Zach Bradshaw is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover XYZ High School for AZPreps365.com.

The Pusch Ridge Christian Academy Lions hosted the Valley Christian High School Trojans Friday in a battle of 6-1 teams fighting for playoff positioning in the 3A Conference.

The contest initially seemed like a “Goliath versus Goliath” matchup, with the Lions and Trojans being ranked 2nd and 5th in the 3A Conference, respectively. The high-powered Pusch Ridge offense, however, proved itself superior, leading the team to a 52-20 win.

Led by junior quarterback Bubba Mustain, the Lions scored 45 points offensively in the first three quarters of the game. Mustain, who had a season average quarterback rating of 131.3 entering the game, added to an impressive resume by throwing two touchdowns and no interceptions. He now has a season statline of 21 touchdown passes against just two interceptions.

“Bubba is a tremendous athlete,” said Pusch Ridge head coach Kent Middleton. “He’s intelligent, he understands plays, [...] he can extend plays and hurt you on the ground with his feet.”

Mustain, to accompany the pair of touchdown throws, ran for another touchdown. He presents a dual threat, said Middleton, because opposing defenses can’t predict if he will run for the sticks or step back to pass.

On more occasions than one, the Trojans defense would break through the Lions offensive line on a blitz, and players would rush toward Mustain at full speed. Normally, that type of pressure would lead a quarterback to make a bad decision. But not in Mustain’s case. On a 3rd-and-10 early in the third quarter, Mustain felt the heat from two Trojan backs breaking through the line. Instead of throwing the ball away or taking a sack, Mustain stepped back two steps and floated the ball to running back Brysen Barrios, who found space to rush forward and pick up the first down.

Mustain’s consistent efforts in the game didn’t go unnoticed.

“He’s really good in the pocket,” said offensive coach Brent Bartz. “He feels pressure, moves out and runs when he needs to, finds receivers, and is patient. He has a great command of our offense.”

Mustain wasn’t the only player Bartz praised after the game, however. The pair of running backs Barrios and Abraham Grajeda were absolutely dominant. Barrios scored touchdowns in three carries in the first half, including an 80-yard house call on the Lions’ first play from scrimmage. Grajeda became a facilitator in the second half, helping Mustain escape from multiple 3rd-and-long situations with crafty routes.

Middleton went as far as to say the two running backs formed a “two-headed monster” that gives the Lions many options on offense.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Bartz said of coaching an offensive juggernaut like Pusch Ridge. “We have really good receivers and two great running backs, and obviously a great quarterback. We can score and do a lot on offense which makes it fun to see everything work.”

On the defensive side of the ball, the Lions were a dominant force against the fast-paced Valley Christian offense. They held the Trojans to under 100 yards rushing and only gave up one play of 30 or more yards. The Trojans, who had averaged 50.0 points per game across their first seven games, had a tough time moving the sticks because of quick pressure the Lions’ defensive lion put quarterback Hunter Heeringa. Lions cornerbacks also covered the field like a blanket. Cornerback Bryce Jewell even picked off one of Heeringa’s third quarter pass attempts and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown.

“We really showed up to this game,” Middleton said of the Lions’ defense. “We are really starting to flex our muscles.”

One defender, in particular, had Middleton’s praise after the game. Will May, a senior defensive end, sacked Heeringa multiple times and even batted one of his passes. Middleton said May is forming into a player that opposing offenses must scheme around and account for because of his strength on the line.

Even the kicking game was strong, as kicker Tyler Nolan nailed all seven of his extra point attempts as well as an 8-yard field goal before half.

For the Trojans, the final score may not look great. But there were numerous points of emphasis that may give the team hope as the regular season winds down to an end.

For starters, the defense stood strong for much of the first quarter. The Trojans held the Lions to score only twice in their first five drives. The Trojans even forced a fumble on the Lions’ second possession, setting up Valley Christian to tie the game at seven in the first quarter.

Offensively, Heeringa threw two touchdowns against just one interception. On the team’s first drive, Heeringa floated a 30-yard pass to a double-covered Ethan Heinrich to move the ball down the field. On the same drive, Heeringa again found Heinrich on an in-route that scored the team’s first touchdown of the game.

“Our quick passing game was taken away and it was tough to run the ball,” Valley Christian head coach Jake Petersen said. “When a team takes away one of your advantages, you have to find new ways to win the game.”

Petersen said the Trojans and the Lions actually run similar offenses in that both are first choice RPO (run pass option) where the quarterback is required to make many pre-snap reads. Petersen, though he recognizes the Lions’ dominant offensive night, praised his players for their effort the whole game and said the team will need to work hard in practice to prepare for the playoffs.

The Trojan defense had a lot to cover, between Mustain, Barrios, Grajeda, and the receiving corps. Nonetheless, the Trojans' defense made splash plays to slow down the Lions’ offense. On a second down early in the second quarter, the Trojans sent a blitz Mustain’s way, and it was all Mustain could do but take a sack as both Silas Venberg and Grant Vance converged on the quarterback, creating a loss of 10.

In the end, it was the Lions coming out on top and improving to a 7-1 record. They play next against 2-6 Palo Verde. The Trojans drop to a 6-2 record and will play against 4-4 Arizona Lutheran.

As the playoffs near, be on the lookout for these two teams to be near the top of the rankings. Both have two top-tier quarterbacks and highly dangerous offenses. It wouldn’t be surprising if these two teams even met up once again in the postseason.