By Jon Johnson
PIMA — Two perennial 2A powerhouses renewed their rivalry Friday night as the three-time defending state champion Scottsdale Christian Academy Eagles made the trip to the Gila Valley for a high-stakes season opener against the Pima Roughriders.
While recent history between these two programs has featured tightly contested battles—including split regular-season and championship matchups in 2023 and 2024—the Eagles used opportunistic special teams play and a strong second-half push to pull away for a 32-7 victory. Unfortunately, the Scottsdale team bus broke down leaving the Pima parking lot, and their replacement bus didn’t arrive until 6 the following morning to take the players and coaches home.
Special Teams and Defensive Drama Highlight First Half
Pima struggled to generate offensive consistency early against a stubborn SCA defense. A shanked punt on Pima’s opening drive gave the visiting Eagles premier field position. Quarterback Carson Reed converted a key fourth-down scramble before connecting with Dom Dickerson on a crossing route for an early 7-0 lead.
The Roughriders fought back through the air when quarterback Cedrick Grimes found Adam Bryce down the sideline for a 30-yard completion. However, Pima’s drive stalled inside the 10-yard line after a power wedge attempt on 4th-and-short was turned back and penalized for an illegal tush push.
Pima’s defense stepped up to keep the game within reach. Linebackers Cole Lunt and Hollen Hoopes brought down Reed for a big loss late in the first quarter, and Grimes later intercepted a deep pass from Reed to thwart another Scottsdale Christian scoring threat.
Disaster struck for Pima late in the second quarter. Scottsdale Christian pinned the Roughriders at their own 1-yard line when Angelo Scappaticci downed a punt. On the next play, the Eagles swarmed Grimes in the end zone for a safety to extend the lead to 9-0 with 1:34 left in the half.
Pima capitalized on a rare mistake moments later. Following the kick after the safety, Reed threw a pass to Caleb Murphy, which fell from his hands through his legs and hit the turf. Emmet McBiles scooped up the loose ball and sprinted 48 yards to the end zone. While many on SCA’s team were confused because they thought it was an incomplete pass, the referee ruled it a completed pass and fumble. The extra point brought the Roughriders within 9-7 heading into halftime.
Eagles Pull Away in the Second Half
Pima generated momentum to open the third quarter when Hoopes and McBiles forced a fumble on Nathaniel Elrod, recovered by Gilbert Bryce. However, Scottsdale Christian’s offense re-established control through Reed’s dual-threat playmaking.
Reed extended drives with key conversions to Kyle Olafson and Murphy before executing a second-effort quarterback sneak on 4th-and-goal from the 3-yard line, spinning off tackles to stretch the lead to 16-7. After Hoopes notched another sack to force an SCA field goal, Max Pflederer split the uprights from 40 yards out to make it 19-7 late in the third quarter.
Special teams errors continued to plague Pima in the final quarter. A short-hopped snap on a punt inside Roughrider territory resulted in a block by Danny Owen, which London Olsen recovered and took back into the end zone for a touchdown to make it 25-7.
Scottsdale Christian put the game out of reach midway through the fourth quarter when Reed found Dylan Dufek for a 20-yard touchdown strike. An interception by Hayden Gibbons on Pima’s next drive sealed the 32-7 outcome.
Coach’s Corner
Following the victory, Scottsdale Christian Academy head coach Mike Sheahan acknowledged his team’s gradual setup after coming into the opener without a scrimmage.
“I think we just kind of slowed the game down a little bit. We didn’t have a scrimmage. We knew Pima was going to come out and hit us in the face like they did,” Sheahan said. “We started off a little bit slow, lots of penalties in the first half. Kind of chilled out a little bit, took the second half as it came and just played a little bit better Eagles football tonight.”
Sheahan praised Pima’s traditional physical style of play while commending his team’s line play and depth.
“We just take it one game at a time. We just played a great team right there, one of the most physical teams in 2A for sure,” Sheahan added. “We went toe to toe with them physicality wise. I know they’re going to be right back where they need to be in the next couple weeks—that team gets better as the season goes along. I was really proud of Carson Reed tonight, Nathaniel Elrod, Ben Watkins. Our offensive line and defense were lights out.”
Pima head coach Josh Wilkins said his team ran out of juice in the second half, but he believed they would bounce back and liked his team’s prospects moving forward this season.
Looking Ahead
Pima (0-1) will aim to bounce back on the road next Friday, Aug. 28, as they host the Tombstone Yellowjackets (1-0), who beat the Miami Vandals 40-6 on Friday.
In other local prep football action:
Lordsburg, N.M. defeated Duncan 48 – 14. The Wildkats will next travel to Fort Thomas on Friday, Aug. 28, to take on the Apaches.
Salome defeated Fort Thomas 50 – 0. The Apaches will next host Duncan on Friday, Aug. 28.
Willcox defeated Palo Verde Magnet 56-0. The Cowboys will next host Arizona Lutheran on Friday, Aug. 28.
