Gaels rule Southwest

A high-octane offense allowed No. 1 Bishop Gorman to bury opponents all season.

On Friday, the Gaels went to a more conservative gameplan and strangled Western with a suffocating defense.

Gorman (10-0, 6-0 Southwest Division) allowed a touchdown on the opening drive, then blanked the fifth-ranked Warriors (7-2, 5-1) the rest of the way in a 24-6 win at Sam Boyd Stadium. The Gaels won the showdown for the division title to complete a perfect regular season.

"Our defense is very physical," Gorman defensive lineman Justin Chaisson said. "Every single play we were just attacking."

Gorman shut out its previous two opponents and allowed only 84 points in its first nine games.

Western, though, came in averaging 35.5 points and boasts an explosive running game.

The Warriors marched 65 yards after the opening kickoff and scored on a 13-yard pass from J.D. Buonantony to Ryan Patterson. Western didn't run another play from inside the Gaels' 20-yard line until the game's final minute.

"Our defensive line just did a great job," Gorman coach Bob Altshuler said.

Meanwhile, Gorman's offense was content to chew up yards and time. The Gaels scored at least 30 points in each of their first nine games and topped 50 five times.

"We may have been a little conservative at times," Altshuler conceded.

The Gaels got a 25-yard field goal by Mike Levine in the second quarter, capping a 13-play, 39-yard drive.

Gorman took the lead on a 56-yard pass from Dylan Barrera to Keola Antolin midway through the quarter.

Beau Orth stretched the lead to 17-6 late in the third on a 1-yard run to complete a 12-play, 78-yard drive. Antolin added a 6-yard run with 1:50 to play.

• Palo Verde 13, Mojave 12 -- At Mojave, Reggie Powers was stopped short on a go-ahead two-point conversion try with 45 seconds left, and the No. 2 Panthers (10-0, 7-0) held on to beat the No. 8 Rattlers to win the Northwest Division.

After scoring on a 1-yard run, Powers was stopped by four Palo Verde defenders on the two-point try, and the Panthers had their first league championship since 2004.

Palo Verde advanced to play Sierra Vista in the first round of the Sunset Regional.

"Defense wins championships, no doubt about it," Panthers coach Darwin Rost said. "Give credit to Mojave, they made plays in the fourth quarter. However, our guys stepped it up when we had to."

Rost wasn't surprised Mojave (8-2, 5-2) went for two points and the win, rather than kick a tying conversion.

"(Mojave) was at home, and after a missed extra point earlier in the game they wanted to go for the win," he said.

Palo Verde took a 13-0 lead in the first half. The Panthers went 78 yards in 15 plays, capped by a 10-yard run from Tyrone Blake. Alex Bonczyk kicked the point-after. Chaz Thomas ran in from 7 yards to start the second quarter.

In the fourth, a 71-yard run by Mojave's Deandre Taylor's set up Jordan Cannon's short touchdown.

Sidney Hodge led the Panthers with 97 yards on 14 carries, while Thomas added 79 on 23 carries.

Powers had 125 yards on 17 carries for Mojave.

-- Sam Leeper

• Cheyenne 38, Cimarron 28 -- At Cimarron-Memorial, the seventh-ranked Desert Shields (7-2, 6-1 Northwest) recaptured the Duel in the Desert trophy from the 10th-ranked Spartans (6-4, 4-3) for the first time since 2004 after the teams combined for the highest point total in the rivalry's 17-year history.

Both teams qualified for the Sunset Region playoffs. Cheyenne will host the Southwest third seed Spring Valley, while fourth-seeded Cimarron will visit Bishop Gorman.

The offenses dominated the first half. The teams combined for 512 yards of offense and 59 points by halftime, compared to 193 yards and seven points in the second half.

V'son Milton sparked Cheyenne in the first half, rushing for two TDs and catching a TD pass. Cimarron sophomore Stephen Nixon was impressive, rushing for 163 yards and two TDs by halftime.

Cimarron quarterback Joe Zakakis rushed for a 13-yard touchdown early in the fourth to get the Spartans within 38-28. Cimarron's defense forced a fumble on the ensuing possession, but Nixon was stopped on fourth-and-6 at the Cheyenne 30 with 3:40 to go.

-- Jamie Chagnon

• Sierra Vista 48, Durango 14 -- At Durango, Cejay Ceniza scored four touchdowns and intercepted a pass to lead the Lions (3-7, 3-3 Southwest) past the Trailblazers (2-8, 1-5) to clinch the Southwest Division's final playoff berth.

Ceniza caught five passes for 163 yards, including touchdown receptions of 3, 69 and 28 yards. He also returned a punt 40 yards for a score.

Sierra Vista's defense limited Durango to minus-16 rushing yards.

Emir Lopez was 9 of 15 passing for 222 yards and added a 1-yard TD run for the Lions.

Durango's Steven Flores passed for two touchdowns.

-- Gabe Whetten

• Clark 33, Bonanza 26 -- At Bonanza, Octavian Brown ran in from 3 yards with 30 seconds to play, lifting the Chargers (3-7, 2-4 Southwest) over the Bengals (2-8, 0-6).

Bonanza had tied it with two fourth-quarter TDs: a 21-yard run by Marcus Green and then Rakim Lowe's 3-yard run after the Bengals recovered an onside kick.

Clark senior Dimarko Shoulders chalked up 224 yards and touchdowns on runs of 5, 74 and 32 yards. Clark also scored on a 30-yard pass from Anthony Lotta to Aaron Arlt.

Lowe also scored on a 1-yard keeper and Antonio Beals scored on a 2-yard run.

-- Jeff Hoskin

• Centennial 17, Arbor View 15 -- At Arbor View, Colton Pate kicked a 17-yard field goal with 24 seconds to go, and the Bulldogs (6-4, 3-4 Northwest) edged the Aggies (2-8, 0-7).

Centennial recovered a blocked punt at the Arbor View 16 to set up the field goal.

The Bulldogs scored twice in the final 5:21 of the first half to erase Arbor View's 9-0 lead. Tyson Turley's 17-yard catch with three seconds left in the half put Centennial ahead.

Centennial's special teams blocked two extra points and two punts. Chris Henderson finished 11-for-13 for 100 yards and a touchdown.

-- Adam Berchin

• Legacy 26, Shadow Ridge 20 -- At Shadow Ridge, Robert McCoy rushed for 275 yards, including touchdowns of 63 and 30 yards, to lead the Longhorns (2-8, 2-5 Northwest) past the Mustangs (3-7, 1-6).

Legacy linebacker Prince Oroke returned a fumble 52 yards for a touchdown.

Shadow Ridge quarterback Chris Jones passed for 111 yards and a touchdown.

-- Brian Danise

2A PLAYOFFS

• The Meadows 28, Lincoln County 21 -- At The Meadows, Graham Hilts passed for 109 yards and three TDs, including the winner in the second overtime, as the Mustangs (7-3) defeated the Lynx (5-4).

After Lincoln County scored on its first OT possession, Hilts tied the game at 21 with a 12-yard pass to Jonathan Chino on third down, the latter's second score of the game.

In the second OT, The Meadows scored quickly on a screen pass from Hilts to Patrick Kenny. Lincoln County was stopped at the 2-yard line on fourth down on its possession and the Mustangs advanced.

The Meadows took a 14-0 lead in the second quarter on Hilts' TD pass to Chino and Hilts' 1-yard run.

-- Nathan Stuck