Gila Herald Staff Reports
PAYSON — Friday night football in the pines lived up to its billing as Tufden Taylor led the Thatcher Eagles for 250-plus rushing yards, and the Thatcher defense made a timely stop to beat the Payson Longhorns 29-27 in a crucial regional matchup. With the hard-fought road win, the Eagles improved to 3-1 in region play and 6-2 overall.
The Eagles were without starting quarterback Kase Palmer, who is out for the rest of the season with a broken right wrist he injured in the fourth quarter of the Safford blowout victory. Tufden Taylor spent much of the game at quarterback, and sophomore Colt Daley split time, going 6 for 10 for 59 yards through the air.
Thatcher looked to jump out to an early lead late in the first quarter, but twice had touchdowns called back for penalties, and then Payson’s defense secured an interception to end the threat.
The game was a back-and-forth heavyweight fight that came down to the final moments. Payson struck first late in the second quarter after another interception gave them a first and goal. Treigh Marinelli then punched in a 5-yard touchdown run, giving the Longhorns an early advantage.
Thatcher responded before the half. Senior running back Tufden Taylor played double duty at quarterback and answered with a 7-yard touchdown run, then added a 51-yard touchdown scamper to send the Eagles into halftime with a 14-7 lead.
The momentum swung back and forth in the second half. Payson capitalized early in the third quarter when Isaac Scheer connected with Jasper Morgan on a 42-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 14. The Longhorns then later reclaimed a 21-14 lead after Marinelli ran in another 6-yard touchdown.
Refusing to fold on the road, the Eagles leaned heavily on their ground game in the final frame. Taylor scored his third touchdown of the night from 2 yards out, and Willie Duncan’s successful two-point conversion pushed Thatcher back ahead 22-21. Taylor added some breathing room with a dazzling 25-yard touchdown run with 3:42 remaining, extending the lead to 29-21.
Payson made it dramatic down the stretch, pulling within two points on a 45-yard touchdown connection from Scheer to Morgan off a deflected pass with 1:47 left. However, the Eagles’ defense stood tall when it mattered most, as Marco Martinez batted down Payson’s potential game-tying two-point conversion attempt to secure the victory, 29-27.
Top Performers
- Tufden Taylor (#10): Put on a historic performance, rushing for 252 yards and 4 touchdowns on 24 carries, while also adding 3 receptions for 33 yards.
- Treigh Marinelli (#22): Led the Payson attack with 110 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on 18 carries.
- Isaac Scheer (#18): Completed 8-of-14 passes for 164 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Longhorns.
- Jasper Morgan (#4): Caught 2 passes for 87 yards and 2 touchdowns for Payson.
The Eagles will look to carry this momentum forward as they prepare for their next road matchup in Tucson against Sabino (1-2 region, 3-5 overall) on Oct. 23, starting at 7 p.m.
Prep Football Scoreboard
Pusch Ridge 45 Safford 0
Willcox 23 Benson 3
St. Johns 21 Morenci 2
Maryvale Prep 66 Fort Thomas 14
Globe 40 Catalina 0
Thursday Night Games
Pima 63 ALA-Sierra Vista 0
Hayden 88 Duncan 28
