By Jon Johnson
MORENCI – Under the glow of Morenci’s Friday night lights, the Wildcats (1-0) and Safford Bulldogs (0-1) slugged it out in a classic small-town showdown, with Morenci emerging victorious in a 20-14 nail-biter.
“I’m just so proud of our boys,” said Morenci head coach Frankie Gonzalez. “All the credit goes to the boys. In my opinion, I think we have the most physical team in Arizona. I think physicality won us the game tonight. The boys have really adapted that mindset, four yards and a cloud of dust. I couldn’t be more proud of our boys tonight. It was real fun.”
Morenci’s ground game was a sledgehammer, pounding out over 200 yards behind the bruising duo of Julien Aragon and Derick Lytle. Safford, meanwhile, leaned on quarterback Jevyn Elliot’s arm, which delivered 120 yards through the air at a 60% clip, but the Bulldogs sputtered on third and fourth downs, managing just 3-of-8 conversions.
The win dampened the debut of Safford’s new head coach, Ishmael MacNeil.
“We struggled up front defensively,” MacNeil said after the game. “We got dominated on that side of the ball to start the game.”
The Wildcats came out swinging, setting the tone with a relentless rushing attack. Late in the first quarter, Aragon barreled in for a 7-yard touchdown, capping a drive sparked by his own 21-yard burst and a 12-yard scamper from Aundre McCauley. A two-point conversion gave Morenci an 8-0 lead with 1:21 left in the opening frame.
Safford didn’t blink, responding with some trickery. On the first snap of the second quarter, Dane Jacobson hit Lamarr Ellis with an 18-yard halfback pass for a touchdown, trimming the score to 8-6 after a botched two-point try. But Morenci’s ground-and-pound machine kept rolling. Aragon and Lytle chewed up yardage, with McCauley ripping off a 30-yard gain. The drive ended with Jeremya Cruz flipping the script on a 14-yard reverse for a touchdown, pushing the lead to 14-6 after a missed two-point attempt with 5:51 to go in the half.
The Bulldogs showed flashes of brilliance. Elliot aired it out to Ellis on a deep ball that just missed, and despite moving the chains, Safford stalled on a critical 4th-and-3 at Morenci’s 18 late in the half. The Wildcats’ defense, led by a swarming Lytle, stood tall, forcing a turnover on downs. At the break, Morenci held a 14-6 edge, with the Morenci Band firing up the home crowd.
“Safford is a heck of a team,” Gonzalez said. “They’re super athletic. They could have gave us some problems, but our boys really stepped up. (I’m) super, super proud of them.” (sic)
The third quarter belonged to the Wildcats’ ground game. Aragon and Lytle kept hammering, with Lytle breaking free for a 10-yard touchdown run to stretch the lead to 20-6 after a missed extra point at the 5:37 mark. Safford’s defense had its moments, stuffing Morenci in the backfield, but the Wildcats’ physicality was relentless. Elliot connected with Andrew Baker to push into Morenci territory, but a premature slide on a QB keeper set up another 4th-and-1, which Lytle sniffed out and stuffed.
“Our D-line, man, got some gigantic stops,” Gonzalez said. “I think that comes down to heart (and) physicality, and just want to. Like I said, I’m proud of our dudes, man, proud of our dudes.”
“The fourth downs were big plays,” MacNeil said. “They got the fourth and shorts; either getting us to jump off sides or getting the first down, and we struggled to get those fourth and ones, those big plays that we needed to.”
The fourth quarter turned into a thriller. Elliot hit Dane Jacobson for a big gain and then launched a 45-yard bomb to Ellis, who shook defenders Jaymz Guzzo and McCauley. With just 33.6 seconds left, Elliot found Jacobson again for a 5-yard touchdown pass, followed by a two-point conversion to Parker Whisman, cutting the gap to 20-14.
However, Safford’s onside kick attempt was snuffed out by Lytle’s sure hands, sealing Morenci’s hard-earned win.
“We have some good things on film,” MacNeil said. “We’ll get back in the weight room and the film room and study, but build on those good things and try to fix our mistakes and just come out and work hard . . . It was great to start the year off with a rivalry, and (I’m) excited to keep building this place up.”
Standout Stars
Morenci: Julien Aragon and Derick Lytle were the heartbeat of the Wildcats’ rushing attack, with Aragon’s 7-yard score and Lytle’s 10-yard touchdown proving decisive. Aundre McCauley chipped in with big runs and a key pass breakup on defense.
Lytle is coming off a broken leg injury from last year and said the rejuvenated bones fared well.
“It’s definitely a challenge,” Lytle said about coming back from the injury. “You gotta go through the mental, not just the physical. It’s all just a hard challenge, so it feels good to be back out and doing what I’m doing.”
Safford: Jevyn Elliot shone, slinging a 45-yard strike to Ellis and the 5-yard touchdown to Jacobson, keeping the Bulldogs in the fight.
Morenci’s ability to dominate the trenches and make plays when it mattered most carried them to victory. Safford’s late surge showed heart, but they couldn’t overcome the Wildcats’ physical edge. The Bulldogs’ flashes of potential hint at a team that could cause trouble down the road.
Next week, Morenci hosts Tanque Verde (0-1), while Safford looks to rebound at home against the Blue Ridge Yellowjackets (1-0), led by former Safford coach Eric Hjalmarson. Expect another emotional, hard-hitting clash under those Friday night lights, with both games starting at 7 p.m.
