Whichever team plays Mesa Desert Ridge in the first round of the Class 5A Division I playoffs is going to have its hands full, especially if the Jaguars play the way they did on Friday night.

Desert Ridge stayed calm and collected under fire, recording a 44-22 East Valley Region victory over host Phoenix Mountain Pointe.

There were several outstanding individual efforts for Desert Ridge.

Start with junior quarterback Parker Rasmussen, who completed 13 of 23 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 52 yards and a touchdown.

“He seemed to get better as the game went along,’’ said Desert Ridge coach Jeremy Hathcock.

Rasmussen appears to be able to roll out and take the ball around the end or get himself into a position to throw with equal efficiency.

His favorite target was another junior, Jordan Becerra, who caught seven passes for 71 yards and a TD.

Alex Barrett, a defensive lineman and offensive tackle, suffered a leg injury in the second half but came back to return a screen pass 65 yards for a touchdown with a little more than a minute to play to put the game on ice.

Hathcock’s teams never seem to be out of a game. They play with emotion, but they also know when to dial it down a notch and play under control. That is what could help take the Jaguars a long way.