Desert View is on a 21-1 run dating back to the end of the 2024 season, with the only loss coming to Canyon View at home in the quarterfinal round of the 2025 state playoffs. Since then, the Jaguars have outscored opponents 384-48 for an average of 43-6 every time the team takes the field. Still, even with a 9-0 record, the Jaguars might not have enough power points to stay in the top eight of the 5A Conference to avoid the opening round set for Nov. 6.

Desert View beat Cienega 42-14 Friday night at home to improve to 9-0 on the year and the Jaguars came into the game ranked No. 7 and Cienega (4-5) was ranked No. 25. Desert View will finish the regular season with a game at No. 41 Flowing Wells (4-5) next week which means power points might be hard to come by.

At any rate, the Jaguars are guaranteed in a playoff spot in the 24-team bracket and the team will play any opponent in front of them on the schedule. Scoring at a high rate takes big plays and that’s what happened Friday night against the Bobcats.

Desert View marched down the field on the first drive but the team came up empty on a fourth down play at the five but the team cashed in on the next drive with junior quarterback Andrew Godoy hitting Robert Medrano for 81 yards to put the Jaguars up 7-0 to end the first quarter.

Desmond Dowayee put Desert View up 14-0 on 17-yard run with 7:09 left in the half, Godoy found Anthony Rodarte from 70 yards out to make the score 21-0 with 4:25 left and then Greg McKinstry rushed for seven yards to make the score 28-0 at the half.

Keanu Romero ran in from 70 yards to make it 35-0 with 8:01 left in the third quarter but Cienega put together a drive that was capped off by a 35-yard pass from Clay Brock to Robert Barlette to cut the lead down to 35-7 with 3:21 left in the quarter. Cienega got the ball back on a fumble recovery with Treyson Cruz coming up with a strip-sack and Tatum Jewell recovering the ball. Brock hit Barlette for 59 yards this time to cut the Desert View lead down to 35-14 with 11:32 left in the game.

The Bobcats completed a successful onside kick and Brock just missed on a long pass to Barlette again but the pass was just a few inches too long. Cienega was forced to punt and Dowayee put the game away with a 60-yard punt return. So, instead of a 35-21 deficit with 11 minutes remaining, the Bobcats found themselves down 42-14 with 8:22 left.

Aiden Medina came up with an interception for Desert View down the stretch but the Bobcats got the ball back with a fumble recovery after a long completion with 1:33 left.

Cienega is on the edge of making the state playoffs and the team will host No. 28 Maricopa (603) next Friday with what might be a playoff game in itself depending on how the rankings come out this week.