Mario Padilla hands off to Bijan Robinson. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365.com)

 

One touch and Bijan Robinson was gone. The Salpointe standout took the first handoff of the night 60 yards down the sidelines to put the Lancers up 7-0 but that wasn’t even the most exciting play of the game. Salpointe (2-0) came away with a 28-21 win over Desert Edge (2-1) on a night when the next play seemed more impressive than the last.

Robinson’s sprint came 10 second into the game and it looked like it signaled a long night for Desert Edge, especially after the Scorpions coughed up the ball on their first drive, but Cliffonte McDowell came up with an interception to put the Scorpions back in business and Kenneth Powell came up with an equalizer on a 37-yard run to tie the game up at 7-7.

Tyler Henry hit Jihad Marks on a 28-yard play to put Desert Edge up 14-7 in the opening moments of the second quarter but Mario Padilla broke through the line on a 61-yard dash to tie the game back up 14-14 with 7:51 left in the half.

Robinson finished with 182 yards rushing and Padilla added 81 but the Lancers fumbled the ball six times (lost four) and Dominic Viliborghi came up with the next big play of the night after the linebacker emerged from a pile with the ball and scampered five yards untouched to put the Scorpions up 21-14 at the half.

"We’re a good team and it comes down to confidence,” Padilla said. “I knew I had to put the team first tonight and I did what I had to do.”

Padilla did what he had to do, and more.

Padilla tied the game up 21-21 on a 17-yard run in the third and the Scorpions had difficulty moving the ball on the ground with consecutive negative 25 and negative 21 yard drives so the team shifted to an air attack. Another Lancer fumble negated one of those defensive stops but Lathan Ransom came up with his first interception of the game to preserve the tie.

Ransom collected his second interception of the night moments later to keep the Lancers in play and Padilla scored on a 4-yard run to put Salpointe up 28-21 with 6:07 left in the game. Then the real game began.

The Lancers took over on downs with 3:44 left but, yes, another fumble put the Scorpions back on the field with 2:10 left. Sticking with the pass, the Scorpions threw away from Ransom but Padilla was on the other side and he picked off a pass to give the Lancers the ball at the 10 with 2:02 left but, you guessed it, another fumble gave the Scorpions new life with 1:53 left at the 19.

Zander Alvarado came up with a huge sack to push Desert Edge back to the 31 and Padilla came up with his second interception with 1:32 left. It was a wild four minutes but the victory formation put an end to anymore thoughts of turnovers and Salpointe pulled out the 28-21 win.

“We’re competitors and we’re made for games like this,” Ransom said on the four interceptions. “It was a crazy game after we scored first but then they came right down our throats,” Ransom added.

Jose Lucero served as an assistant coach when Desert Edge won the Division III state championship in 2015 and he is in his third year at helm after he replaced Rich Wellbrock, who left to lead Basha (now at Mountain Pointe).

“Don’t get me wrong, I love to win but you guys battled your tails off for 48 minutes so keep your heads up,” Lucero said to his team after the game. “You stood up to the second best team in the state and you were noticed. This is going to sting but keep your heads up.”

Powel rushed for 79 yards to lead Desert Edge and Tyler Henry threw for 80 yards. In all, the Lancers put together 289 yards of offense to 226 for Desert Edge but turnovers ruled the night for both teams.

Salpointe hosts El Paso Del Valle (1-0) next week and Desert Edge travels to 5A Millennium for another tough battle. The Tigers came up with a huge 30-27 win at Ironwood Ridge to improve to 2-0. Del Valle finished 10-2 last year and the 5A district champions return with a high-octane offense.

 

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