Stan Bonifacio Sports Photography/Special to the Gila Herald: Christian Carter races down the sideline. Carter scored all five of Thatcher’s touchdowns and ran for nearly 200 yards against Safford to earn Player of the Game honors from the Gila Herald as Thatcher defeated Safford 35-14.
By Jon Johnson
THATCHER – Special teams. Often overlooked – especially at the prep level – special teams play, including punts, and punt returns; kickoffs and returns, field goals and extra points, often will decide who the winner will be.
On Friday, the Thatcher Eagles took advantage of three special teams turnovers in the kicking game to excel past Safford, 35-14 at EAC’s John Mickelson Field to retain the Open Loop Energy Cup for the seventh year in a row.
Safford started out strong and held a brief lead before staying tied for most of the first half.
“We knew they were going to have tons of energy coming out,” said Thatcher head coach Daniel Jones. “That’s probably one of the better classes Safford has had in probably a while, so they were talented, fast, and we knew it. And we just had to weather the storm, so we’re happy about that.”
The win keeps Thatcher (2-0 region, 5-2 conference, 5-3 overall) atop the 3A South while still being ranked behind Sabino, who is second in the region having lost to Thatcher 20-27 on Oct. 6. However, the top 16 teams in 3A will be placed for seeding in the playoffs and Thatcher is currently ranked at No. 9 behind Sabino at No. 6. Morenci (third in 3A South) is ranked at No. 11 and Safford (fourth in 3A South) is currently at No. 13. New rankings come out Tuesday.
While special teams play had a big role in the victory, Thatcher also found success running the ball, especially Christian Carter, who finished with 194 yards on 27 carries and scored all five of Thatcher’s touchdowns.
“We’re definitely a young team,” Carter said. “That’s kind of been the narrative this year. I respect all my linemen. We got some dogs on there, so I just gotta . . . Every play I gotta wait for that one hole to open up and I just gotta take advantage of that.”
Safford (1-2 region, 3-4 conference, 4-5 overall) started strong and got the ball in great field position when Thatcher gabled on a 4th and 3 from its own 25 and lost when Manuel Dawson forced Christian Carter back into the meat of the defense to be eaten short of the goal to gain.
After converting on a 3rd and 3 with a pass from Jojo Ruelas to Izaiah Alvarado, the Bulldogs got it done on the ground as Monster Rios reversed his field and nearly took it to the house being called out at the 1-yard line. Rios finished the drive with a 2-yard run and Safford broke the ice, 7-0 with 7:05 left in the first quarter.
Things continued to go Safford’s way until the special teams kicked off. The Bulldogs held Thatcher to a punt deep in its own territory on the very next possession but the punt bounced off the Safford player and Thatcher recovered it for the first special teams turnover.
Christian Carter began to get heated up and he broke out a big run to give the Eagles a 1st and goal from the 7. Carter finished the drive with two direct snaps with an official 1-yard TD at 3:02 left in the first quarter to tie the game, 7-7.
If you don’t have the ball it is harder to score and Thatcher rolled the field-position dice on the ensuing kickoff with a bloop kick that Safford couldn’t handle. Kody Bingham recovered it for Thatcher as the Eagles stole possession and momentum.
Two plays later, quarterback Brett Jones uncorked a deep, 30-yard pass to Dylan Riney, who took the early contact but still held on for the catch to give Thatcher a first and goal.
Carter finished it from there on a direct snap for his second TD of the night to put Thatcher up 14-7 with 1:46 left in the first.
Safford began its comeback through quarterback Ruelas’s legs and arm after the ensuing kickoff.
Facing a 3rd and 8, Ruelas scrambled for 43 yards into the Red Zone. After one TD pass was nullified by a penalty, Ruelas came back at the start of the second by hitting Chris Shatto on an 18-yard TD and the game was all knotted up at 14-14 one play into the second quarter.
The Bulldogs’ defense then held and Shatto intercepted Brett Jones to end the threat deep in Safford territory. But Thatcher’s defense was up to the task as well and forced a Safford punt to get one more possession before the half.
The Eagles made the most of it and Christian Carter took a direct snap on 3rd and 5 and went 15 yards to the house for his third TD of the night to put Thatcher up 21-14.
“We’re pretty big up front and we wanted to try and just lean on them and control the ball,” said coach Jones. “That’s always our theory – just control the ball and make the other team kind of relent. We were able to do it.”
Safford ran its 2-minute offense and was in a good position in the Red Zone but a penalty pushed them back into a 3rd and 12 from the 20 with just 16 seconds left in the half.
Ruelas then did what you can’t do in that situation and took a sack for a loss – pushing a last-second field goal attempt to 47 yards. The kick wasn’t close, and Thatcher continued to hold a 7-point lead at the break.
The Bulldogs received the second-half kick but were soon forced to punt. The Eagles fed on a steady diet of Christian Carter, who moved the chains on 3rd and long and on a big 4th and 4 to put Thatcher back in the Red Zone.
Carter finished the drive with a 2-yard TD on a direct snap for his fourth of the night to double up Safford 28-14 with 6:41 left in the third.
Thatcher’s defense then stepped up with Safford threatening a comeback. Facing a 4th and 5, Ruelas attempted to scramble for the first, but Brett Jones was there to take him down for no gain to give the ball back to Thatcher.
The Eagles then began to run the clock down with a steady dose of Carter, who finished the drive with his fifth touchdown of the night on a streaky 20-yard sprint to the end zone to make it 35-14 with 9:17 left in the game.
Thatcher then performed an onside kick and recovered to keep the ball away from Safford. The Eagles looked to score again on a 5-yard run by Paxton Echols, but a penalty took the points off the board. A mishandled snap led to a 4th and 24 and Brett Jones’ deep shot into the end zone was intercepted by Alvarado.
Safford continued to play hard throughout, but so did Thatcher, and Ruelas was sacked to end the game on a 4th and 2.
With the win over Safford and a signature 27-20 victory over regional powerhouse Sabino on Oct. 6, the Eagles have now strung together three wins in a row with just two regional games left in the regular season.
“It feels like our energy is correct and we’re finally kind of listening and doing the right things,” coach Jones said. “I said it from the very beginning of the season, being so inexperienced as we were, if we could put it together at the end we’re going to be dangerous and I think we’re starting to see it.”
Carter and the rest of the Eagles hope to finish their season strong and head into the postseason on a high note.
“Safford is a great team,” Carter said. “(I) respect them. There was a little talk between us both. You know it was going to be close and it was. They had some fight in them, but I think ultimately we took that energy forward. We’re taking (the) Gila Valley this year.”
The Eagles will have their chance to go perfect against local region opponents with their last game of the season at home against Morenci on Oct. 27. But first, Thatcher will next travel to Tucson to face region opponent the Pusch Ridge Lions on Friday, Oct. 20, starting at 7 p.m.
Thatcher does not play Pima this year.
Safford will have a week off to regroup before looking to finish the regular season on a high note and give the best possibility for a playoff position with a win over the Pusch Ridge Lions at home on Friday, Oct. 27, starting at 7 p.m.
In other local prep action:
In 3A, No. 11 Morenci (1-1 region, 4-2 conference, 5-3 overall) defeated Fountain Hills 63-0. The Wildcats will next host Sabino in a big region matchup on Friday, Oct. 20, starting at 7 p.m.
In 2A, No. 1 Pima (5-0 region, 6-0 conference, 8-0 overall) defeated Alchesay 56-0. The Roughriders will next go on the road to visit the San Carlos Braves on Friday, Oct. 20, starting at 7 p.m.
In 1A, Lincoln Prep defeated No. 20 Duncan 48-14.
Ray defeated No. 21 Fort Thomas 70-14.
