Badgers Begin Second Season Tonight

Photo: Josiah Peoples and Trace Overton team up for the tackle of Vista Grande’s Fernando Moya in the first meeting this season

#11 Vista Grande Spartans (7-3) at #6 Prescott Badgers (9-1)

The Prescott Badgers football team has had a remarkable regular season winning the Grand Canyon Region for the first time since 2012, and best record in decades at (9-1). Now it is playoff time, the second season if you will, when the best of the best move on in their quest for a state title.

On This Day in History — 1963

Armando Iannucci, Scottish comedian, actor, director, and producer film director (born 1963) 🔗

Tonight the #6 seeded Badgers will host the #11 seeded Vista Grande Spartans in what is a rematch of a regular season game on September 20, which Prescott won 31-26.

If you were at the first game you witnessed some of the ugliness in athletics with cheap shots, late hits, and plenty of unsportsmanlike penalties. To say the least, it was chippy. Prescott even opted to head to the locker-room right after the game as a few of the Spartans came over to the Badgers sideline.

The game itself saw the Badgers take advantage of three Vista Grande’s miscues, two interceptions and a fumble. A big kickoff return for a touchdown by Josiah Peoples to start the second half turned out to be the deciding score as the Spartans put together a late fourth quarter rally.

That was then and this is now. It has been eight weeks and the teams are meeting again. Prescott will need to do some of the same things this time around and be opportunistic whenever or wherever they can. Vista Grande is no doubt chomping at the bit to beat the Badgers on their home field. The officials will need to be very proactive from the start to help mitigate any nonsense or this could get ugly quick.

Vista Grande used two quarterbacks last time, Brenden Hunt and Eltorna Gant, who flip flopped from running back to QB, and combined for 214 yards and two touchdowns through the air. The Spartans also rushed for 308 yards on 40 carries with two touchdowns, one each by Gant and Hunt. Receiver Thomas Ortega Jr ranks third in 4A division with 766 reception yards and had five catches for 157 yards and a touchdown against the Badgers.

Prescott saw quarterback Uriah Tenette throw two long passes for touchdowns to Johann Gundermann and Cooper Kasun. Tenette, threw for 177 yards and also rushed for 45 yards and a touchdown. Brody Hanna was very busy in the middle of the defense and had a career game with 17 tackles. Tenette ranks second in division 4A in total offensive yards with 2577. Johann Gundermann dropped to second in punting in the entire state with 46.0 yards per punt. Gehrig Hall of Arcadia is now on top at 46.1.

The teams have two common opponents this season. Versus Coconino the Spartans won 12-7, the Badgers won 35-28. Against Combs, the Spartans won 21-16, and the Badgers won 40-28.

It is playoff time, which means win or your season is over. This will be a hard fought battle and the team that can make the fewer mistakes, turnovers and penalties will have a leg up on moving into the quarterfinal round.

#12 Bradshaw Mountain Bears (7-3) at #5 Thunderbird Titans (9-1), 7 pm

This is a rematch of last years first round game in which Thunderbird held on late to beat the Bears 17-16, after a failed two point attempt by Bradshaw Mountain.

The Bears will have their work cut out for them in trying to contain Titans running back Elijah Little who leads the 4A division with 1863 yards rushing and 29 touchdowns. Find a way to stop Little, or at least slow him down and you have a chance.

Both teams are ground oriented offenses which means this could be a quick game as the clock won’t be stopping on very many incomplete passes. A turnover or two would be very beneficial to Bradshaw Mountain in their attempt to upset the Titans.

4A DIVISION PLAYOFFS – First Round, Tonight at 7pm

#16 Combs (6-4) at #1 Yuma Catholic (9-1)