Photo: 1 Uriah Tenette splits the defense on his way to his first touchdown of the game
It was quite a night for Uriah Tenette. The senior signal caller not only won Homecoming King, but was a part of all six touchdowns, in a 40-28 win over the previously unbeaten Combs Coyotes, at Bill Shepard Field. Tenette scored twice rushing, threw three TD passes, and the ultimate 105 yard school record pick-six.
Photo: Uriah Tenette and Gracie Pereira were named Homecoming King & Queen
Tenette said, “We had to battle and overcome some things we had not had to deal with yet.” About his play, “I always go out trying to find a way that I can help my team. Picking off the pass and seeing nobody in front of me was an easy call. I knew nobody was going to catch me either.” In regards to being part of the winning team with Queen Gracie Pereira, Tenette added, “That just added to the night. It was great for both of us.”
The things that the Badgers had to overcome came in the form of many firsts of the season. One was they committed their first turnover on a muffed punt. The second came in the form of a first pass interception of quarterback Uriah Tenette that was a fluke in itself. Third was an offensive fumble. Then there was kicker Johann Gundermann, who after 20 in a row had a kick blocked and another hit the upright. The key to it all was the Badgers ability to play through the mistakes and come out with the win.
Tenette started things off with the first of his two interceptions at their Badgers 38 to give the Prescott the ball for the first time. After securing a first down by getting Combs to jump on a successful fourth down and four hard count, Tenette scored the first touchdown of the game on a 28 yard run. Johann Gundermann made it 7-0 with 9:36 in the first quarter.
Combs had to really work for the equalizer, finally scoring on a fourth down play Izaak Jeffcoat broke through on a one yard TD run. The Coyotes elected to go for two, but the run came up short.
Photo: Johann Gundermann with his second touchdown catch
The Badgers went up 14-6 on a 44 yard pass from Tenette to Gundermann, closing out the scoring in the opening quarter.
Josiah Peoples pulled in a touchdown pass from Tenette on a 27 yard pass play with 8:43 left in the second quarter for a 21-6 lead.
The nest time the Badgers had the ball Eli Allen caught his only pass on a third and 12 play to keep the drive alive. Tenette would connect with Gundermann again, this time on a 46 yard touchdown pass play over the middle and a 27-6 Prescott lead. The defense stopped Combs for the third straight time, but a muffed punt gave the ball back to the Coyotes at the Badgers 26 with two minutes left in the half.
Jeffcoat would score his second touchdown of the game on another 9 yard run. Quarterback Kannin Hale’s pass to Levi Anglin close the gap to 28-14. A second consecutive turnover came when Tenette threw his first interception after the receiver fell down. The Badgers defense put a stop to another scoring attempt to close out the half.
The lead grew to 34-14 on a 6 yard run by Tenette with a couple minutes left in the third quarter. The Badgers got the ball right back when #12 picked off a Hale pass on the Combs first play. Prescott was unable to move the ball and punted to the Coyotes at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
Combs picked up the tempo and quickly scored on a 5 yard run by Jeffcoat to close the gap to 34-21 with 10:27 remaining. Combs recovered an onside kick but the Prescott defense came up with another stop.
The Badgers coughed up the ball and the Coyotes wasted little time, moving quickly down the field to the Badger 11 about to get within one score with 4:06 left. Then came the play of the game. Hale threw to the end zone and Tenette put the game away when he stepped in front of the receiver, picking off the pass in the end zone, and bolting 105 yards down the near sideline for a school record pick-six to put the game out of reach for the Coyotes.
Tenette’s numbers were 6-10-1, 155 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also rushed for 68 yards on 10 carries and 2 touchdowns, plus 4 tackles and 2 interceptions. Both of Gundermann’s receptions went for touchdowns and Peoples one catch of 27 yards was a touchdown.
Adam Lloyd had his best game of the season thus far with 134 yards on 17 carries, said, “The line did a great job tonight. They created some openings that gave me a chance to get out into some open space.”
Defensively, Brody Hanna continues to rack up the tackles, this time 13. Adam Lloyd and Cooper Kasun each had 8. Trace Overton came in with 7. Lloyd and Peoples each had a sack.
In his first year of varsity, sophomore defensive lineman Blake Mcglory said, “This was another good win for us against a good opponent. Each game I like to think I am getting better and adapting to the speed that comes at the varsity level, as opposed to the freshman team.” Mcglory broke through the line many times to pressure the Combs quarterback and added, “I like to see the terror in their eyes when I am coming at them.”
Prescott (4-1) will host Lee Williams in the Grand Canyon Region open on Friday at 7 pm. Combs (4-1) will host Mesquite.
PRESCOTT BADGERS 40, COMBS COYOTES 28
Score by Quarters- 1 2 3 4 – T
Combs 6 8 0 14 – 28
Prescott 14 13 7 6 – 40
Scoring Summary
P-Tenette 28 yard run (Gundermann kick)
C-Jeffcoat 1 yard run (Run failed)
P-Gundermann 44 yard pass from Tenette (Gundermann kick)
P-Peoples 27 yard pass from Tenette (Kick blocked)
P-Gundermann 46 yard pass from Tenette (Gundermann kick)
C-Jeffcoat 1 yard run (Anglin pass from Hale)
P-Tenette 6 yard run (Gundermann kick)
C-Jeffcoat 5 yard run (Brady kick)
P-Tenette 105 yard interception return (Kick failed)
C-Hale 5 yard run (Brady kick)
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
PRESCOTT 40, Combs 28
Bradshaw Mountain 38, Apache Junction 15
Payson 46, Chino Valley 6
ALA-Gilbert North 42, Skyline 13
Amphitheater 48, Cholla 14
Arcadia 27, Camelback 14
AZ College Prep 43, Yuma Catholic 29
Basha 58, Sandra Day O’Connor 21
Bisbee 15, Benson 12
Blue Ridge 35, Safford 0
Brophy Prep 40, Notre Dame Prep 0
Buena 56, Pueblo 0
Cactus 35, Peoria 14
Canyon View 49, Buckeye 20
Central 27, North Canyon 0
Coconino 31, Poston Butte 20
Crismon 34, Winslow 0
Deer Valley 24, Mingus 8
Desert Christian 32, Salome 8
Douglas 42, Empire 21
Gilbert Christian 49, Fountain Hills 7
Higley 56, Cactus Shadows 50
Ironwood Ridge 37, Sahuaro 7
Lake Havasu 28, Youngker 0
Marana 48, Canyon Del Oro 0
Maricopa 42, Mesquite 14
Mica Mountain 41, Casa Grande 7
Monument Valley 20, Kingman 16
Northwest Christian 16, Eastmark 7
Paradise Valley 35, La Joya Community 34
Rio Rico 33, Rincon University 0
Seton Catholic Prep 37, Estrella Foothills 21
Sierra Linda 21, Betty Fairfax 10
Snowflake 30, Gilbert 17
South Mountain 18, Maryvale 12
St. Johns 43, Globe 0
Sunrise Mountain 45, West Point 7
Tempe 64, Window Rock 0
Thunderbird 42, Greenway 0
Tucson 56, Catalina Foothills 38
Vista Grande 70, Desert Sunrise 7
Walden Grove 30, Desert View 8
Westview 20, Willow Canyon 6
Wickenburg 20, Page 7
THURSDAY SCORES
Flagstaff 45, Copper Canyon 28
Hayden 68, Williams 0
Independence 33, Glendale 28
McClintock 40, Cienega 14
Mohave 48, Lee Williams 13
Moon Valley 46, Alhambra 6
Round Valley 41, Show Low 15
Scottsdale Christian 56, Coronado 0
