Casa Grande made the trip North from Pinal County Friday night to battle the Peoria Panthers in a rematch of the 2020 4A quarterfinal matchup. The Cougars were victorious in that game. They took Friday’s version in a 35-21 win.
From the first moment both teams ran on the field an hour before kickoff, fans and media alike could feel the tension in the air. Both sides were chirping at one another and once the game began, the intensity was taken to another level.
On the first drive of the game, the Cougars came out running the ball, surprising the Panthers. Junior running back RJ Keeton began his stellar night with four carries, including a 27-yard touchdown. It was his first of three on the night.
The Panthers returned the blow, utilizing their own running game. Behind senior running back Cameron Mack, Peoria gashed the Cougar defense for a touchdown to tie the game at 7-7.
Casa Grande relied on both the arm and legs of senior quarterback Angel on its next drive. He and Keaton led the Cougars down the field, and Flores threw a beautiful jump ball to junior receiver Anthony Flores to take a 14-7 lead heading into the second quarter.
Defensively, after letting the Panthers score on the previous drive, the Cougars would not allow Mack or the Panther offense to get anything going. They forced back-to-back three-and-outs to end the first half, with a rushing touchdown by Flores sprinkled in. The Cougars led 21-7 at halftime.
With the Panthers reeling, and momentum on the Cougars’ side to start the second half, the Panthers switched up their offense and went to the passing game. Quarterback Joshua Holiday connected with speedy star Jeremiah Gossett for a 33 yard touchdown to make it a 21-14 game.
The Cougars were able to respond quickly, with Keeton rushing it in for his second touchdown of the night on a short four play drive to extend the lead back to 14 points.
But the Panthers weren’t done responding yet. They marched right back down the field with Mack and ran it into the end zone for his second touchdown of the night to cut the deficit to 28-21 heading into the fourth quarter.
To open up the fourth quarter, the Panther defense was able to force the Cougar offense to punt. But Peoria’s drive stalled at the 35 yard line, and they were forced to punt back to the Cougars. Flores and Keeton rushed their way back into a two touchdown lead, as Keeton ran it in from 37 yards out making it 35-21 midway through the final quarter.
With one last final chance to get back into the game, the Panthers marched towards midfield to get themselves into position to try and cut the deficit once again. But the Cougars defense was able to force one last stop to allow their offense to run the clock out as they improved to 2-0 on the season.
Top Performers
Casa Grande 2023 RB RJ Keeton
Keeton had 247 yards rushing and three touchdowns on the night. His patience as a runner impressed me as he waited for his offensive line to open up a hole for him to run through. His 9.1 yards per carry average showed his ability to stay on his feet. He would usually force the defense into gang tackling him, as one defender alone wouldn’t usually be able to bring him down.
Casa Grande 2022 QB Angel Flores
Flores might throw one of the prettiest balls I’ve seen in my time around football. Whether it be a lob pass towards the end zone or a screen behind the line of scrimmage, the spiral that would come out of Flores’s hand was beautiful. Flores used his legs more than his arm to punish the Panther defense. He runs physically and the strength he uses allows him to fight for extra yards and extend drives, tiring out the defense in the process. Flores has six division one offers and has the talent to gain more before the end of his senior season.
Peoria 2022 DB/WR Jeremiah Gossett
Gossett showed his athleticism while playing both offense and defense. Gossett had 107 all purpose yards, 8 tackles and a touchdown in the loss. His speed off the line of scrimmage allowed for separation from his first offensive snap of the game. Defensively, he was able to fly around the field and blow plays up on the few times the Cougars would pass.
Peoria 2022 RB Cameron Mack
The phrase that was said by the parents in the stands each time Mack would break off a big play, was the famous title of Mark Morrison’s 1996 hit song, ‘Return of the Mack.’ His two touchdowns and 91 yards helped to keep the Panthers in the game, as his power running style broke through the stout Cougar defense. His ability to keep his feet moving made a big difference in keeping stagnant drives moving forward as the Panthers stayed in the game.
Peoria 2022 LB Richard Cortez
Cortez was flying around the field defensively for the Panthers. It seemed as if he was making a tackle or getting involved in the play every single time. He led both teams with 12 tackles on the night as well as a forced fumble. Cortez also led the Panthers week one with eight tackles in their victory versus Canyon View. Cortez has the potential to be one of the better linebackers in the 4A conference the rest of the season.
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