Toros roll past Pride with "complete" performance
WEEKLY BLOG: 10/22/21
Coming into Friday night's home game, Mountain View head coach Joe Germaine said the Toros were still looking for their identity. They may have found it as they excelled in all three areas of the game for a decisive 51-14 win over Mountain Pointe.
Mountain View (6-1, 1-0 6A Central Region) scored touchdowns on its first seven possessions, blanked the Pride for three quarters, scored on special teams, and forced a running clock.
"We've been talking all year about trying to play a complete game," Germaine said. "We've had some bright spots, but it's been really inconsistent."
It's an identity of playing great defense. The Toros have allowed just 55 points all season (7.9 points per game). Mountain Pointe had just one play of more than 20 yards the entire game. On the ground, the Pride came in averaging 214 yards/game and MVHS shut them down, allowing just 59.
It's an identity of being physical on offense and dictating with the run. Senior Aiden Damiani was the Bell Cow for the Toros pounding out yards on the ground, finishing with 78 on his 17 carries. That dedication to the run forced the defense to react to it and that's where Mountain View shined the brightest. Sophomore Jack Germaine (son of the head coach), made his first start and hit on five plays of more than 25 yards while throwing just one incompletion.
Mountain Pointe started out slow, fumbling on its first play from scrimmage, and never recovered.
The Toros took advantage of the fumble, which had them starting at the Pride 32-yard line. Damiani had plenty of blocking as he took a handoff and went left for a 17-yard touchdown.
Mountain Pointe responded with a drive that started at midfield and went just past the 20-yard line. The Pride lined up for a field goal and it was blocked by Malaki Ta'ase. Gabriel Grutzmacher scooped up the loose ball and took it back 70 yards for the touchdown. A successful two-point try made it an 11-point swing and instead of trailing 7-3, the Pride found itself down 15-0.
"It was the perfect storm for a terrible night," Mountain Pointe head coach Eric Lauer said. "I didn't have them ready."
Germaine started the game a perfect 5-for-5 passing and connected with Reese Marziale for his first touchdown pass of the night.
Willy Roberts was the quarterback of last year's Mountain View team and has played the position some in 2021. For now, he's moved to the defense and he recovered a fumble for the Toros that set up yet another score. Mountain View blew the game open while having some fun with a 47-yard flea flicker to senior Matthew Clark. Clark had at least three steps on the defense.
"When I broke down, I saw him shoot up," Clark said of the defender on the play. "No better feeling. I knew it was a touchdown."
Mountain View will come up to the line for the extra point in an unorthodox way. If the Toros see something they can take advantage of, they will. Mountain View was 2-for-2 in two-point tries and made it a 30-0 game.
Germaine hooked up with Clark one more time on a slant pass before the half (35 yards) for a commanding 37-0 lead at the break.
As expected with the score, Mountain View went to a more run-oriented offense in the second half. However, on third-and-long, Germaine went deep again and Marziale hauled it in for a 56-yard scoring play that also started up the running clock (mercy rule).
"We practiced them all week long," Jack Germaine said of the deep passing plays. "We established our run game early like we wanted to. We just executed from then on."
Later in the third quarter, Germaine made it seven touchdowns in seven possessions with a short slant to Clark, that he took the rest of the 37 yards his third touchdown.
"Offensive line all night been killing it," Clark said. "Quarterback threw the ball on the spot. That last touchdown was all my receivers blocking downfield."
Germaine has had reps in most of the Toros' games this season. He didn't start last week against Mica Mountain, but came in relatively early and had three TD passes. In this one, he finished the night 11-of-12 for 255 yards and five touchdown tosses.
Mountain Pointe (4-4, 1-2) avoided its worst defeat in history (50 points to Desert Vista in 2002) with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. Arviso threw scoring passes to Jordan Huff and Devon Sparks. He finished 27-of-40 for 210 yards with no interceptions.
In the first three quarters, starting with its second possession, the Pride had six consecutive drives that ended on Mountain View's side of the field without scoring a point. There was the field goal block, one punt, one fumble, and three that ended without converting on fourth down.
"Penalties here and there," Lauer said. "Balls on the ground. We didn't execute at a high-enough level."
With eight games played in eight weeks, Mountain Pointe has finally reached its bye week. They started the week No. 15 in the 6A rankings (10 after five teams would be pulled up to the Open). That makes the final two against Queen Creek and Desert Vista huge for playoff implications.
"We've got to be smart about how we use it," Lauer said of the bye week. "Two big games. If we have an opportunity for playoffs, you don't want to limp in there. You want to be in a good stance and roll."
Mountain View hasn't been talked about much despite its record. Perhaps that comes from its opposition. The Toros were No. 11 in the rankings (6 after Open teams removed). Of Mountain View's five wins prior to Friday, four of them were against 6A teams that were a combined 10-18. The other was against Mica Mountain, a 4A school in its first year. That game, played down in Tucson last week, was a reschedule due to Mountain View having a canceled game due to its opponent having a COVID-19 situation.
"We're on the come-up right now," Jack Germaine said. "A lot of people are doubting us. They don't really know what we're about. Only up from here."
MVHS will try to go 2-0 against Ahwatukee schools as it hosts Desert Vista next week on Jesse Parker Field at Toro Stadium. Head Coach Joe Germaine now has the challenge of making sure his charges don't get big-headed after a win like this and think they are "too good".
"I'm interested to see how we're going to respond after this," Germaine said. "That's the test."
First Quarter:
MV - Aiden Damiani 17 yard run (Zack Gaumont kick), 9:15
MV - Gabriel Grutzmacher 70 yard blocked field goal return (Willy Roberts pass from Jack Germaine), 6:02
Second Quarter:
MV - Reese Marziale 12 yard pass from Germaine (Gaumont kick), 11:53
MV - Matthew Clark 47 yard pass from Germaine (Logan Doonan run), 7:35
MV - Clark 35 yard pass from Germaine (Gaumont kick), 2:27
Third Quarter:
MV - Marziale 56 yard pass from Germaine (Gaumont kick), 10:21
MV - Clark 37 yard pass from Germaine (Gaumont kick), 2:32
Fourth Quarter:
MP - Jordan Huff 9 yard pass from Chris Arviso (Matthew Braun kick), 8:07
MP - Devon Sparks 12 yard pass from Arviso (Braun kick), 0:33
