WEEKLY BLOG: 9/14/18

After a wild first half full of big plays, it was Saguaro that continued to deliver them in the game's last 24 minutes.

Led by running back Israel Benjamin, the Sabercats rallied from an early 14-point hole to defeat Chaparral. Benjamin had a pair of long touchdown runs (28 and 26 yards) in the second half of Saguaro's 45-37 victory over the Firebirds.

"We didn't play well early," Saguaro head coach Jason Mohns said. "Our offense ran the ball well and kept us around."

Chaparral (3-1) scored on its fifth play of the game as junior Darvon Hubbard took a handoff, cut left, and broke free for a 53-yard touchdown. A sack by Oliver Carras led to a punt on the Sabercats' first possession. Just one play later, the Firebirds were in the end zone again as junior Deavon Crawford sprinted past the safeties and with no one is coverage was wide open and took off down the left sideline for a 14-0 lead.

The Firebirds continued that momentum ending a sure-scoring attempt by SHS as Benjamin had the ball stripped from him at the 2-yard line by Braxen Tessler. Christian Bower dove on the loose ball in the end zone to give Chaparral the touchback.

Saguaro got on the board late in the first quarter on a pass from Junior Tyler Beverett to Matt Polk in the back corner of the end zone. It was the 10th of the season for Beverett, who would add two more before halftime.

It was explosive play after explosive play in the second quarter. A 47-yard pass from Jack Miller to Tommy Christakos set up a short 1-yard touchdown run from Hubbard. But back came Saguaro with a 42-yard pass from Beverett to Polk immediately followed by a 42-yard touchdown run by Benjamin.

Hubbard had another long run after taking a direct snap (37 yards), but went down and was helped off the field putting no pressure on his ankle. The Ohio State commit went to the trainer's table and did not return to the game. He finished with 114 yards on just nine carries.

Tommy Christakos boomed a 48-yard field goal to put the Firebirds up 10, but that lasted less than 20 seconds, because Beverett tossed a screen pass to Connor Soelle, who cut all the way across the field and took it 80 yards to the house.

Replacing Hubbard was sophomore Jared Williams, and once he had some open room, he turned on the jets and went 54-yards for a touchdown to put Chaparral up 31-20. Late in the half, Beverett found Will Shaffer all alone in the left corner of the end zone. A successful two-point play made the score 31-28 at the half.

"Jared did a great job," Chaparral head coach Brent Barnes said. "He's playing both ways (starter on defense). He did a great job filling in."

Williams finished the night with 142 yards on 11 carries.

The first half alone featured 795 total yards of offense (403-392 in favor of Saguaro). Each side also had 85 yards in penalties with several being personal fouls.

Benjamin gave Saguaro (4-1) its first lead in the third quarter on a shifty run that started on the left side and finished all the way on the opposite sideline as he crossed the goal line. He said it was instincts that took over.

"It was seeing what the defense gives me and trying to make a play off of that," Benjamin said.

After all of its success in the first half, Chaparral failed to score on its first three possessions in the second half. The first of those ended on downs as Nate Polk broke up a pass on fourth-and-three from the 17-yard line.

Early in the fourth quarter, Benjamin gave Saguaro a cushion, which it would need, as he blew through a hole by the Sabercat linemen for his third score of the game, and sixth of the season.

"They were blitzing a lot, and our offensive line did a great job of picking that up," Benjamin said. "They gave me a lot of run lanes."

Miller threw for 320 yards, but was intercepted twice. The second of those came midway through the fourth quarter by Shaffer, who also plays middle linebacker.

"We were playing deep middle," Shaffer said. "I'm the Mike backer. I had to read his eyes and just go make a play."

Shaffer said the team prepared for the deep cross with Christakos.

Chaparral had to contend with long fields all night with the powerful kicking of Parker Lewis. Of the Firebirds' 12 drives in the game, 11 of them began at or inside of their own 20-yard line.

Miller led CHS 80 yards quickly down the field scoring with just over two minutes remaining on a pass down the middle to Jack Helsten. However, the onside kick wasn't recovered and after Soelle rushed for a first down, Saguaro was able to run out most of the clock - closing out the scoring with a 52-yard field goal by Lewis.

It was a night in which each team overcame adversity. Saguaro by rallying from a 31-20 deficit and Chaparral for responding after losing its top running back. Both sides were packed in a facility that has a very large seating capacity.

This also marked the first meeting between the longtime rivals since 2014, meaning it was every player's first rivalry game on varsity.

"We were hyped up all week," Benjamin said. "We had to make sure we maintained composure and stayed strong throughout the week."

Off the field, Benjamin carries a GPA of 4.7, takes four advanced placement classes, and his favorite subject is world history.

With Saguaro in 4A and Chaparral in 6A, the two schools had to come together to arrange the game.

"This game is important to people," Mohns said. "I've heard from so many people that were excited this game was back on."

Saguaro will host Arcadia (5-0) next Friday. The Titans trailed Shadow Mountain at the half, but rallied to stay perfect a year after finishing 0-10.

Chaparral will play at home against Mountain Ridge (0-5). The Mountain Lions have struggled giving the Firebirds a chance to bounce back after this one. Still, there were many positives to take away from this one for the visitors.

"We played a really good game against a really good team," Barnes said. "I feel good about how our guys laid it on the line and fought their guts out."

How even were the final numbers? My (unofficial) totals had Chaparral with 562 yards (330 passing) and Saguaro with 598 (358 passing).

First Quarter:
Chap - Darvon Hubbard 53 yard run (Tommy Christakos kick), 10:37
Chap - Deavon Crawford 83 yard pass from Jack Miller (Christakos kick), 7:35
Sag - Matt Polk 20 yard pass from Tyler Beverett (Parker Lewis kick), 1:37
Second Quarter:
Chap - Hubbard 1 yard run (Christakos kick), 11:11
Sag - Israel Benjamin 42 yard run (Lewis kick), 10:05
Chap - Christakos 48 yard FG, 8:11
Sag - Connor Soelle 80 yard pass from Beverett (kick failed), 7:53
Chap - Jared Williams 54 yard run (Christakos kick), 3:44
Sag - Will Shaffer 8 yard pass from Beverett (Brayden Green pass from Beverett), 1:20
Third Quarter:
Sag - Benjamin 28 yard run (Lewis kick), 4:59
Fourth Quarter:
Sag - Benjamin 26 yard run (Lewis kick), 10:44
Chap - Jack Helsten 25 yard pass from Miller (pass failed), 2:19
Sag - Lewis 52 yard FG, 0:12