Colgin Hirschel is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Queen Creek High School for AZPreps365.com.

QUEEN CREEK -- Queen Creek football showed up and showed out for head coach Travis Schureman in an emotional victory against the Red Mountain Mountain Lions for the Bulldogs.

After the game, Schureman spoke to his team, congratulating them on the win, and shared why this game meant so much to him. 

His grandmother passed away at the age of 94.

“My grandmother loved watching you guys play,” Schureman said to his team in the postgame huddle. “That’s a testament to the love that you have from all of us.”

The sophomores for Queen Creek led the team to a 30-22 victory Friday night.

Entering Friday’s game, quarterback Sawyer Hales had yet to complete a start without an interception. That changed against Red Mountain, as the second-year quarterback threw for 127 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover.

“This is definitely my most favorite win,” Hales said. “I’m proud of myself for making smart decisions and putting us in good positions.”

Queen Creek sophomore quarterback Sawyer Hales on the sideline pregame. (AZPreps365/ Colgin Hirschel)

Alongside Hales, sophomore Colton Cox also performed well for the Bulldogs. Cox intercepted Red Mountain’s senior quarterback Dominic Carmigiano twice and recovered a fumble for Queen Creek. 

Another interception and fumble recovery from the Bulldogs totaled 23 defensive takeaways on the season. It marked the fifth time this season the Bulldogs have forced two or more turnovers in a game.

“We executed at a high level tonight and had a hell of a week at practice,” defensive coordinator Scott Howard said. “They really believed in themselves, and this is the team we knew we could be.”

Senior Bear Fisher recovered the second fumble, scooping up the ball after a strip sack on Carmigiano and returned it 71 yards to the house to seal the win for Queen Creek.

Fisher caught four passes for 48 yards in addition to the defensive touchdown.

Special teams were also special on Friday for Schureman’s side. On the first drive of the second half, Queen Creek was forced to send out sophomore Israel Carmona to kick it away.

Red Mountain fumbled the ball on the return, which led to sophomore Ty Hill picking up the ball and continuing the Bulldogs’ drive. Hales would complete the possession with a passing touchdown to senior wide receiver Yanniv Djassa.

On the following possession, the Mountain Lions were backed up to their own seven-yard line and were forced to punt. Two-way athlete Lachlan Geier, and it rolled out of the end zone for a safety. 

“Sometimes people don’t take all that seriously, but that’s a big part of what we do,” Schureman said.

This win over Red Mountain marked the third straight victory for Queen Creek, a matchup known for its fireworks.

Last season, the Bulldogs took down the 7-0 Mountain Lions 28-23 at home, prompting a field rush in Queen Creek. For Red Mountain, it would see three more losses and drop out of the Open Division Championship before losing in the first round of the 6A playoffs.

In 2025, the Mountain Lions entered as the No. 5 team in the 6A Division, and the loss to Queen Creek could hurt Red Mountain’s chances in the Open Division Championship for a second straight year.

For the Bulldogs, this win could give them another opportunity to play in front of their home crowd.