker 18
Northwest Christian 41, Peoria 6
Payson 24, Fountain Hills 14
Poston Butte 40, Benjamin Franklin 13
Show Low 68, Monument Valley 6
St. Mary’s 28, Gila Ridge 0
Yuma 33, Wickenburg 0
Yuma Catholic 35, Glendale 20
Badminton
The individual competition was held at Independence High School on Friday and Saturday.
Riley Crockett and Elle Long, seeded #2 represented Prescott in the doubles bracket, falling short in their championship match. Losing 22-20 and 21-19 against #1 seed of Hattie Hearnen and Rylan Rhodes, of Sunrise Mountain. Lauren Farley and Calli Naylor, the number eight seed, lost in the quarterfinals 21-16, 21-9 to the same Sunrise Mountain duo.
Top seeded singles player Megan Townsend fell 21-6, 21-12 to #2 Mathilde Jacobsen of Verrado. The other singles player from Prescott, Lindsay Carter, lost her play-in match to Kathol of Saguaro 21-19, 12-21, and 22-20.
The #1 Badgers quest for a team championship begins Monday at 4pm versus #16 Casteel. As the number one seed, Prescott would host a match on Tuesday and Wednesday as well, before traveling for the championship match at Desert Vista High School, on Thursday at 6pm.
DIVISION II Team (First Round, Monday, 4pm)
#16 Casteel (9-5) at #1 PRESCOTT (14-0)
#9 Cactus (10-4) at #8 Horizon (10-3)
#12 Mesquite (10-4) at #5 Sunrise Mountain (13-1)
#13 Millennium (9-4)at #4 Chaparral (12-1)
#14 Shadow Mountain (8-6) at #3 Verrado (14-0)
#11 Greenway (11-3) at #6 Arizona College Prep (13-1)
#10 Paradise Valley (9-5) at #7 Deer Valley (9-4)
#15 Willow Canyon (11-3) at #2 Ironwood (13-1)
