Sunrise Mountain ran over Ironwood in the 5A title game on Friday, capturing its first championship in a 42-20 victory.
The Mustangs had around 400 yards of offense despite not completing a single pass and attempting just one.
Ironwood kept the game close early, taking a 7-0 lead and capitalizing on a couple Mustang fumbles. But Sunrise Mountain took a 15-14 lead on a wild two-point conversion late in the first half, and the lead only continued to grow until the game was out of reach for the Eagles.
The Mustangs graduate over 30 seniors, the largest in coach Steve Decker's history with the program. The victory cements the legacy of the group that has largely been together since their youth football days.
"For all of us, this is so special," senior lineman Robbie Maple said.
Here are a few of the players that stood out in Friday's game:
Sunrise Mountain's offensive line:
It's too difficult to name just one player from this unit, because the Mustang offensive line was dominant the whole game. For a team that ran the ball on nearly every play, even against a stacked defensive box the group was able to create big holes for the running backs and make positive plays nearly every snap.
Sunrise Mountain 2021 LB/RB Brandon Bogard (5'11, 180)
Bogard was impactful on both sides of the ball, as he has been all season. The senior recorded a sack and a tackle for loss, amid several solid defensive plays. He also ran for a few big gains and scored the touchdown that gave the Mustangs the lead for the first time.
Ironwood 2021 TE/LB Mekhi Mannino-Faison (6'4, 225)
"Bubba," as he goes by, played a very physical game on both ends. He caught some passes and used his strength and speed to break tackles and pick up yards after the catch. He also was in on a lot of tackles defensively and recovered a fumble in the first half.
Sunrise Mountain 2021 RB Julian Esber
Despite sharing the carries with Bogard and senior Tommy Arnold, who had an excellent game himself with 2 scores and a two-point conversion, among others, Esber managed to stand out as a running back in this game. He had several long runs, including a 62-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that essentially sealed the victory for Sunrise Mountain.
"I was still hungry. We wanted to put that doubt away so we did," he said of the scoring run.
Ironwood 2021 QB Will Haskell (6'4, 215)
Haskell did not necessarily light up the stat sheet in the way he has at some points, but he did have two touchdowns on the ground and one through the air. His scrambles, both for yards down the field and to gain time to try to find receivers on passing plays, kept Ironwood's offense in the game early. It was clear that he was doing all he could to keep the Eagles in the game.
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