Christopher Martinez is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Glendale High School for AZPreps365.com

PHOENIX - It was senior night at Greenway on Friday. But Glendale came into the Demons' house and spoiled the pageantry.

Greenway celebrated its faculty members, senior spirit line members, band members cheerleaders and football players in a packed house with a raucous crowd.

This environment was no problem for Glendale as it beat Greenway 33-24 to improve to 5-2 and 2-0 in the 4A Black Canyon Region. 

Greenway (0-7, 0-2) was looking to upset a red hot Cardinals team, which had won three straight.

On a night where scoring came in bunches, senior running back Cristian Lopez's 1-yard touchdown with nine minutes and 24 seconds left in the game gave Glendale a 33-16 lead and helped seal the deal.

Glendale set the tone early when nine minutes into the game, senior wide receiver Armani Mace-rimpel found space on the right side of the field for a 38-yard rushing touchdown to give the Cardinals a 6-0 lead before a blocked PAT.

"We put him (Armani) at the running back position," Glendale head coach Wilber Rivera said. "We got one early, and we needed that one." 

Senior Michael Anguiano found space in the middle of the field for a 43-yard touchdown to give Glendale the 13-0 lead with 4:11 to go in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, junior quarterback Robert Casas' 4-yard rushing touchdown put the Cardinals up 20-0. 

"I was shocked. I got hit. I thought I was gonna fall down, stayed up, and reached the ball over," Casas said. "It's kind of like that Vince Carter moment when he didn't realize he jumped over the guy and he did." 

Casas referenced Carter's famous 2000 Olympic "Dunk of Death," leaping over a 7-foot-2 center. 

In the following drive, junior linebacker Gustavo Hernandez earned an interception to give the ball back to the Cardinals. Glendale capitalized with a field goal to put the lead to 23-0.

After the Cardinals got the ball back with 2:15 left until halftime, senior kicker Baudel Barnett's 36-yard field goal with time expiring gave Glendale a 26-0 lead.

Despite giving up a pick six in the third quarter that put the score within 10, Casas helped the Cardinals build and hold on to their lead.

"Just minor drawbacks, major comebacks," Casas said. "You can't let one mistake dictate how you're going to play the rest of the game or how you're going to live the rest of your life. You've got to change things up and believe in your players."

Greenway senior Isaiah Gutierrez's interception returned for a touchdown was a sign that momentum had swung into the Demons' favor.

When senior running back Nick Saint previously gashed Glendale's defense up the middle for an 8-yard touchdown, senior quarterback Aiden Fernandez scored on a quarterback sneak that put Greenway on the board 26-8.

All 24 of the Demons' points were scored after the start of the third quarter. 

"We made some changes at the half, and defensively, we played well in spurts," Greenway head coach John Morgando said. "It kind of got us back into the game a little bit. It gave us a little bit of juice to finish the half strong." 

The senior players of Greenway with their families. (Christopher Martinez/AZPreps365)Despite the loss, Morgando said he was proud of the way his team was able to compete hard on a night like senior night with emotions running high. 

"You couldn't ask for a better group of kids," Morgando said. "They just kind of keep playing hard, and they give what they've got."

This regional rivalry saw the Demons win the last two matchups by scores of 27-23 on Oct. 10, 2025, and on Oct. 11 2024 when Greenway won 28-7 in dominant fashion.

Although academically the students are on fall break, the work doesn't stop. Both teams play region games on the road on Oct. 16.

Greenway goes to Moon Valley to take on the Rockets, and Glendale goes to Marcos de Niza to face the Padres. "It's important our guys understand the culture we're trying to build," Rivera said. "Understanding the game that the X's and O's will come when we do the little things right."