Courtney’s Pick-Six Sends Prescott to the Championship

Photo: The Badgers celebrate after the first touchdown run by Allana Gilray

The Prescott Badgers are going to the championship game in the program’s very first season. The team has only two seniors, but they both played a prominent role in getting the Badgers through this game. Number one has to be Delainey Courtney, who came up with the play of the game/season, when she tipped a Coconino pass and pulled it in then bolting 80 yards for the game winning score with nine seconds left to give the Prescott Badgers a thrilling 28-21 win over the Coconino Panthers. The win puts Prescott into the 4A state championship game on Saturday versus St. Mary’s at Chandler High School in a game between two undefeated teams..

Courtney actually started and finished the game for the Badgers. She picked off a pass on the first play from scrimmage for the Panthers as well. An excited Courtney said, “I was going after their quarterback and saw she was about to pass and I reached up and got a piece of the ball and then it came down right to me and I just ran as fast as I could. We had some calls go against us in the fourth quarter and we just had to put those behind us and we were able to come back and get the win.”

After Courtney’s opening interception, senior Allana Gilray got the Badgers on the scoreboard with a 22 yard touchdown run on just their second play.

After an exchange of possessions, Coconino’s Addy Palmer returned a punt to the Prescott nine yard line, setting up their first score. Quarterback Blanca Ventura Gomez rushed in from two yards out to tie the game at seven with three and a half minutes left in the opening quarter.

Photo: Brinkley Larson is all smiles after her second quarter touchdown

The Badgers took the lead again in the second quarter when Rianna Aguilar connected with Brinkley Larson in stride for a 59 yard touchdown, and a 14-7 lead.

Prescott extended their lead to 21-7 when Aguilar threw a touchdown pass to Gilray.

Maggie Maneely picked off two consecutive Coconino passes and it looked like the Badgers would score again, but the Panthers defense stopped the Badgers both times.

The Panthers turned the ball over on downs and it continued to look good for the Badgers, but things turned when Coconino took the ball over at the Prescott 28 yard line with 3:28 remaining.

Coconino scored with 2:33 left to pull within seven, 21-14, on a two yard pass play from Gomez to Stiegler. The “onside kick” play was a pass that just went off the receiver’s hands, but the official called pass interference on Prescott giving the ball to the Panthers at their own 40 yard line. Perhaps still stung by the call, the Panthers Wylan Smith took a short pass and turned the play into a 60 yard touchdown to tie the game 21-21 at the two minute warning.

Photo: Delainey Courtney and Olivia Raber converge on Coconino quarterback Blanca Ventura Gomez

The Badgers second play from scrimmage was picked off by Daphne Tso and the Panthers were in business at the Prescott 28 with 1:44 left. Coconino elected to pass the ball on a third and one. The Badgers created pressure with Courtney bearing down on the Coconino QB. As Gomez put the ball in the air, Courtney tipped it up and pulled it in and sprinted 80 yards for an electrifying pick-six and a 28-21 Badger lead with just nine seconds remaining.

A stunned Coconino team was slow to get back up on the field, but had two plays for just a few yards to end the game.

Allana Gilray said, “That was so crazy. It looked like we were going to lose in that last minute because they had the ball in our territory, but we were not going to give up. We really showed that today by overcoming some calls and playing such an amazing team. What a finish and now we get to play for the championship. That would be amazing if we can win it all in just our program’s first season.”

Coach Ryan Hart said, “That team plays so incredibly well, you can’t take a play off. Our girls knew that. Coming out and scoring early was big, getting turnovers was big, and hanging in there and giving ourselves a chance at the end, Even when things don’t go our way I just tell them that we just keep coming. We have been incredibly lucky in some circumstances to have things go our way. The grit and toughness these girls have is unmatched we’ll take that and go see what we can against St. Mary’s.”

PRESCOTT BADGERS 28, COCONINO PANTHERS 21

Score by Quarters- 1 2 3 4 – T

Coconino 7 0 0 14 – 21

Prescott 7 7 7 7 – 28

Scoring Summary

P-Gilray 22 yard run (Courtney kick)

C-Gomez 2 yard run (Smith kick)

P-Larson 59 yard pass from Aguilar (Courtney kick)

P-Gilray 19 yard pass from Aguilar (Courtney kick)

C-Stiegler 2 yard pass from Gomez (Smith kick)

C-Smith 60 yard pass from Gomez (Smith kick)

P-Courtney 80 yard interception return (Courtney kick)