Seton coach Gary Galante praises his team after its sixth win in a row - this one over MDN (AzPreps365 photo)

 

The gradual rise in Seton Catholic football over the last nearly three seasons continued Friday night as the Sentinels used  two ouchdowns 17 seconds apart late in the second period as a springboard to a 29-22 victory over Marcos de Niza at Vic Sanchez Stadium.

Seton (7-1 overall and 2-0 in the 4A Desert Sky Region) won its sixth game in a row with junior quarterback Vincent Wallace supplying the goods on offense with two touchdown passes and two touchdown runs. Seton was No. 7 this week in the 4A power rankings while Marcos de Niza (4-4, 1-1) was No. 11.

"This was a good game for us, a great game for our kids," Seton coach Gary Galante said. "We kind of have a David mentality, and have to bring our rocks."

 Seton was 2-8 in Galante's first year in 2015 when the cupboard was rather empty after some big-time seasons. Seton ramped up to 4-6 last year and is on the brink of a possible region-title showdown with Higley the final week of the season.

Seton had to fight off Marcos de Niza in the final nine minutes after it bumped its lead to 29-15 with 9:44 to go. Marcos drove 65 yards in eight plays to cut the margin to 29-22 on Arthur Morgan's 2-yard run with 5:07 left.

Seton had ideas of running out the clock the final five minutes as it slowed its up-tempo offense to milk the clock. The Sentinels registered one first down and Marcos was out of time outs by the time the Padres got the ball back with just more than one minute left at their 40. Marcos picked up one first down, but time and real estate ran out on the final play with a desperation pass from midfield falling incomplete around the 5-yard line.

In a game that see-sawed throughout the first half, Seton produced consecutive scores in the final two minutes of the second quarter to gain control. Wallace, who tossed a 10-yard TD pass to junior Jacob Hansell for Seton's first TD in the second quarter, ran for his first with 2:21 left to the half to put Seton in front for good, 16-12. 

The game's only turnover -- a strip-sack fumble caused by 6-foot-5, 200-pound Jacob Hansell -- led to a TD on the next play. Wallace connected with Jacob Hansell's younger brother, 6-3 sophomore Josh, for a 25-yard TD to make it 22-12 with 36 seconds to intermission.

Wallace, who scored his final TD and what proved to be the decisive score on a 1-yard run early in the fourth period, completed 17 of 20 passes for 240 yards. He added 56 yards rushing, -- 50 in the first half.

Marcos de Niza's offense was sparked by elusive senior quarterback Marcos Moreno and sophomore running back Yakeen Baylis. Baylis enjoyed a better first half with 66 yards rushing and one short TD run. He was stymied for 19 yards on eight rushes in the second half. Moreno checked in with 34 yards rushing, and a TD run the first 24 minutes.

Moreno broke tackles and eluded sacks often except when Jacob Hansell knocked the ball from Moreno from behind to set up what turned out to be a pivotal score before the half. Moreno finished with 71 yards rushing on 12 carries and passed for 166 yards. 

Seton takes on Casa Grande in the third of its four region games next week while Marcos de Niza plays host to region co-leader Higley.