The undefeated Desert Edge Scorpions and the Sunrise Mountain Mustangs made it a thriller Friday night, with the Scorpions rallying to win it 26-23.
The Mustangs took the lead early with a long bomb from sophomore QB Hunter Kronengold to Ezekiel Marshall. Riding that momentum, Sunrise Mountain went up 9-0 after a 25-yard Easton Black field goal with the second quarter stretching out before them.
25-yard field goal by Easton Black is GOOD.@DEdgeFootball 0@SMHSFootballFam 9
10:19 – 2nd Quarter#WestValleyPreps @AzNewsmedia @AZPreps365 #azhs pic.twitter.com/A9u3iTJQ7T— Matt Loeschman (@MattLoeschman) November 7, 2020
Second Quarter Scorefest
The Scorpions soon returned fire with their own 80-yard throw from Washington State commit Adryan Lara to Andrew Patterson (headed to Montana State) for the score.
With the score 9-7, the Mustangs were determined to keep the lead and the momentum on their side. Tommy Arnold made that happen with an assist from Julian Esber. Esber set up the score with a long run and Arnold knocked it down with his own 20-yard run for the TD.
Julian Esber takes off 49 yards setting up Tommy Arnold 20-yard TD run. Gives Sunrise 16-7 lead 9:16 2Q #azreplay pic.twitter.com/DLeMdwoc9R
— Richard Obert (@azc_obert) November 7, 2020
Undaunted, Desert Edge soon scored twice to take their first lead. Lara hit Kulik and Valentine at the end of two seperate three-minute drives for an efficient takeover of the Sunrise Mountain lead.
Great diving catch by DHayven Valentine and Desert Edge takes its first lead, 20-16, 4:03 2Q #azreplay pic.twitter.com/AULYmT7FrQ
— Richard Obert (@azc_obert) November 7, 2020
Defense Turns Up the Heat
Neither team scored much in the second half of this shootout as the opposing defenses began to get the lay of the land and settle into the game.
Desert Edge put up six in the third quarter on the back, or legs, of Jeryll McIntosh. Play after play, he moved the Scorpions forward until Lara was within striking distance of Patterson and the end-zone.
Desert Edge kept feeding the ball to RB Jeryll McIntosh, setting up this 34-yard TD strike from Adryan Lara to Andrew Patterson with 9:58 left. Scorpions lead 26-16 #azreplay pic.twitter.com/IQvrIlw0jZ
— Richard Obert (@azc_obert) November 7, 2020
Sunrise Mountain tried to rally in the fourth, and did achieve a beautiful score from on a pass from Travis Ward to Micah Johnson.
Spectacular play by Micah Johnson in the end zone on 25-yard pass from Travis Ward. Sunrise Mountain cuts it to 26-23 with 9:43 to play #azreplay pic.twitter.com/JLfI2HUrcC
— Richard Obert (@azc_obert) November 7, 2020
With 9:43 left to play, neither the Scorpions or the Mustangs could muster enough juice to score again. Desert Edge wins a thriller against a banged-up Sunrise Mountain 26-23.
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