Staff Reports
QUEEN CREEK – In a clash of Arizona high school football titans, the No. 2-ranked Benjamin Franklin Chargers (3-0) handed the No. 4-ranked Thatcher Eagles (2-1) their first loss of the season, securing a decisive 27-12 win on the road Friday night. The Chargers’ balanced attack, led by senior running back Landon Stetka’s career-high 170 rushing yards and two touchdowns, proved too much for Thatcher, ending the Eagles’ undefeated start.
The game started with Thatcher striking first, building an early 12-7 lead behind their potent offense, which had erupted for 47 points in their previous outing. However, Benjamin Franklin’s defense tightened, holding Thatcher scoreless in the second half while the Chargers’ offense found its rhythm. By early in the third quarter, Benjamin Franklin had flipped the script, taking a 14-12 lead. With five minutes left in the third, the Chargers extended their advantage to 21-12, and a final touchdown with 10 minutes remaining sealed the 27-12 victory.
Stetka was the standout, carrying the ball 26 times for 170 yards, averaging 6.5 yards per carry, and scoring twice. His performance powered a Benjamin Franklin rushing attack that totaled 170 yards. In the air, junior quarterback Gavin Wyler was efficient, completing 12 of 17 passes for 159 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, earning a 114.6 QB rating. Senior receivers Ty Sather (6 catches, 57 yards, 1 TD) and Talan Speir (3 catches, 72 yards) were key targets, while junior T. Dutkiewicz added a touchdown reception.
Defensively, the Chargers were relentless, amassing 84 total tackles, 10 for loss, and three sacks. Junior Ashton Goddard and sophomore Tillman Grant each recorded 13 tackles, while junior C. Sorenson contributed eight tackles, two for loss, and a sack. The unit also forced a fumble, recovered by senior Max Salisbury, and secured an interception by junior A. Stebnicki Snower. Special teams chipped in with Sather’s 24-yard punt return and 43 yards in kickoff returns, adding to the Chargers’ 396 all-purpose yards.
For Thatcher, the loss marked a stark contrast to their high-flying performance the week prior. Despite the early lead, the Eagles struggled to sustain momentum against Benjamin Franklin’s stout defense and couldn’t counter the Chargers’ second-half surge. The defeat drops Thatcher to 2-1 as they head into their first in-conference game of the season.
Both teams face road tests next Friday, Sept. 12, starting at 7 p.m. Thatcher will look to rebound against Florence (1-2 conference, 1-2 overall), while Benjamin Franklin takes on Odyssey Institute.
