SCOTTSDALE — It was a rough night for Marana Mountain View on Thursday night, as the Mountain Lions were shut out by the Desert Mountain Wolves on the road. In a 42-0 loss, the Mountain Lion offense struggled to find a rhythm, while the defense did its best to slow down a red-hot Wolves team.
“We had a lot of communication errors on the line,” Coach Matt Johnson said. “We knew they were a fast, strong team. … This is why you schedule great teams, is so that you get exposed and you learn, and your kids learn what they’ve got to get better at. They certainly did a lot of great things to us, and we’ve got to get better.”
Mountain View (2-1) got the ball to start the game, but a quick three-and-out put the ball in the hands of Desert Mountain with 9:13 still remaining in the first quarter. It took Desert Mountain only four snaps to reach the end zone, finishing off the drive with a 28-yard touchdown run by Ryan Cratty. The extra point attempt by Koen Bradley was good, making it 7-0 Desert Mountain.
After another quick three-and-out for Mountain View’s offense, punting the ball back to Desert Mountain. Defense was able to get a takeaway for the Mountain Lions, though, as Nicholas Franco Jr was able to read the pass and come down with an interception.
“I think Mr. Consistent is Nico Franco,” Johnson said. “He’s always here, doesn’t say a lot, he just does a great job.”
Unfortunately, Mountain View would go on to give the ball right back to Desert Mountain, as a fumble was recovered by the Wolves.
Attacking the run game, Desert Mountain continued to chop away at the chains until they reached the end zone on a one-yard touchdown run by Easton Conner. Bradley’s extra point attempt was good, making it 14-0 to start the second quarter.
Mountain View’s struggles continued, as it was another quick three and out before punting the ball back to Desert Mountain with 9:29 still remaining in the second quarter.
Desert Mountain was again aggressive with the run game, pounding the rock for a majority of the drive. Finishing off the drive, Conner was able to punch it in from the 5 to further extend the lead. The kick was good, making it 21-0 with 4:09 left before the half.
“[The Desert Mountain O-line] is really firing on all cylinders. … We think we have a pretty solid defense and they were still running the ball pretty effectively, so their O-line did a really nice job,” Johnson said.
On the next possession for Mountain View, the Mountain Lions were forced to punt after gaining just one yard. Desert Mountain attempted to capitalize on the drive by kicking a field goal, but the kick was no good, giving the ball back to Mountain View with just 14 seconds remaining before the half.
Coming back out of the half, Mountain View got the ball to start, but its struggles only continued to mount.
After opening up the drive with a loss of seven, the Mountain Lions fumbled the ball on the next snap. It was recovered by Desert Mountain at the 4, who capitalized on the gift given to them with a touchdown on the first snap by Evan Dowd. The extra point was good, making it 28-0 with still 11:01 remaining in the third quarter.
Mountain View got the ball back and attempted to pass, but Ryan McDonough made an interception. The Mountain Lion defense was able to come up with a big stop, forcing Desert Mountain to attempt a field goal, which was no good.
On Mountain View’s next possession, a flag for roughing the kicker kept them alive, allowing them to work their way down the field. After reaching the red zone, the Mountain Lions decided to go for it on fourth and four from the five-yard-line, but they were unable to convert, turning the ball over on downs with 2:49 remaining in the third quarter.
Desert Mountain and Mountain View exchanged possessions before the Wolves got the ball back early in the fourth quarter. Taking over at its 42 following a turnover on downs, Desert Mountain was able to once again capitalize on the field position and scored. The touchdown came on a pass from Grant Garduno to Isaiah Justice. The extra point was good, making it 35-0 with around 9:30 remaining in the game.
Now with a running clock, Mountain View got the ball back, but it resulted in yet another three and out, punting the ball back with around 7:20 remaining to play.
Desert Mountain put its backups in, but was able to score, as Rocco Madda connected with Cratty for a touchdown. The extra point was good, making it 42-0 with just a few minutes remaining in the game.
Mountain View got the ball back but unfortunately, they still weren’t able to do anything. As the clock struck zero, the players gathered to shake hands with each other before huddling together in the end zones to speak with their coaches.
It was a tough loss for the Mountain Lions, but one that they’ll use to get better and continue improving. With only one returning starter on offense this year, Johnson said there will be games like this as they have talent, but they’ve never seen the type of speed and coordination.
“We had a lot of kids do a good job, we just made a couple mistakes and we’ve gotta get better,” Johnson said. “They were an open team last year. That’s why you play teams like this, so that you see what the highest level looks like and you can get ready for it with the playoffs and you can get ready for your region.”
Mountain View is now preparing for its first home game of the season after opening up the year with three consecutive games on the road. The Mountain Lions will host Desert View next Friday as they start region play.
“We’re excited to not have to ride a bus,” Johnson said. “It’s gonna be nice.”
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