Gridiron Weekly (Week 2): Horizon 52 Marana Mountain View 0

The Horizon Huskies might roll out the welcome mat for visitors that enter Husky Stadium, but it's becoming rare to let them board the bus back home with a victory.

The Huskies played hosts for the first time in this young season and continued the mastery they have exhibited the past three years. Since the start of 2022, Horizon is now 20-2 on its home turf after a dominating 52-0 win over Marana Mountain View Friday night.

The Horizon defense played about as well as a unit can. The Mountain Lions gained just three first downs in the game, punted on each of its first 10 drives, and didn't run an offensive play on the Huskies' half of the field until the closing minutes of the third quarter.

With the win, the Huskies improved to 2-0 on the season while Mountain View fell to 1-1.

"Special teams was the thing that helped us bridge that gap with our offense," Horizon head coach Tyson Ditmore said. "Given the short field helped us score a few times and then, defensively, Holy cow, those guys played lights out."

It didn't take long for the Horizon special teams unit to make its presence known. It was 10 seconds, exactly. That's how long it took senior Jordan Partridge to field a squib kick at the 24-yard line and then take it to the house for a 76-yard score.

When the Huskies' offense ran out on the field for its first play, it was to take a snap at the Mountain View 13-yard line. That was following a bobble on the punt and an ensuing block by Horizon. That possession became a field goal by junior Palmer Podwika for an early 10-0 advantage.

Horizon produced a third score before the end of the opening quarter. A 28-yard pass play from senior Jase Ashley to Partridge set up a 2-yard touchdown run up the middle from junior Bodie Zamorano and for the second straight week, the Huskies were making quick work of their opponent.

Another special teams play set Horizon up deep in Mountain Lion territory early in the second quarter. A 32-yard punt return from senior Adem Wagner had the Huskies in business at the Mountain View 25-yard line. While the Huskies didn't score on that drive (stopped on downs), the constant theme of three-and-outs from the defense and punt returns tilted the field decisively for the hosts.

In its seven first half possessions, Mountain View averaged a start at its own 17-yard line. Horizon's seven drives in the half averaged a starting place of the Lions' 34-yard line. And this was without a single turnover in the half. It was defense and special teams.

The offense did what a good team does with those short fields, they took advantage. Starting at the Mountain View 35-yard line, Ashley completed a pair of passes to senior tight end Jax Markovich (19 and 13 yards), which led to a keeper from Ashley to the right for a score.

It looked like that would be the count at the half, but a low, line-drive punt was kicked into the teeth of the Horizon special teams (technically, a second block). That happened with just 15 seconds left in the second quarter. From point-blank range at the 19-yard line, Ashley delivered a strike to Markovich and the touchdown from the Massachusetts commit made it a 31-0 game at halftime.

The halftime numbers weren't as lopsided as you might expect with that score. With short fields, you don't accumulate lots of yardage. Horizon's run game was also non-existent in the first 24 minutes (six yards). The Huskies were outgaining MVHS 106-56.

"We were humbled a little bit when we weren't able to run the football," Ditmore said. "We went in and talked about some fronts that they were in. We have great coaches that know how to go in and adjust."

The tinkering worked because the Huskies went 52 yards mostly on the ground in their first possession after the break. Zamorano had a 39-yard scamper that set HHS up. His one-yard plunge was his second touchdown of the game, and fifth of the season.

Meanwhile, it was a grind for the Mountain View offense all night. Despite the score, the Lions were content to work on their run-heavy offense (28 runs, six passes) and Horizon was not going to be denied in the trenches. Eight times, the Huskies forced a three-and-out.

Leading the way on the D-Line was Colorado State commit Jackson Murray. He was handling business as the Huskies denied Mountain View repeatedly on third down.

"I knew wherever the guard was pulling, that's where the ball's going," Murray said. "I just try to drive through."

Last week, the defense allowed just a pair of field goals in a 48-8 win at Canyon View. Murray was definitely satisfied by having the opponent's total on the scoreboard match his number.

"That's what we were expecting," Murray said of the shutout. "We gameplanned for the (run-heavy offense). Coach (Defensive Coordinator Dave) Anderson is good with that. He knows what's going to happen and we plan for it."

The shutout took some heroics at the end. In the fourth quarter, Mountain View quarterback Damien Wallace hit receiver Emanuel Vigil Castillo on a long pass play. Cornerback Elijah Peeples chased Castillo down at the 5-yard line (70-yard gain). Two plays later, the Lions fumbled and Parker Kolb recovered for Horizon.

Early in the fourth quarter, in what was Ashley's final drive of the night, he dropped back to pass, but used his vision to see a seam in the defense. Without hesitation, he ran through it and scored his second rushing TD with a 16-yard run.

"They were option plays," Ashley said. "The defensive end crashed down on the running back and I had the option to keep it. Kudos to the linemen and the receivers faking their routes and making the blocks to give me the open lane."

Ashley is in his second year as a starter for Horizon, but had to learn a new offense with the change in the coaching staff. Last year's head coach, Andy Litten, is now at Mesa Mountain View.

"This new offense with Coach (Offensive Coordinator Drew) Vaughan is a lot more pass-heavy," Ashley said. "(Improvements have been) being smarter with my reads and taking what the defense gives me."

Horizon will look for its seventh consecutive home victory next Friday when Kellis (2-0) visits.

For Marana Mountain View, while this was a rough game, it's one that the team and coaching staff plans to learn from over the next eight games.

"We knew this is a team that was one of the best in the state of Arizona," Marana Mountain View head coach Matt Johnson said. "We scheduled these teams on purpose so we get better. You get that great film, you see all your mistakes so you can get better. A lot of people on the outside don't understand process. They see scoreboard."

Last year, this matchup took place in Marana and ended with the same final score. The Lions learned from it and defeated rival Marana two weeks later. Mountain View went 3-2 and came within a point in its final game of winning the 5A Sonoran Region. Next week, the Lions will get to stay home while Sunrise Mountain (0-2) makes the long drive south from Peoria.

Johnson said his kids are fighting and sticking together, which is important after a blowout loss like this.

"We've got a lot of specials work," Johnson said of his preparation for this coming week. "We've got to work on our O-Line and just keep griding together."