Thatcher doomed by turnovers/Red Zone folly
By Jon Johnson
MESA – The No. 2 ALA-West Guardians (13-0) and the No. 3 Thatcher Eagles (10-3) battled at Mesa High School on Saturday for a spot in the 3A Championship game. When the dust had settled, the Eagles could not recover from five straight turnovers, and ALA-West punched its ticket to the show with a 34-22 victory.
While the officials made questionable calls — and for some reason, they didn’t seem to know to stop the clock when the player went out of bounds — what cost Thatcher their spot at redemption against Tucson Pusch Ridge in the 3A State Championship on Nov. 30 in Glendale more was their goal line inefficiency. The Eagles were inside the Guardians’ 5-yard line three times in the first half and came away with 0 offensive points to show for it.
Twice, the Guardians’ goal line defense stuffed Thatcher runners on fourth and goal for turnovers on downs, and the secondary took the ball away the third time with an interception on third and goal from the 4.
“We had chances early, we just didn’t get them there,” Thatcher head coach Dan Jones said. “And that came back to bite us pretty heavy.”
Guardians quarterback Hudson Mitton had an impressive game and went 11-14 for 235 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 INT. His favorite targets went over 100 yards receiving each, with Aiden Anaya getting three catches for 101 yards and 2 TDs and Carson Callister getting five catches for 101 yards.
JJ Brutus ran for two touchdowns and had a fumble recovery. However, he won’t be available for the championship game due to a severe injury he suffered with 8:05 left in the fourth quarter. Brutus reportedly broke his leg on a run and was taken from the field by Mesa paramedics on a stretcher and transported to a local hospital for treatment.
ALA – West Foothills 34 Thatcher 22
The ALA – West Foothills Guardians forced an initial 3-and-out on Thatcher’s first possession and then marched downfield themselves on big passing plays and follow-up rushes by Brutus. He ultimately finished the drive with a 2-yard TD run, and after the extra point by David Parks, the Guardians were up 7-0.
Thatcher initially kept pace as quarterback Chad Johnson found Patrick Nicholas for a 27-yard pickup into the Red Zone to the Guardians’ 12-yard line.
Kody Bingham ran it in from there on the next play, and after a Luke Marble extra point, the Eagles tied the game up at 7 points apiece with 2:13 still left in the opening quarter.
Mitton came right back for ALA-West with a 40-yard pass to Calister down to the 1-yard line. From there, Brutus crossed the end zone, and Parks hit his second PAT to put ALA up for good, 14-7.
“It’s a pleasure to make it here, but, you know, that’s never what you want to say; it’s never what you want to say,” coach Dan Jones said.
Thatcher quarterback Chad Johnson came right back with a 63-yard touchdown toss to Nicholas; however, an official incorrectly ruled that Nicholas had stepped out of bounds at the 11.
So, instead, Thatcher faced a fourth and four from the 5, and Bingham took the direct snap in the Wildcat formation, but ALA—West stuffed him at the 2.
Thatcher still managed to get some points, however, as a flock of Eagles took out the running back for the safety to make it 14-9 with 9:44 left in the second quarter.
Thatcher then took possession on the ensuing kick and soon had a first-and-goal to go again. On fourth and goal from the 2, Bingham was in Wildcat formation again, but the snap went through his hands and off his helmet. By the time he secured the ball, several ALA—West players were there for the tackle.
Thatcher got the ball back after Nicholas ran the receiver’s route for him and snared the INT. That led to Thatcher having a first and goal from the 5.
At first, the Eagles attempted to punch it in, but Will Chidester was dropped at the 2. The Eagles quickly lined up again and handed it off to Brown for no gain, bringing up a third and goal from the 2.
Quarterback Chad Johnson dropped back and threw with a defender in his face. Dom Bove deflected the ball for ALA right into Lee’s hands for the INT, and ALA-West went into the locker room at halftime up 14-9 over Thatcher.
The Guardians got the ball to start the third quarter, and on a 3rd-and-11, Mitton connected with Callister, who took it across midfield down to the Eagles’ 37.
Two plays later, Mitton rolled to his right and threw up a jump ball for his receiver. In that situation, the 6’5″ Anaya had a considerable advantage over the 5’8″ defensive back Crew Farris and snagged it for a 27-yard touchdown.
Parks’ extra point was good, and the defensive stand to end the half loomed large with the 14-point swing as ALA went up 21-9 early in the third.
But it quickly went from bad to worse for the Eagles, as Bingham couldn’t control the pitch, and JJ Brutus recovered the fumble for the Guardians at the Eagles’ 28.
ALA immediately looked to capitalize on the turnover, and Mitton exploited the mismatch again with Anaya. This time, Farris got a hand on the ball. However, Anaya kept his concentration on the tipped ball and hauled it in for the TD to give ALA-West a 27-9 lead with 8:46 left in the third quarter.
ALA took the ball back when Cannon Trythall stepped before a Johnson offering for an INT. However, the Eagles’ defense forced a punt, and Thatcher soon saw itself facing a fourth down and inches.
The Eagles didn’t hesitate and handed the ball off to Bingham, who was surprised to see an open land with no defenders, and Bingham raced 45 yards untouched to pay dirt to cut ALA’s lead to 27-15 with under a minute left in the third.
The Guardians then lost Brutus to his leg injury but finished their drive with a 7-yard run by Callister to make it 34-15 with 6:40 left in the game.
Thatcher continued to fight, and Tristun Brown took it in from 2 yards out for the game’s final score, making it 34-22.
After the game, the coaches gave one last talk to the players, and then they embraced each other before greeting the awaiting family outside the track and fence. With emotions running high, head coach Dan Jones held a stiff upper lip that quivered ever so slightly when discussing the end of the season.
“Let’s live with this one for a little bit – get this stuff all turned in, and then it starts again; start doing it again,” he said. “It’s hard. It’s all heartbreak, but go Eagles.”
