Pima destroys Bisbee, 41-0

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Pima QB Kaleb Blair runs past the reach of Bisbee’s Manuel Jimenez for a big pickup in the third quarter. Pima dismantled Bisbee, 41-0.

By Jon Johnson

jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com

PIMA – The Pima Roughriders (2-1 region, 2-2 overall) celebrated their homecoming Friday night with a 41-0 blowout over the hapless Bisbee Pumas (0-4 region, 0-6 overall).

Pima scored touchdowns on six of its eight possessions and Bisbee hardly ever ventured into Pima territory all night.   

“It might have been a blowout but it was physical inside,” said Pima head coach Jim Hughes. “They had some big kids pounding on us and our kids had to hold their own. A couple of times we bent but we didn’t break.”

Pima got it started right out of the gate as it ran its first possession down the field, completing a 4th down-conversion with a big run by Caleb Barlow. Barlow then finished the drive with a 17-yard TD as he bounced off a wall of defenders and made his way around the right side edge and dove to the pylon.

Pima quarterback Kaleb Blair followed up on its next possession with a 9-yard TD run right up the gut to put Pima up 14-0 early in the second quarter.

After a pass interference call gave Pima a 1st and goal from the 8, Wyatt Wiltbank took it in and Pima scored on its first three possessions to go up 20-0.

Jon Johnson Video/Gila Herald

It looked as if the lead would be increased even more after Blair hooked up with Seth Russell on 4th and 10 from the 25 for the conversion.

With the new set of downs, Blair followed his blockers around the right side and went in for an apparent TD, however, the play was called back for holding and Blair was shaken up on the play. He would sit the rest of the first half.

“The coach wanted me to keep the ball and try to get it in,” Blair said. “I did, but I guess we got a holding call and that one pretty much jacked up my leg a little bit.”

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Bisbee’s Manny Amaya tries to fend off Pima’s Garrett Curtis during a fumble recovery runback but is unable to do so.

On the next play, Blair’s backup, Coy Miller, came in and bobbled the snap. The fumble was picked up by Bisbee’s Manny Amaya, who was off to the races the other way with a comfortable head start. Amaya was aided by an illegal block in the back – which ended up causing a short scrum by the teams – and was ultimately caught at the 5 by a racing Garrett Curtis who came out of nowhere to catch Amaya.

After the players were separated, both teams received off-setting penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct but nobody was ejected. The ball was placed at mid-field due to the illegal block penalty, and Bisbee failed to move it from there and the teams went into halftime with Pima up, 20-0.

“They’ve (Bisbee) got good talent and they’re tough kids,” Hughes said. “They didn’t just lay down. They could’ve laid down but I thought they played hard all the way through. So, I give credit to them.”

During the halftime celebration, Blair was crowned Homecoming King to Kali Nelson’s Homecoming Queen and the time off and recognition seemed to re-invigorate him.

Blair came out running in the third quarter and picked up chunks of yardage on three big plays on the opening drive.

Wiltbank then finished the drive with a 6-yard TD run as he bashed a Puma on his way into the endzone and a 27-0 lead.

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Kaleb Blair both ran and threw for touchdowns in Pima’s 41-0 thrashing of Bisbee on Friday. He was also selected as the Homecoming King.

The Pumas fumbled the ball on a 4th down conversion attempt on their next possession, and Pima quickly capitalized on what was perhaps the play of the night.

Blair stood in the pocket and hit a streaking Grant Ashby in stride and the wide receiver did the rest, racing 68 yards for the big TD reception to put Pima up 34-0 near the end of the third quarter.

“That felt amazing,” Blair said. “I thought I overthrew him, but, surprisingly, it hit him right in the hands and I never felt better. That’s my first completion for a touchdown. It was awesome.”

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Pima’s Grant Ashby outruns Bisbee’s Geoffrey Gribble (12) and David Chapman (14) on his way to a 68-yard TD reception.

Coach Hughes rested his starters in the fourth quarter, which allowed the younger players to get some action and some redemption for Miller.

“It did allow us – there at the end – in the fourth quarter to put some younger kids in and let them get bruised up so they can talk about it tomorrow,” Hughes said.  

Miller calmly hit Grant Ashby with a 23-yard TD pass of his own as Ashby hauled down the offering in the endzone and Pima left Edd Hubbard Field with an impressive 41-0 victory.

Pima will travel up the hill to face Morenci (3-1 region, 5-1 overall) to finish up its regular season Friday, starting at 7 p.m.

In other local games, Morenci outlasted Willcox 27-21; Thatcher (2-1 region, 3-3 overall) dominated San Tan Foothills, 39-13; Safford (1-1 region, 4-1 overall) dominated Florence, 42-27, and Duncan (1-3 region, 1-5 overall) finished its season with a big victory over Valley Union, 60-26.