“This could be the year!” The Marcos de Niza football team and its fans have heard this statement repeated over the last nine years but are quietly hoping it’s true this year.
And it easily could be. The Padres have made it into the state championship football playoffs for the last nine years straight. At least four of those years they had a fighting chance to win it all.
The Padres almost did it in 2009 when their only loss during the regular season was to Division I Mountain Pointe. Marcos de Niza made it all the way to the 5A Division II finals before losing to Chaparral 34-21 and finishing the season 12-2, their best season in years.
Marcos was again close in 2011 when the Padres lost in a 22-21 heartbreaker to No. 2 Cienega, in the second playoff round thus ending their season 11-2.
Although Marcos has not yet gotten any real notice as a team to watch, this year could be the year. The Padres have won six games in a row, the last Oct. 9 in a 28-7 victory over Gilbert. The football fever in this south Tempe neighborhood is once again starting to simmer below the surface.
Marcos has the weapons to go deep into the playoffs and even win it all if they continue their winning ways on offense, defense and special teams. The only team they have lost to so far was the first game of the season to Division I powerhouse Mountain Pointe,
Playing against Division II opponents, the Padres have a balanced and potent offense outscoring their last six opponents 271 to 75 points.
Junior quarterback Nathan Greer has completed close to 57% of his passes to a bevy of receivers including Shaun Richards, the leading receiver with over 20 receptions and 400 yards and fellow senior Montre Williams with over 14 catches and 300 yards.
Altogether, Greer has completed passes to over 12 receivers among them Tanner Blankenship and Marcus Naisant who have both scored two receiving touchdowns, and Anthony Trujillo who has over 220 yards to his credit on only nine passes in four games.
With 10 players credited with rushing yardage, opponent defenses have a hard time stopping the Padres run game. Richards shows his multiplicity on offense as the leading rusher on the team, as well, with over 40 carries and 400 yards in seven games. Not far behind is Avery Sanders with over 40 carries and over 300 yards, and Zyayre Moss with over 200 yards in only six games.
The Padre defense is the backbone of the team holding their opponents, on average, to less than 11 points per game by playing solid defense averaging over 30 tackles and two sacks a game. They have held other teams scoreless in the second half numerous times this season.
The leading tackler is Jacob Hernandez who literally flies around the field with 33 solo and 44 total tackles in only five games. He has help from teammate James Reynosa with 23 solo and 32 total tackles in five games. Other leading tacklers include Sanders, Daemaan Beard, Daviaughn Reagan, Erik Bolster, Marcus Green and Tyler Dennis.
The Padres defense has done an excellent job of rushing the passer so far this season. Reagan has the most sacks with five sacks in only four games or 1.3 sacks a game. Beard and Green are next with two sacks each in five games.
Marcos is lucky to have four kickers playing on the team. Matt Gill, only a sophomore has been doing the kickoffs and a few of the point-after kicks while Blankenship and Trysten Griffith have punted. Gill is averaging close to 50 yards during his kickoffs. Blankenship is averaging over 40 yards per punt on his first 14 punts.
Krysten Muir is hitting over 90% of her point-after-kicks and made both of her field goal attempts scoring 33 points in the first six games.
Ranked No. 4 after their win over Gilbert, the Padres have a chance to move up the rankings and get a better playoff seed if they can win out their last three games of the regular season.
On Oct. 16, Marcos was scheduled to play Ironwood Ridge, 5-2, at home. The Nighthawks were the team that bounced the Padres out of the 2012 playoffs in the third round.
Going into the game, the Padres lead the Nighthawks in all categories except tackles and sacks per game which could be interesting because Ironwood Ridge’s offense is centered around the rushing game of their leading scorer Harrison Beemiller who averages 158 yard and 12 points a game. Can the Padre’s defense, who have played stellar all season, continue to limit this opponent’s running game?
Up next, the Padres, on Oct. 23, will square off, for the first time in years, against cross-town rival Corona del Sol who is playing Division II football this season.
The last regular season game will be at Mesquite on Oct. 30.
Corona del Sol football — The Aztecs bounced back after their 56-28 loss to O’Connor on Sept. 25 to win their fifth game of the season by defeating Poston Butte 24-14 on Oct. 2.
Corona got their running game going early against the Poston Butte Broncos with several nice rushing carries by Cameron Brice culminating with a 13-yard touchdown in the first quarter to go up 7-0.
The Broncos scored early in the second quarter. On their next possession, the Aztecs got great field position when Kobee Marion returned the kickoff to Poston Butte’s 36 -yard line. Unfortunately, Corona turned the ball over on a fumble in one of the next plays.
With the Poston Butte in possession of the ball, Duante McEwan made Corona football history when he sacked the Broncos on fourth down. He became the single season sack leader at Corona.
The Aztecs were able to get three points on a field goal by Austin Delaney to lead 10-7 but their lead was short-lived because Poston Butte scored a passing touchdown to lead 14-10.
Corona had another great kickoff return, this time by Jamaree Johnson, to start their possession inside the Bronco territory. The Aztecs scored on that drive when Johnson caught a pass from Austin Freese for a touchdown ending the half leading 17-14.
In the second half it was all Corona. On offense, Jacob Goodwin had some big plays including a 30-yard run in the third quarter and two nice runs in the fourth.
Freese, in addition to gaining yards are the ground rushing the ball, threw a touchdown in the fourth quarter to Jacob Rose for the Aztecs to go up 24-14.
Corona’s defense held the Broncos scoreless in the second half sealing the victory when Marion intercepts a Poston Butte pass in the end zone allowing the Aztecs to run out the clock to win.
The Aztecs were not so fortunate when they lost 13-14 at Campo Verde Oct. 9. Both teams started slow on offense but Corona finally moved the ball towards the end of the first quarter.
The Aztecs started the second quarter inside the 10-yard line of Coyotes but had to settle for a field goal by Austin Delaney, his first of two in the game. Corona led 3-0.
Campo Verde continued to shoot themselves in the foot with penalties and bad punts in the first half giving the Aztecs great field position.
The Aztecs were able to convert one such possession when Mason Carroll rushed in for a touchdown to give Corona a 10-0 lead heading into the half.
Throughout three quarters, the Coyotes hurt themselves on defense with penalties and fumbled punt returns and on offense with a complete inability to move the ball.
Corona failed to capitalize on these errors in the third quarter and had to settle for another Delany field goal instead of a touchdown from inside the eight-yard line.
Unfortunately, the momentum switched to Campo Verde midway through the fourth quarter when the Coyotes finally managed to score on a touchdown pass with a little over six minutes left in the fourth quarter and come within a touchdown to win.
It was the Aztecs turn to make the mistake and it was a big one. Corona fumbled the kickoff return. Campo Verde recovered inside the Aztec’s 20-yard line and scored their second touchdown to go up 14-13 with less than six minutes to play.
The Aztecs were able to move the ball on their last possession including a fourth down conversion run by Brice and a huge catch by Dylan Freeze from his brother Austin when they needed it at mid-field.
Unfortunately, the Aztecs’ drive was stalled and they missed a field goal to win with the clock running down. The Aztecs are now 5-2, currently ranked at No. 17, with three games left, in the regular season.
Oct. 16 the Aztecs were scheduled to play at home against Mesquite for Homecoming. Oct. 23 they will play at Marcos de Niza and then Oct. 30 is a home game against Gilbert.
McClintock football — The McClintock Chargers lost a close 8-7 game against Seton Catholic on Oct. 9 in overtime.
It was a defensive battle. After four quarters of regulation, the score was 0-0 forcing overtime.
McClintock scored a touchdown to go up 7-0.
Unfortunately, Seton also scored a touchdown on their possession. Seton’s 2-point conversion was successful and they won in overtime 8-7.
The Chargers have three games left: Oct. 16 at Mingus in Cottonwood, Oct. 23 at home against Tempe and Oct. 30 at Arcadia. Oct. 23 is senior day.
