Titans keep playoff hopes alive in 4A Conference
WEEKLY BLOG: 10/28/22
Thunderbird controlled the line of scrimmage to beat Trevor G. Browne, 30-7, on the road in West Phoenix Friday night and keep its biggest goal alive with two weeks remaining in the season.
The Bruins came into their Senior Night averaging 193 rushing yards per game, but Thunderbird shackled Trevor Browne throughout. With sacks counted against rushing yards, the Bruins finished with negative yardage on the ground.
"Defense was outstanding," Thunderbird head coach Matt Nalette said. "The defense has been lights out the past two weeks. If we can continue this the next two games, we should get in the playoffs and we're going to be a tough out for anybody."
Most of Thunderbird's 174 yards of offense came in the first quarter. It was the Titans' defense that carried this one. In all, THS registered seven sacks and forced six turnovers (five interceptions). Those takeaways resulted in 20 points.
Trevor Browne presented a different team to prepare for this week for the Titans. They were coming off a victory over Sierra Linda, a passing team with a Division I receiver. Nalette credited defensive coordinator Andrew Wilberscheid for the schemes that worked to perfection.
"They're very big," Nalette said of Trevor Browne's offensive line. "Each week, Coach Wilberscheid is coming up with a great game plan for the defense and our guys are going out and executing."
Thunderbird entered the game ranked No. 16 in the 4A Conference (where 16 teams are eligible for the playoffs) in the AIA/MaxPreps rankings. With two games remaining against teams below them in the rankings, there was no chance for error. It was a similar situation for Trevor Browne, which was at No. 20 in the 6A Conference after the eight Open Division teams are factored out. That's just on the outside, but with games against Thunderbird and #14 Mesa next week, the Bruins had an opportunity to creep their way in.
The playoff drought for Trevor Browne will continue as the Bruins last played in the postseason in 2009. Thunderbird is trying to make the bracket for the first time since 2013.
The Titans' offense had a promising start. They had a 10-play scoring drive to open the game that QB Carter Squires capped with a 35-yard TD strike to Alexander Harland, who got open on the left side and hauled in the long pass. It was Squires' 10th touchdown pass of the season and it took almost six minutes of the first quarter.
Squires, a 6-foot, 185-pound senior, started the game with eight straight completions. After a quarter, the Titans had a 94-7 advantage in total yards.
Despite the hot start, that first drive would be Thunderbird's only points of the half. The defense for Trevor Browne (5-3), which came in allowing 15 points per game, dug in. The Bruins had an interception from RJ Strickland and sacks from Nicolas Trujillo and Josh Dweh to back up and end Titan drives.
Thunderbird was moving the ball late in the first half and crossed the TGB 30-yard line. But Luis Fierro was covering his receiver tightly and was there to make the interception. He found a seam and a path to the left sideline and took off to the end zone to complete the pick-six. Despite being outgained 112-14, the Bruins were tied on the scoreboard at 7-7.
The flurry of turnovers for Trevor Browne began with the first play of the third quarter. From their own 20, the Bruins fumbled and it was recovered by Talon Flores. Thunderbird (6-2) brought its kicker on to try a field goal, but Trevor Browne jumped offside giving the Titans a first down at the 7-yard line. THS cashed in on the miscues with a short touchdown run by junior Travis Woods to regain the lead, 14-7.
Woods has a twin brother, Tyler, on the team and moments after Travis' touchdown, it was Tyler intercepting a pass (on Trevor Browne's second offensive play of the half) and bringing it back to the 10-yard line.
The ensuing drive went backwards and stalled, but Thunderbird picked up points with a 44-yard field goal from Ryan Monroe (his season-long). He would add two more field goals in the fourth quarter as the defense gave the offense the ball on Trevor Browne's side of the field in four of its first five drives in the second half.
Of the seven Thunderbird sacks, two of them were by Flores and three were by Ryan Kavalami, who now has 8.5 for the season. Thunderbird lost a game to Bradshaw Mountain early in October, 37-8. Since then (three games), the Titans' defense has allowed just six points. Both Flores and Kavalami are sophomores. The kids are growing up and getting experience each week.
"We were in scout and everything went the way we expected it to," Kavalami said of the team's preparation. "Thunderbird hasn't been to the playoffs in years. It gives me pride to try and help us get to the playoffs. Every game for us is a playoff game. We approached this game as it's 'win or go home'."
With the deficit looming in a must-win game, Trevor Browne had to get away from its normal run-heavy offense and throw the ball. That led to a pair of interceptions by Nate Godoy. The Bruins went for it on fourth-and-nine from their own 18 and Godoy intercepted it. That led to a field goal. The next time Trevor Browne had the ball, the Bruins reached the Thunderbird 20-yard line. Once again, it was Godoy ending the drive with an interception at the 3-yard line by outjumping the receiver on a high pass.
Godoy said the team's first goal this year was to win all four of its September games before their bye. Thunderbird came close, going 3-1 with that loss coming by five in the opener against 5A West Point.
"Our next goal was to win a region championship," Godoy said. "And right now, we're 2-0 in our region (4A Southwest). Our final goal is to make playoffs and this was a big one for that."
Trevor Browne had one final attempt to score points with its offense. The Bruins nearly blocked a punt, but the punter opted to run it instead and was out of bounds at the 10-yard line. On fourth down, Brian Costa grabbed his second interception of the game and took it back 101 yards for a touchdown for the game's final points.
"I love our O-Line, but we really struggled," Trevor Browne head coach Francisco Rangel said. "They were winning one-on-one matchups bringing four guys and had our quarterback running for his life."
Next week's opponent for the Bruins, Mesa, scored more than 60 points for the second straight week in a win over North (65-21). The Jackrabbits are 3-0 in the 6A Fiesta Region and can win it with a victory over Trevor Browne. The Bruins (1-1 in region) can force a tie by winning out.
"We can still compete for a region, but we've got to come together," Rangel said. "It's a team sport and we just need to be better."
Rangel, who played HS football in the Valley at Kellis, was hired in February of 2020. Just one month later, everything changed with the COVID-19 pandemic. He wasn't able to work with his team, the Phoenix Union District restricted football, and the Bruins played just three games. The '21 team went 6-4, the school's first winning season since 2009 and this year's team started the season 5-0.
"I'm indebted to these kids," Rangel said. "When the world shut down, they still showed up. That three-game season gave us momentum to what we're building. Of the 20 seniors, we'll probably see 11 go to the next level and I'm super proud of that."
Thunderbird can win its region with a victory at home in North Phoenix next Friday over Youngker (5-3). The Roughriders edged Sierra Linda in a defensive struggle on Friday, 7-6. A road game at Estrella Foothills (1-7) finishes out the slate on Nov. 10. The team's Twitter account has used the hash tag #KeepClimbing throughout the season.
"If we do what we've done the past two weeks, day in and day out, working hard in practice, focusing on the minor details, we'll keep improving and we'll be where we want to go."
First Quarter:
Thun - Alexander Harland 35 yard pass from Carter Squires (Ryan Monroe kick), 5:56
Second Quarter:
TB - Luis Fierro 70 yard interception return (Miguel Fierro kick), 0:16
Third Quarter:
Thun - Travis Woods 1 yard run (Monroe kick), 7:18
Thun - Monroe 44 yard FG, 5:02
Fourth Quarter:
Thun - Monroe 34 yard FG, 8:26
Thun - Monroe 35 yard FG, 4:56
Thun - Brian Costa 101 yard interception return (Monroe kick)
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