Desert Mountain High School of Scottsdale welcomed Cactus Shadows Friday night.
The Desert Mountain Wolves entered the game 4-1, while the Cactus Shadows Falcons entered the game 3-2.
However, this would be both teams’ first regional game of the season.
“Our goal is to improve each and every week,” Desert Mountain head coach Conrad Hamilton said. “We’re still trying to get a championship here, but we’re not looking forward to that until we start the playoffs.”
The Falcons started off with the ball—but got off to a bad start—as senior and captain Dillon Aspiras went down on their opening drive and wouldn’t return for the game.
Aspiras led the team in receiving yards per game for Cactus Shadows entering Friday’s game.
On the next play, Desert Mountain senior Kaika Solomon picked off a pass over the middle of the field and returned to the Falcons’ 27-yard line.
This gave the Wolves prime field position, and they capitalized, as freshman Kai Hasenyager ran 23 yards for a touchdown on a jet sweep.
“The kids know what they’re doing,” Hamilton said. “That’s the most impressive thing. We’re multiple, but the kids handle it, grasp it, and take ownership of it, and they like what we do.”
Cactus Shadows didn’t get a good kickoff return, and after a penalty, their drive began on the five-yard line.
On the second play, Solomon got his second interception, and the Wolves would score off it with a six-yard run by sophomore Easton Connor.
“That was awesome,” Hamilton said regarding Solomon’s performance. “He’s an under-the-radar type of kid. He’s only 5’8 or 5’9. He plays with a lot of heart, he fires around and he’s a leader back there in the secondary.
Barely halfway through the first quarter, it was 14-0 Desert Mountain.
Solomon almost grabbed a third interception, but a defensive pass interference flag on the Wolves gave the Falcons the ball back.
“Should’ve had three,” Hamilton said. “They called a penalty; I didn’t see the hold, but that was three picks in the first three drives by the same guy.”
A few plays later, Falcons senior Donivan Dixon found senior wide receiver Trey Peck on a deep ball. Dixon would run it into the end zone the very next play to make it 14-7.
After a punt, the Falcons got the ball back, but the Wolves forced a fumble near midfield that they recovered.
“We ask a lot of these guys defensively and offensively,” Hamilton said. “The stuff we do throughout the week, up early, leaving late, walkthroughs, film study- These kids are special. When they play hard like that, I’m proud of them.”
The Wolves capitalized on the turnover, with Connor scoring his second to make it 21-7.
Dixon found junior wide receiver Zach Spielman on back-to-back plays to place the Falcons on the ten-yard line, where Dixon would finish the drive with his second rushing touchdown to make it 21-14.
“I think their quarterback is one of the best players in the state of Arizona,” Hamilton said regarding Dixon. “He can throw it; he can run it. He can make you miss and go the distance. The game plan was get after him, use a spy, do several different things to try and occupy the space. He’s a dynamic player.”
The Wolves looked to move the ball downfield, but as junior quarterback Grant Garduno threw it downfield for a receiver, it was intercepted by Falcons senior James Wade.
Not long after, however, Dixon found himself under pressure and threw a deep ball down the field, where Wolves junior Hassan Smith intercepted it.
With 44 seconds left in the first half, Garduno found junior Evan Dowd to give the Wolves a 28-14 lead.
Just before the half would end, however, Desert Mountain forced a fumble off Dixon near midfield.
With 33 seconds left, the Wolves looked for a touchdown, and they got it, as Garundo found Hasenyager over the middle with ten seconds left.
Despite a close contest at first, the Wolves were pulling away with a 35-14 lead at the half.
“We forced five turnovers in the first half,” Hamilton said. “We scored on every single turnover that we forced on defense. We ran the ball effectively.”
Desert Mountain started off with the ball first, and they drove down the field quickly as junior running back Ryan Cratty found the end zone to make it 42-14.
After a goal-line stand by the defense, the Wolves got the ball back and began milking the clock.
“We had a 98-yard drive,” Hamilton said. “We had a 99-yard drive. Our guys were flying around, hitting the quarterback all night and we’re taking away the football.”
After a drive that lasted nearly half the third quarter, junior wide receiver Isaiah Justice fought his way into the end zone to make it 49-14.
“I think this is big,” Hamilton said. “Realistically, this team (Cactus Shadows) is the most explosive offense we’re going to play this year.”
Desert Mountain had scored 28 unanswered points.
“They’re young,” Hamilton said. “We only have 11 seniors, so these guys are just starting or getting better every day, and I can’t be more proud of them. This was a butt kicking tonight. They played well.”
Cactus Shadows drove down the field and scored a touchdown on the final play of the game via a Dixon run, but the final score spoke for itself: a 49-20 Desert Mountain win.
