By Jon Johnson/Gila Herald
jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com
SAFFORD — When Safford and Thatcher collide, bragging rights and 3A Region dominance are always on the line, and nothing more needs to be said other than strap in and hold on. In the latest chapter of this storied Gila Valley rivalry, the Thatcher Eagles fired off like a rocket early and never looked back, pulling away for a 42-7 victory over the Safford Bulldogs to retain the Open Loop Energy Territorial Trophy.
Thatcher needed only two offensive plays to set the tone. Following a key block from Vincent Bejarano, Tufden Taylor found daylight and shot down the field for an explosive 76-yard touchdown sprint, putting the Eagles up 7-0 in the opening minutes. Taylor finished as the star of the night, leading the Thatcher attack with 180 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns on 9 carries (20.0 avg), while adding 18 receiving yards to amass 198 all-purpose yards.
“It was a great game,” Thatcher running back Tufden Taylor said. “We played well. Our line played well. I love my line, and that’s all I got to say.”
Safford answered the early threat with grit. Noah Jurado delivered a crisp 30-yard kickoff return to give the Bulldogs optimal field position, though Thatcher’s defense held firm for a quick three-and-out. Moments later, the Safford defense made its own statement when Aries Peru jarred the ball loose from Josh Jones—who racked up 82 rushing yards on 7 carries—and Kyler Decker pounced on the fumble at Thatcher’s 18-yard line.
“Good, not great,” Thatcher head coach Daniel Jones described his team’s performance. “We had some really good things, and then we had some dips and lulls and some really bad decisions. But I think we got better today.”
Despite a bone-crushing 6-yard sack from Thatcher’s Teagan Damron, Safford quarterback Parker Whisman bounced right back, connecting with Matteo Chavez for an 8-yard touchdown to knot the contest at 7-7.
Safford built momentum heading into the close of the first quarter, backed by a tough catch in traffic from Andrew Baker, a Whisman sweep for a first down, and a hard-nosed run by Chris Medina down to the Eagles’ 33. A pass interference call on 4th-and-long kept the drive alive in the second quarter, but Thatcher’s front seven held the line—Ryzer Jacques (6 tackles) and Damron teamed up for a sack to force a Bulldogs punt.
Midway through the second frame, the Eagles ignited their offense. Quarterback Kase Palmer—who finished 4-for-6 passing for 79 yards while adding 62 rushing yards on 6 carries—rolled to his right and hit Damron (2 catches, 35 yards) for a 25-yard chunk play into Bulldog territory, then called his own number on a designed 29-yard keeper down to the 14-yard line. Taylor capped the drive with a 14-yard touchdown run—his second of the evening—to put Thatcher back in front 14-7 with 3:13 remaining in the half.
Safford attempted to respond through the air as Whisman connected with Chavez, but safety Brig Romney ended the drive with an interception near midfield, returning it 12 yards deep into Safford territory. Palmer tucked the ball on a scramble down to the 17, and two plays later, freshman Willie Dunklin (17 rushing yards, 5 tackles) danced into the end zone with an 11-yard touchdown catch, pushing Thatcher’s lead to 21-7 with two minutes left before halftime. Kicker J. Smith remained flawless, converting all 6 extra-point attempts. A late trick halfback pass by the Bulldogs fell short on 4th down, sending the teams to the locker rooms with Thatcher holding a two-score cushion.
The Bulldogs emerged determined in the third quarter. On 3rd-and-5 from their own 45, Whisman connected with Ryett Lopez on a deep route, but Thatcher’s Jax Shupe (7 tackles) chased him down at the 11 to save a touchdown. Safford appeared to punch it in two plays later on an 8-yard run by Medina, but a holding penalty negated the score. Backed up to the 18 on 4th down, Whisman’s jump pass to Baker sailed high, turning the ball over on downs. Thatcher’s defense was anchored by Damron (team-high 8 tackles, 1 TFL) and J. Nicholas (6 tackles, 3 TFLs).
That defensive stand re-energized Thatcher. On the very next drive, Josh Jones broke free for a 33-yard run, setting up Taylor for a 44-yard touchdown breakaway to extend the advantage to 28-7 with 8:07 left in the third.
“We played hard,” Thatcher lineman Kaesen Estes said. “I mean, we’re just moving people. We gotta keep up that. I mean, there’s always places where we can improve. But we just gotta get better (and) keep moving forward.”
The Eagles kept pushing. Hudson Conrad (1 catch, 26 yards) reeled in the catch of the night—holding on through heavy contact between two defenders on a deep throw from Palmer. Moments later, Taylor waltzed into the end zone from 14 yards out for his fourth touchdown of the game, making it 35-7 with 3:10 remaining in the quarter.
Safford’s defense continued to compete hard as Jacob Gomez recovered a fumble forced by Medina late in the third, but the Thatcher attack proved relentless in the final frame. After Taylor took a screen pass for significant yardage, Ryker Romero took a handoff, found a wall of blue-chip blocks, and accelerated 60 yards untouched to pay dirt to seal the final 42-7 score.
Thatcher’s high-powered rush attack finished with 426 yards on 29 carries (14.7 yards per carry) and 5 touchdowns, bringing the team’s total offense to 505 yards. No stats from Safford were yet available. With the victory, the Eagles brought the Open Loop Energy Territorial Trophy back to Thatcher as they look toward the remainder of their 3A Region slate.
“We’re a good football team, and we can play with the best of them,” Taylor said.
Thatcher (2-1 region, 4-2 overall) will next host the San Tan Foothills Sabercats on Thursday, Oct. 8 at EAC’s John Mickelson Field. Safford (1-2 region, 3-3 overall) will next host Winslow in the battle of the Bulldogs on Thursday, Oct. 8.
“Our schedule is right kind of where we need it to be, and if we keep improving we’re going to be O.K.,” coach Jones said.
Other Prep Football Action:
Pima (2-1 region, 3-4 overall) defeated Globe 47-0 for its homecoming. The Roughriders will look to move up in the region next week as they travel up the hill to face Morenci on Friday, Oct. 9.
Morenci (2-0 region, 4-3 overall) defeated Miami 45-0. The Wildcats will next host Pima on Friday, Oct. 9.
Willcox (1-0 region, 7-0 overall) defeated Desert Christian 61-0. The Cowboys will next host the Santa Cruz Valley Dust Devils on Friday, Oct. 9.
Benson (0-1 region, 6-1 overall) fell 28-38 to Santa Cruz Valley. The Bobcats will next travel to play the Desert Christian Eagles on Friday, Oct. 9.
Fort Thomas (1-1 region, 1-6 overall) fell 22-30 to Mayer. The Apaches will next travel to face the St. David Tigers on Friday, Oct. 9.
Duncan (2-1 region, 4-3 overall) fell 14-68 to the Ray Bearcats. The Wildkats will next host the San Manuel Miners on Friday, Oct. 9.
