By Jon Johnson
ELOY – It was a dogfight of a game in Eloy on Friday night as the Pima Roughriders spoiled the Santa Cruz Valley Dust Devils’ homecoming with an epic Hail Mary on fourth down as Cedrick Grimes connected with Jaxon McBiles with a 43-yard TD just seconds left in the game to prevail 29-22.
“I hope you guys are getting your money’s worth this year because we’re sure trying to entertain you,” Pima head coach Josh Wilkins said after the game. “We really feel that there’s a handful of teams that really have a chance to go all the way and Santa Cruz is right there with them. We’ve been watching them since last year . . . We’ve been studying their film for two weeks and know they’re going to bring it all the time.”
Grimes had an up-and-down night and threw 9-16 for 188 yards with 2 TDs and 2 INTs. He also lost a fumble to account for all three of Pima’s turnovers. The Roughriders also punted five times.
Grimes’ counterpart, Nathan Harris, had a big game for Santa Cruz Valley, throwing 28-41 for 378 yards and 3 TDs to finish with a 121.8 quarterback rating.
Jaxon McBiles led Pima in receiving with 3 catches for 92 yards and the game-winning touchdown.
For Santa Cruz, three receivers went over 100 yards, including Esequiel Perez (141 yards, 2 TDs), Daniel Contreras (107 yards, 1 TD), and Juan Diego Juarez (102 yards).
The Roughriders also pressured Harris all night long, and the team finished with 4 sacks, including 2 by Brock Haws, 1.5 attributed to Preston Russell, and half a sack given to Charles Richardson. I would contend Richardson got him by himself, but I’m not the statistician.
Coach Wilkins said he believes his team’s intense preparation paid huge dividends in the game.
“We just know that the time we put in during the summer in the weight room and the type of physical game that we play – that just makes for good football we just felt like we prepared well and just executed what we wanted to do.”
The first half was a defensive battle with Pima heading into the locker room at the half with a tenuous 8-7 lead after a fire play on a botched extra point attempt.
Santa Cruz received the opening kickoff and promptly marched down the field. Just when they got to the Red Zone, however, Toby Bryce forced Aidan Ysaguirre to fumble and Gilbert Bryce recovered for Pima.
However, the Roughriders were stuck deep in their territory just outside of their end zone for most of the first quarter until a punt changed field position.
Pima then appeared ready to score as Grimes connected with Keegan Corona for a big pass play to the Devils’ 25.
The series ended with a touchback INT, however, as Grimes attempted to throw against his body across the field while running the opposite way and Aiden Ysaguirre came down with the pick.
Pima got the ball back on a punt and Jaxon McBiles returned it to the Devils’ 34 for a great starting field position. But on the very next play, Ysaguirre knocked the ball out of Grimes’ hands and recovered it for the sack/fumble.
The Dust Devils capitalized on the turnover on 4th and 13 from Pima’s 36 as Harris hist Esequiel Perez in the end zone to break the ice. The extra point was good and Santa Cruz struck first up 7-0 with 4:23 left in the half.
Pima needed to strike back but soon faced a 4th and 2 at their own 48. The Roughriders handed the ball to fullback Jeremiah Martinez, who leaped over the pile from the 47 and did a somersault landing at the 50 for the first down. Martinez finished with 16 carries for 57 yards and 2 TDs to mark the first time all season he was held under 100 yards rushing.
The play kept the offense rolling and the Roughriders were aided by a defensive holding penalty and an unsportsmanlike penalty from Santa Cruz’s sideline upon hearing the first penalty.
Grimes then hit Emmet McBiles to give Pima a 1st and goal from the 1 and Martinez punched it through on the next play.
Jaxon McBiles mishandled the snap on the extra-point attempt but immediately called the fire drill and got up looking to make a play. He spotted Preston Russell in the end zone and the two connected to give Pima an 8-7 lead at the half.
After an initial punt in the third quarter, Pima thwarted a fake punt attempt by Santa Cruz near midfield to give themselves a good starting position.
The Roughriders converted on the turnover when Keegan Corona made a leaping, one-handed, over-the-shoulder snatch in the corner of the end zone and came down with it cleanly. Rhiley Good kicked through the extra point and Pima was up 15-7 with 6:22 left in the third.
But they weren’t finished yet. The Dust Devils failed to handle the ensuing bloop kickoff and Adam Bryce recovered for Pima to steal a possession.
Pima then looked to score but found themselves facing a 4th and 6 from the 21. Grimes was flushed from the pocket and pointed downfield while on the run and then threw it to Preston Russell at the 8. Russell turned and blasted his way through three defenders at the goal line but was down mere inches from glory.
Martinez plowed it in on the next play and Good’s kick split the uprights to give Pima a 22-7 lead with 2:54 left in the third quarter.
Santa Cruz fought back but just as they were heading in to score Brett Flowers forced Ramos to fumble and Corona recovered for Pima.
It was a short offensive series, however, as Preston Russell bobbled a 3rd down conversion pass and the referee incorrectly believed it hit the ground. The call forced a Pima punt, and Santa Cruz took advantage of that and ended up scoring a 29-yard TD pass to Contreras with about 5 minutes left.
The ensuing onside kick failed to go the required 10 yards and Pima took over in good position up a score. But the Roughriders didn’t pull up and Grimes hit Jaxon McBiles on a screen that McBiles turned into a big pickup to the Devils’ 18.
Grimes then his Jaxon on a pass to give Pima a 1st and goal at the 1, however a holding penalty nullified the play and sent Pima backward.
Two plays later Grimes got rocked while attempting a pass and Perez came up with the interception. Curiously though, video of the play shows the ball hitting the ground and moving making it an incomplete pass. The video also shows the play happened right in front of the same official who called Russell’s catch incomplete just a few plays prior. Not a good look Mr. Official.
So, now Santa Cruz has the ball, the momentum, and is driving. A few passing plays later and all of a sudden the Dust Devils are blowing on the end zone door.
Harris then zipped it to Perez for a 5-yard score and Ramos pounded through the 2-point conversion to tie the game 22-22 with 2:13 left to play. But did they leave too much time?
Grimes hobbled back onto the field showing signs of obvious discomfort in his ankle. After an initial handoff where he barely moved, Pima didn’t hold back and Grimes hit Jaxon McBiles in the flat McBiles broke a tackle and sprinted across midfield to the Devils’ 45.
Facing a 4th and 6 from the 43 with only seconds left, Grimes found McBiles behind the defense for the touchdown and Pima defeated Santa Cruz Valley 29-22.
The win flipped the rankings for the teams and Pima is now No. 3 and Santa Cruz is No. 5.
Coach Wilkins said he hopes to have his team heal up and be ready for the start of the playoffs on Friday, including quarterback Grimes.
“He got rolled up on that second to last series and he’s a little tight in his ankle,” Wilkins said. “We’ll take a look at it. Thankfully he was able to go and delivered a beautiful pass there at the end. We had a couple of guys get injured tonight and they just kept going.”
No. 3 Pima (8-0 conference, 9-1 overall) finishes the regular season as the 2A Black Region Champions and will next host its opening-round playoff game at Edd Hubbard Field against No. 14 St. Johns on Friday, Nov. 8, starting at 7 p.m.
“These seniors and all these guys – I just love ‘em so much,” coach Wilkins said. “They battle so hard and they work so hard at what they do and they do what we ask them to do all the time. This was fun. This is a good football team – Santa Cruz – and you love to see two good teams come out and battle like this. And it makes it even better when you come out on top. Let’s go Riders.”
In other local prep football action:
The Thatcher Eagles (8-1 conference, 8-2 overall) defeated the No. 24 Morenci Wildcats (2-6 conference, 3-7 overall), 43-7 to end Morenci’s season.
No. 3 Thatcher will next host its opening-round playoff game on Friday, Nov. 8, at EAC’s John Mickelson Field, starting at 7 p.m.
The No. 20 Safford Bulldogs (2-6 conference, 4-6 overall) ended their season with a 0-45 loss to No. 4 Pusch Ridge.
