Jeffrey Foote is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover ALA-Queen Creek for AZPreps365.com

QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. - When ALA-Queen Creek opened their season with a 1-5 start, the year looked like it was already slipping away. Now, after two straight region wins, the Patriots are back in the race for the 6A Southeast region, and on Friday, they face the team standing in their way.

The Patriots (3-5) travel to Queen Creek with first place in the region on the line. A win over the region-leading Bulldogs would put ALA-Queen Creek in a tie for first place, along with the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Patriots would also be one game up in the win column on the only team in the region to beat them this season, the Corona del Sol Aztecs.

A win Friday would help towards completing a mid-season turnaround that began  with a 35-22 win over Casteel on Oct. 16 and then followed with a 38-13 domination of Desert Vista on Oct. 23.

“We finally gained some confidence,” head coach Rich Edwards said. “We stopped committing turnovers, the players are playing with a greater sense of urgency.”

That sense of urgency likely stemmed  from the harsh reality that, after a slow start to the season, the Patriots found themselves  with no room for error, creating playoff-like pressure before the postseason.

“Our mindset is that we have to go into this as a playoff game,” he said. “We have dug ourselves a hole and we are the only ones who can climb out of it. We cannot afford to lose another game, and the next two games have to be playoff games for us.”

These high stakes are nothing new to the players who were on the team last season. The Patriots also opened with  a 1-5 record last year before winning five of their final seven games to win the region and make a run in the playoffs. 

Senior Quarterback Cody Lalama, who was on the team last season, said this team is feeling that same energy.

“Kind of just like, all right, the second half has to be a win or go home type of vibe,” Lalama said. “For us, we want every game from now on. If we don’t win the game, we’re not making the playoffs. So every game has to be a win.”

That kind of mindset has shifted the locker room.

“I would say the mood is definitely more serious,” he said. “I think they kind of understand the fact that, if we don’t make the playoffs, we’re done in November instead of playing after Thanksgiving, so everyone kind of put the switch on a little bit.”

Receiver Icey McGowan, who transferred to the Patriots in the off-season, said the team's turnaround came from a simple change in mentality.

“What has clicked is we just got tired of losing,” McGowan said. “We’ve been through it all, and we faced so much adversity. Now that we've faced the toughest teams in the state, now that we're facing not as strong teams, we basically got our confidence back. And now that we have our confidence back, we really think we are going to beat Queen Creek this weekend.”

Assistant athletic director James Verenski, who called the team “battle- tested” earlier this season, said that the two straight wins in the region have proven that label true. The Patriots started the season with one of the toughest schedules in the state, facing Chandler, Liberty, Centennial and Lehi of Utah, teams that all rank top 10 in their respective states. The experiences have mentally prepared the Patriots  for moments like these.

“I believe our last two region wins are a reflection of just how battle-tested this team has become," Verenski said. “When you face teams like Chandler, Liberty, Centennial and Lehi in Utah, those experiences challenge you both physically, and mentally, but more importantly, they help you grow schematically and prepare you for a variety of situations.”

However, Verenski cautioned that experience alone is not enough to win you games.

“Being battle-tested doesn't automatically win football games," he said. "At the end of the day, it still comes down to playing good, sound, fundamental football. We have to execute our assignments, communicate, tackle, eliminate mistakes, and do the little things right.”

For Edwards, Friday’s game carries weight that goes beyond the regional standings. Queen Creek is a rival, and a win would be a statement.

“It would mean a great deal,” Edwards said. “Queen Creek is a good team, they are in first place for a reason, they are a cross-town rival. So this would be a big one for us.”

Lalama put it simply.

“This is our biggest game of the year,” he said. “They're already talking smack to us, so we just gotta go there and smack them in the mouth like every year.”