Tucson High (1-2) gets its first win of the season, 27-16 in a gritty defensive battle over Walden Grove (1-2).
"Going 0-2 the first two weeks was not the best feeling, and we know we could produce better games, so we knew coming out here and getting that win felt good as a team," senior wide receiver Noah Chanez said.
Things weren't clicking for Tucson High's offense in the first half. On their first drive, senior quarterback Derek Mesa threw an interception to senior linebacker Angel Armenta, setting up Walden Grove at Tucson High's 30-yard line.
The Tucson High defense wouldn't allow the Mesa interception to hurt them. On a third-and-long, senior linebacker Dominic Drow and senior defensive tackle Taysean Romero combined for a sack of junior quarterback Gauge Abalos, forcing Walden Grove to punt instead of attempting a field goal.
Tucson High's second drive reached midfield before Walden Grove's defense stopped senior running back Makoa Pena on fourth down. Walden Grove took advantage of the field position when Abalos found junior wide receiver Jordan Dobson for a 35-yard touchdown, giving the Red Wolves a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, Walden Grove attempted a fake punt, but Tucson High's special teams sniffed it out and took over at the Red Wolves' 36-yard line. Noah Chanez sparked the drive with an 18-yard run before the Badgers appeared ready to settle for a field goal. Instead, Tucson High called a fake, with Chanez weaving across the field to pick up the first down. A few plays later, Pena punched in a touchdown to tie the game.
Walden Grove answered by pounding the football before Abalos connected with senior wide receiver Kylian Knight for a 29-yard touchdown. Tucson High couldn't answer before halftime, as Walden Grove controlled all three phases of the game and took a 13-7 lead into the locker room.
Both defenses continued to battle in the second half. After blocking a Tucson High punt deep in Badger territory, Walden Grove looked ready to pull away. Instead, Tucson's defense forced a field goal, keeping the deficit at 16-7.
As the third quarter came to a close, the Badgers' offense finally found its rhythm. Mesa connected with Chanez on a short pass that turned into a 51-yard gain thanks to Chanez's speed and agility. One play into the fourth quarter, Mesa kept the ball himself and raced 30 yards for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to two points.
Tucson High's defense came through again with another stop, giving the offense a chance to take the lead. Facing fourth-and-two, Mesa floated a pass to Chanez, who beat his defender for a 55-yard touchdown that gave Tucson High its first lead of the night with just over eight minutes remaining.
"Derek Mesa does a great job. He sees that they're blitzing, calls the hot, Noah's one-on-one with a linebacker. I'll take Noah Chanez all day one-on-one over a linebacker," Tucson High head coach Zach Neveleff said.
Walden Grove attempted to answer, but senior cornerback Kenzy Couch broke up a fourth-down pass to give the Badgers the football one more time.
To seal Tucson High's first victory of the season, Mesa handed the ball to Chanez, who sprinted 65 yards for the game's final touchdown.
"I kept telling them to stay focused on the main goal, which is always to have more points on that board. The first half, they had more, but you just got to keep going and fighting. At the end of the day, we were able to put up more," Chanez said.
Tucson High will look to build off its first win next week when it travels to Sierra Vista to face Buena. Walden Grove will also be on the road, taking on Vista Grande in Casa Grande.
Both games kick off Friday at 7:00 p.m.