Dylan Wolfswinkel is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Mesa High School for AZPreps365.com  

MESA, Ariz. - Mesa’s slow start proved costly Friday night as the Jackrabbits lost 45-21 at home to Basha.

Mesa’s offensive struggles continued a pattern of sluggish starts that could end up complicating the Jackrabbits’ pursuit of an Open Division playoff spot. Their first two drives combined for a total of minus-29 yards, giving the Bears favorable field position and an early advantage over the Jackrabbits.

Basha capitalized on great field position and went up on Mesa 14-0 with just six minutes remaining in the first quarter. Running back Noah Roberts scored both touchdowns for the Bears as the Jackrabbits struggled to slow him down.

“Short fields,” Basha head coach Chris McDonald said. “The percentage of scoring when you have a short field grows astronomically.”

Mesa responded to the Bears’ 21-0 lead with a pair of its own touchdowns: a rushing touchdown by Lance Briggs Jr. and a sideline catch in the back of the end zone as time expired before halftime by Kingston Anetema. 

Going into halftime, the Bears led 28-14 but the Jackrabbits had a chance to build on that first-half momentum.

The Jackrabbits appeared to have found the answer for Basha’s explosive offense by holding them to a fourth-and-2 situation. However, an encroachment penalty gave the Bears another opportunity to extend their drive, ending with another rushing touchdown by Roberts. 

"Just discipline,” Mesa head coach Ryan Felker said. “We do it every day in practice, and we just (have) to do a better job.”

Basha scored again in similar fashion with a rushing touchdown by quarterback Jake Rogers, giving the Bears a 42-14 advantage at the end of the third quarter.

Mesa wasn’t done yet, as Anetema broke free on a screen pass for a 37-yard score .It, however, couldn’t spark a comeback for the Jackrabbits as Basha ran out the clock to secure a 45-21 win.

Despite the loss, Anetema had a standout performance with two receiving touchdowns and 152 receiving yards. The senior is currently leading the Southern Region in receiving yards with 786.

The Bears decision to lean on Roberts proved to be the right call, as he finished the night with four touchdowns in an explosive offensive showing.

“He’s got a bright future ahead of him,” McDonald said. “He’s had nine (touchdowns) in the last three games.”

Rogers finished the night with 293 passing yards and two touchdowns, one through the air and another on the ground. He credited his offensive line for protecting him all night.

“Zero sacks tonight,” Rogers said. “You can’t ask for much more as a quarterback.”

Basha (5-2, 2-0 region) will head back home as it begins to prepare for its last non-region game of the season against a 5-2 Brophy squad. 

“That’s a talented team over there,” McDonald said. “The scoreboard will take care of itself if we take care of Monday through Thursday.”

On the other end, Mesa (3-4,1-1 region) will look to bounce back against rival Westwood (3-4, 0-2 region) in its third region game of the season. Senior quarterback Derek Carr said the team is going to use this loss as a learning opportunity.

“We watch film to see our mistakes, it’s for the better,” Carr said. “It’s adversity, we just get better.”