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Ridge flops in Desert Valley title bout
There’s an old saying that suggest it’s unwise to look a gift horse in the mouth.
On Friday night at Phoenix College the Mountain Ridge Mountain Lions did exactly that.
Going up against the Brophy Broncos (8-2, 3-0) with the Desert Valley Region championship on the line the Mountain Lions (7-3, 2-1) couldn’t take advantage of an early Broncos turnover, which proved one of the few opportunities they would have in a 28-3 defeat.
With the 5A Div-I playoffs looming next week Mountain Ridge’s loss appeared to drop them to the No. 8 seed and a first round home game with No. 9 Mesa Westwood (6-5).
“Well you would have liked to win the region, but another goal is to try and earn a home playoff game,” said Mountain Ridge coach Bobby Green who before the game thought his team could have finished anywhere from the No. 4 seed to No. 8 depending on how his team faired.
The visiting Mountain Lions were set up for a start when junior defensive back Cody Wollschalger picked off Brophy quarterback Bryan Berens on the game's first play from scrimmage.
The Mountain Lions corner returned the pick to the Brophy 26. Instead of getting on the scoreboard first Mountain Ridge committed two penalties while losing one yard on the drive before sending on senior kicker Jeff Locke to try a 44-yard field goal attempt. When Locke’s kick sailed wide right the Mountain Lions came away empty handed.
“We’ve got to capitalize when we get chances, but a lot of it is on us,” Green said. “We moved the ball, but it seems like sometimes we’re our own worst enemy with penalties. We’ll get it cleaned up.”
While the Mountain Ridge struggled inside the red zone, they had a 15-play drive early in the second quarter come to a close when they couldn't convert on 4th-and-1 from the Brophy 15, the Mountain Lions defense proved susceptible to the big play.
In giving up three lengthy touchdowns the Mountain Lions were sent to the locker room trailing 21-0 at the half.
“They’re an aggressive defense that brings the heat,” Brophy coach Scooter Molander said. “They load the box and come after you. If you blitz and get there you look real good, but if you don’t you’re susceptible to the big play. Our lineman did a great job picking it up when they came.”
The game's initial score came just four minutes into the first quarter. After a Locke punt pinned Brophy on their own 10-yardline the Broncos set up shop deep in their own territory.
On the first and ultimately only play of the drive senior Bobby Rodrigues took a handoff from Berens on a sweep directed to the right. The 5-foot-8 171 pound senior picked up a block on the perimeter that sprang him around the end. Some 90-yards later the score was 7-0 at the 7:55 mark of the first quarter.
“It seemed like we started slow, but on that play I got a great seal block,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve got crazy intelligent lineman. Everybody was hustling and once I got that seal block from our wide receiver I was able to make something happen.”
A Mountain Ridge offense that was slow to get going responded by going three and out on their next oportunity and the Broncos wasted little time capitalizing. Taking over on their own 41 the home team moved the ball to the Mountain Ridge 31 in four plays.
On 2nd-and-9 from the 31 Berens went to the air. On a three-step drop the senior found classmate Sean Lieb, his wide receiver, in 1-on-1 man coverage. Berens throw down the right sideline found Lieb who grabbed the ball in stride and scored.
Late in the first half Berens and Lieb would hook up again, for their second of three scores on the night. This one would go 45-yards and pretty much turn out the lights on the Mountain Lions as the senior wide out took in a short catch on a pass in the flat, made one man miss with an impressive fake, then turned on the speed going in untouched to make the score 21-0 with just more than two minutes remaining before halftime. All told Lieb would total three touchdown receptions for 89 yards.
Mountain Ridge never seriously threatened in the second half, needing a 47-yard field goal from Locke with seven seconds remaining to avoid a shutout. Coming out of the locker room slow was a trend for the offense as it took most of the first and third quarters for the Mountain Lions to earn their first first down.
The Mountain Lions normally potent running game was kept in check as senior Giorgio Giurdanella was held to 55 yards on 13 carries through three plus quarters. It wasn’t much more productive through the air for the Mountain Lions. Junior quarterback Kevin Yost was accurate, but the Mountain Lions receivers couldn’t do much after the catch against the Brophy defense. Midway through the fourth quarter Yost was 14-of-19, but for just 80 yards. He also was sacked four times.
“Our guys fly to the ball defensively,” Hollander said. “The kids believe in what we’re trying to do.”
As of press time the win earned Brophy the No. 4 seed and a home playoff date against No. 13 Desert Vista.
Though disappointed Green said that the 5A Div-I ranks haven't heard the last from his team this season.
"We will bounce back," he said. "These kids have a lot of heart. They never stop fighting."
