Bears Route Mohave, Badgers Take Care of Mingus

Photo: 33 Jon’te Jones rushed for 110 yards and 3 touchdowns to lead the Bears

The Bradshaw Mountain Bears scored on all seven first half possessions on their way to a 68-6 win over the Mohave Thunderbirds on homecoming night in Prescott Valley.

The game was a far cry from a year ago when the Bears had to work hard to beat Mohave 31-21 in Bullhead City. This year Mohave has only a varsity team with nearly half their players freshman and sophomores.

The Bradshaw Mountain dominance began on the first possession with Mohave having three negative plays then a punt. The Bears took only three plays to go on top when Jon’te Jones scored the first of his three touchdowns.  

After a second three and out, Jones broke through for a 56 yard scoring run on the first play. A third three and out allowed quarterback Taye Evans to hook up with receiver Caden Dabney on a 13 yard touchdown pass play for a 21-0 lead with three minutes left in the first quarter.

Bradshaw Mountain scored four more touchdowns as two of the Mohave starters (quarterback and running back) left the game due to injuries. Evans threw his second TD pass of the night to Kyler Ross-centers. Then Jones ran in from 12 yards out for his third and final touchdown of the game as he took the rest of the night off after rushing for 110 yards on just 6 carries. The senior has now rushed for 802 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season. 

Evans threw his third touchdown pass to Jax Portrey giving the junior his first TD catch of the season. Sebastian Witkowski then scored his first touchdown of the season on a 21 yard run with a minute left in the half giving the Bears a 49-0 lead. Witkowski finished with 4 carries for 72 yards.

The Bears defense held the Thunderbirds to 15 plays in the first half with negative or no yardage. By halftime the Bears had outgained Mohave 207-23 in yardage and allowed only one Thunderbird first down.

The second half went quickly as a running clock took over but there were four more touchdowns scored.

The Bears were not done and Trey Rudolph created his own highlight reel on a 80 yard punt return zig zagging his way across the field and around the defenders. Up to that point, Caden Dabney was a perfect seven for seven on extra points before giving way to his backup.

Then with a minute left in the third, Evans called his own number and scampered 23 yards for his one rushing touchdown and a 61-0 lead. The sophomore QB was a perfect six for six for 91 yards with three on those passes going for touchdowns.

Mohave was finally able to get into Bradshaw Mountain territory midway through the final quarter and the Thunderbirds made it pay off. Backup quarterback Ethan Robinson broke through the defense and went 32 yards for the touchdown. Robinson finished with 47 yards in the game.

Andre Ziegler finished off the night with a 3 yard run for his first touchdown of the season as well as he ran for 42 yards on four carries.

#3 Bradshaw Mountain (1-0), (4-1), will visit the NAU Walkup Skydome on Friday as they face the winless Flagstaff Eagles. Game time is 7pm.

BRADSHAW MOUNTAIN BEARS 68, MOHAVE THUNDERBIRDS 6

Score by Quarters-     1        2        3        4    –     T

Mohave                       0        0        0        6    –     6

Bradshaw Mountain   21      28      12       6    –    68

Scoring Summary

BM-Jones 1 yard run (Dabney kick)

BM-Jones 56 yard run (Dabney run)

BM-Dabney 13 yard pass from Evans (Dabney kick)

BM-Ross-centers 7 yard pass from Evans (Dabney kick)

BM-Jones 12 yard run (Dabney kick)

BM-Portrey 21 yard pass from Evans (Dabney kick)

BM-Witkowski 21 yard run (Dabney kick)

BM-Rudolph 80 yard punt return (Kick failed)

BM-Evans 23 yard run (Kick failed)

M-Robinson 32 yard run (Kick failed)

BM-Ziegler 3 yard run (Ricketts kick)

Prescott at Mingus

The Prescott Badgers remained unbeaten on the season with a 35-13 win over the Mingus Marauders in Cottonwood. The Badgers have had their challenges there in the past and were able to use ball control to slowly put away the Marauders.

Braylon Johnson put Prescott up early on a 12 yard touchdown run. Quarterback James Hefferin set the Badgers up in the red zone with passes to Eli Allen and Nick Phillips. 

Mingus set the Badgers up after the center snapped the ball over the punter’s head, placing the ball at the Marauder 18 yard line. Jeremyah Villanueva finished off the short field drive by running 5 yards for a 14-0 lead after one quarter.

The Prescott offense missed out with their next two possessions on adding to their lead after a fumble and then a missed field goal attempt keeping Mingus in the game. Meanwhile the Badger defense continued to mount pressure on the Marauder QB with sacks by Easton Shy and Rutger Funk. 

The Marauders scored only their second touchdown of the season to make it 14-7 with just over two minutes left in the half when quarterback Hunter Bejarano connected with Julius Gonzales who caught the ball 20 yards down the field and took it to the house on a 71 yard pass play.

The Badgers did not care for the big underdogs being that close and mounted a drive that included a huge defensive holding penalty on Mingus on a fourth and four inside the ten yard line. Two plays later, Brody Hanna broke through from 2 yards out to make it 21-7 at the half.

Mingus received the second half kick off and moved the ball briefly, but Aaron Butler and Menno Dow teamed up on a third down sack forcing the Marauders to punt the ball away.

Prescott had a three and out for the first time in the game. Mingus moved the ball to the Badger 27 but turned it over on downs, killing off a scoreless third quarter.

Photo: 11 Bryce Coston led the Badgers with 76 yards and 2 touchdowns in the win at Mingus

The Badgers got down to business moving the ball 73 yards on a time consuming 12 play drive to go up 28-7 when quarterback Bryce Coston ran the ball 10 yards for the score.

It would be Coston again after the Badgers were given a short field, sprinting 30 yards for his second touchdown.

Mingus had the second good drive of the game and capped it off with a second touchdown, a 14 yard pass from Bejarano to Gonzales.

The #5 Badgers improve to (5-0), (2-0) in the GCR will return this week for homecoming against Mohave on Friday at 7pm. Mingus falls to (0-2) and (0-4). 

PRESCOTT BADGERS 35, MINGUS MARAUDERS 13

Score by Quarters-     1        2        3        4    –    T

Prescott                     14       7        0       14   –   35              

Mingus                        7        0        0        6    –   13

Scoring Summary

P-Johnson 7 yard run (Costes kick)

P-Villanueva 5 yard run (Costes kick)

M-Gonzales 71 yard pass from Bejarano (Bassett kick)

P-Hanna 2 yard run (Costes kick)

P-Coston 10 yard run (Costes kick)

P-Coston 30 yard run (Costes kick)

M-Gonzales 14 yard pass from Bejarano (Run failed)

GRAND CANYON REGION STANDINGS

School- 4A Rank (*)       W-L       W-L

Prescott (5)                     2-0        5-0

Bradshaw Mountain (3)  2-0        4-1

Coconino (12)                1-0        2-3

Lee Williams (13)           1-1        4-1 

Flagstaff                         0-1        0-5

Mingus                           0-2        0-4

Mohave                          0-2        0-5

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS SCOREBOARD

Prescott 35, Mingus 13

Arcadia 14, ALA-West Foothills 0

Estrella Foothills 43. Agua Fria 12

Hayden 14, Williams 6

Joseph City 60, Mayer 18

Lee Williams 49, Flagstaff 0

Mesquite 53, Greenway 6

Mica Mountain 42, Sahuarita 7

Mohave Accelerated 60, Bagdad 6

Northwest Christian 41, Moon Valley 0

Salome 22,Sedona Red Rock 12

Scottsdale Christian 69, Chino Valley 6

Snowflake 61, Marcos de Niza 21

St. Mary’s 42, Gila Ridge 14

Sunrise Mountain 38, Coconino 14

Thunderbird 40, Deer Valley 20

Youngker 48, Alhambra 0

Thursday Scores

Bradshaw Mountain 68, Mohave 6

Chandler 28, Brophy Prep 13

Peoria 19, Poston Butte 12

Round Valley 21, Payson 0