“They’re probably the best running team in 3A.”
PRCA head coach Kent Middleton about the Thatcher Eagles.
By Jon Johnson
THATCHER – The Thatcher Eagles looked to solidify their No. 1 ranking and capture the 3A South in their game against Pusch Ridge Christian Academy on Friday, however, the visiting Lions upended the Eagles 22-7 to spoil their homecoming and snatched the 3A South Region title.
With the win the No. 4-ranked Lions leapfrog the No. 1-ranked Eagles to the top of the standings of the 3A South with one regular-season game remaining before playoff seeding.
Pusch Ridge’s quarterback Jacob Newborn was the player of the game and went 20-28 for 315 yards and 3 TDs for a quarterback rating of 144.2.
“All week we preached that we were going to attack,” Newborn told the Gila Herald. “We weren’t going to come in here and we weren’t gonna feel them out and see how they were doing. We were going to come in here (and) attack. We were going to play our game. We were prepared to attack. We had good practices and I think that was what made us capable. Thatcher’s a very good team. All respect in the world to these guys. They are a good, physical team. But I think at the end of the day it was about us knowing we were going to come out here flying.”
Newborn’s favorite target, Elliott Lovett, caught 9 balls for 174 yards and a TD. Nate Campa also had a TD in one of his 6 receptions for 83 yards to help propel Pusch Ridge to its seventh win in a row.
If the coach was giving out game balls he’d be in financial woes because every defensive lineman earned one by the way they owned the line of scrimmage against arguably one of the best running teams in the 3A Conference.
“We played great defense tonight,” said Pusch Ridge head coach Kent Middleton. “Tonight was a big test for us because we hadn’t played teams that haven’t run the ball that strong. So, tonight was a big test for us and we met the match.”
Thatcher could not get anything going on offense and had one turnover and six punts in its first seven possessions.
“We knew if we stopped them on the ground or slowed them down we would have a good chance and our kids just played lights out,” Middleton said. “There are some studs on our defense and they played really well tonight and have played real well all year.”
Thatcher (7-1 conference, 7-2 overall) found itself quickly down 9-0 after just a handful of offensive plays by Pusch Ridge (7-1 conference, 8-1 overall).
Newborn hit Lovett over the middle on just the second play from scrimmage and Lovett broke tackles and raced 72 yards for the TD.
On Thatcher’s next possession, the Eagles faced a 4th and 15 from their own 15, and punter Kody Bingham attempted to run for it but only made it back to the line of scrimmage, giving the Lions the ball in the Red Zone to start their second possession.
The Eagles’ defense held, however, and aided by a holding call forced the Lions into a 26-yard field goal by Tyler Nolan to go up 9-0 in the first quarter.
The Eagles found themselves pinned at the 3 in the second quarter, and Bingham’s punt from the end zone was returned by Josiah Jones to the 16 giving the Lions another starting possession already in the Red Zone.
The Eagles’ defense held again, and Nolan’s 31-yard field goal attempt was no good. He had one more field goal attempt before the half, but that was blocked and the Thatcher defense kept its team within striking distance as Pusch Ridge took its 9-0 lead into halftime.
With nothing going on the ground, Thatcher turned to the air, and on third down quarterback Chad Johnson found Wyatt Nicholas open behind the first layer of defense. Johnson lofted the ball to him and just as Nicholas was tucking it away Pusch Ridge’s Diego Torres perfectly timed his hit and jarred the bar loose and incomplete.
That’s the way it seemed to go all game with the Lions making the plays when they needed to on both defense and offense.
Facing a 3rd and 15, Newborn scrambled from the pocket after not finding anyone and then hit Lovett along the right sideline for a 29-yard pickup to the 15. Two plays later Newborn slung a 15-yard TD pass to Erik Rafacz to put the Lions up 15-0 with 2:24 left in the third.
Newborn then did it again in the fourth on a 4th down and 3 from the Eagles’ 35. He faked a handoff and kept it himself for a scamper along the right side for the conversion. A could of plays later, he hit Nate Campa for a 32-yard TD, and the Lions were up 22-0 with just 5:44 left in the game.
The Eagles continued to play hard and avoided the shutout on a 41-yard reverse on 4th and 3 that saw quarterback Johnson lead block down the field for Tristun Brown who ran in the ball. The score was too little too late, however, and Pusch Ridge left John Mickelson Field at the top of the 3A South with a 22-7 victory.
Thatcher will next look to bounce back on the road up The Hill at Morenci (2-5 conference, 3-6 overall).
In other local prep action
The Pima Roughriders (7-0 conference, 8-1 overall) defeated the San Carlos Braves 66-0.
The Roughriders will now have perhaps their toughest test of the season as they travel to face the Santa Cruz Valley Dust Devil (7-1 conference, 8-1 overall) on Friday, Nov. 1, starting at 7 p.m. The Dust Devil’s only loss so far this year was 15-24 to unbeaten No. 1-ranked San Tan Charter.
The Morenci Wildcats (2-5 conference, 3-6 overall) fell 0-31 to the Sabino Sabercats.
The Wildcats will next host the Thatcher Eagles on Friday, Nov. 1, starting at 7 p.m.
