Jabari Hinson is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Mountain View (Mesa) for AZPreps365.com

MESA — After the assertive win over Queen Creek in Week 6, Mountain View coach Andy Litten left with one remark: “We're going to try to win and bring back the Brown Road Trophy.”

Litten left Friday night’s overtime victory over Red Mountain a man of his word. 

There’s no denying that there is no love lost between bitter rivals Mountain View (5-2, 1-0 6A-East Valley) and Red Mountain (4-3, 1-1 6A-East Valley), with this year’s game proving no different. The Brown Road Rivalry game brought all the intensity from the opening kick of the ball and lasted the entire 48-plus minutes of the Toros’ 28-27 victory. 

After the Mountain Lions got into the end zone to tie the game at 21 a piece with no time left in regulation, they were able to respond to a Toro touchdown once again in overtime to make it a 28-27 game. However, the ambitious Mountain Lions went for the victory instead of playing more football. 

In a game of successful gambles, it proved to be the most costly one. The Toros’ defense broke through the Red Mountain offensive line and came up with the clutch 2-point conversion denial to seal the victory. 

From the pregame clashes at midfield to the big hits throughout, the latest rendition of this historic rivalry lived up to all of the hype. 

It was the Mountain View defense that proved to be decisive in this back-and-forth affair, with many clutch stops on third and fourth downs to shift momentum back in its favor. 

“This is so special,” linebacker Preston Patterson said. “We’ve got more heart, and that’s the truth. They came out talking, saying they had more heart than us.

“They don’t got more heart than Toro football, I can promise you that.”

With the Toro offense not able to get going in the first quarter, the defense was able to get to Red Mountain’s 6-foot-5-inch quarterback Dayne Silver and force a couple of fumbles to give their offense the extra push.

“Our guys were great—they kept coming, and it made the difference,” Litten said. “I give their quarterback credit—he took some licks but would get up and make some plays.”

The biggest momentum shift of the game came early in the second quarter as Red Mountain was putting together another solid drive, making it down to the Mountain View’s 43-yard line. 

The Toro defense forced a fumble, and Patterson was the one to scoop it up and run it back down inside the red zone to set up their offense in prime scoring position.

The Toros used the advantageous field position to punch the ball into the end zone with an 8-yard run by Coy Bodily. Right after, Litten took an early but successful gamble. As Mountain View converted a fake extra-point attempt by strong safety and placeholder Kash Skousen to bump ahead 8-7 with just over eight minutes in the quarter.

That cleverness and risk-taking would go on to be the big X-factor for the Toro offense. Moving the chains on multiple fourth downs, they would add another touchdown with less than 10 seconds in the first half to push ahead 15-7.

Senior wide receiver Vinny Uriarte, in particular, was at the center of some high-IQ plays.

Uriarte (#12, left) and wide receiver Teo Weeks (#6, right) come off the field after making big plays that helped put the Toros up 15-7 at halftime of Mountain View’s 28-27 victory Friday night. Photo: Jabari Hinson

“Vinny works his tail off,” Litten said. “When the ball comes his way, he makes plays.

“He’s not a greedy kid—he blocks downfield, and he does his job.”

There were multiple instances where quarterback Brayden Merwin found himself outside the pocket looking downfield for a pass. Uriarte made sure he was an option, earning himself a 2-yard receiving touchdown right before halftime. 

“I trust my quarterback,” Uriarte said. “I know where he wants me to be, and I’m in the right spot at the right time—I make sure to make the right play.”

After many defensive stops in the third quarter and a 1-yard Brayden Merwin rushing touchdown to begin the fourth, it had looked like the Toros were on their way to victory, sitting pretty up 21-7.

Merwin (#2, right-center in the air) celebrates with Preston Patterson (#7) after extending their lead to 21-7 early on in the fourth quarter.  Photo: Jabari Hinson

Then the reality check came, as Red Mountain would go on to score and inch closer behind a 1-yard Dayne Silver rushing touchdown to make it a 21-14 game. 

Then in the final minute of the game, Red Mountain would get the ball back with all the momentum in its favor. A long scramble by the towering Silver put the Mountain Lions in the red zone with under 30 seconds in regulation.

Alongside the reality check, the late-game chaos followed. 

Silver completed a pass to his receiver who made it all the way down to Mountain View’s 1-yard line as the clock hit zero. The Toros’ sideline celebrated, thinking they had secured victory. 

Not. So. Fast.

A flag was thrown for roughing the passer on Mountain View, giving Red Mountain the chance to score with an untimed down at the 1-yard line to tie the game. 

Silver punched it in with a 1-yard quarterback sneak to level the game at 21 a piece.

An absolute ball game.

Merwin (#2), Uriarte (#12) and Weeks (#6) eagerly watch on as Red Mountain gear up to send the game into overtime. Photo: Jabari Hinson

Having been in a similar situation like this just a couple of weeks before against Mesa, the Toros were unfazed by the high-stakes situation.

“We’re battle-tested,” Patterson said. “We’ve had a really tough schedule; we’ve been in the crap of things, but we know how to come back through that adversity, and that’s what makes us different.”

Only this time, it was overtime.

A 1-yard run by Brayden Merwin on fourth-and-goal punched in the first touchdown of the overtime to push the Toros up 28-21. But victory wasn’t guaranteed yet, as the Toro defense needed to do what they had been doing all game. One more clutch stop. 

After the Mountain Lions scored to make it a 28-27 game, they lined up to go for two and the win.

The Toros’ defense broke through and made the biggest play of the game, denying the Mountain Lions two points and securing their triumph.

“We’re used to it,” Litten said. “We’ve been in that situation before, and when it mattered most, we made the plays.”

Coach Andy Litten holds up the Brown Road Trophy after the 28-27 heart attack overtime victory. Photo: Jabari Hinson

Litten said he has no plans for complacency with the Toros at 5-2 heading into the back end of their season.

“I told the guys that we celebrate tonight, but it's on to Casteel tomorrow morning.

“We’re not done yet.”

Mountain View will look to build upon its three-game winning streak against 1-6 Casteel next time out. As for Red Mountain, it falls to 1-1 in regional play and 4-3 on the season. The Mountain Lions will look to capitalize and get back on track against 1-7 Gilbert next week.