In the first 5A Sonoran battle between two teams that have prolific offenses, defense took the spotlight as Marana defeated Canyon del Oro 24-3 in Tigers Stadium on Friday night.
“My defense battled, battled, battled” said Marana coach Phillip Steward. “I can’t ask for a better defense, they kept giving the ball to the offense. The offense kind of struggled but the defense played a really good game”.
Marana coach Phillip Steward was happy with the way his defense played, talked about there being some things that still need to be tightened up on offense and gave kudos to CDO’s defense. @AllSportsTucson @MaranFB @MaranaAthletics pic.twitter.com/gM4BTAsCb3
— Lori Burkhart (@loriburkhart) September 20, 2025
Marana (3-1) got on the board first off a Lucas Delgado field goal at the 2:20 mark in the first quarter.
The Tigers extended their lead to 10-0 when Colten Meyer found Jaxson Sharp on the left sideline. Sharp grabbed the pass from Meyer, shrugged off tacklers and ran into the end zone for the touchdown.
Colten Meyer to Sean Roebuck Colten Meyer to Jesse Howell Colten Meyer to Jaxson Sharp for a Marana TD.
Tigers lead the Dorados 10-0 with 10:15 left in the first half. @AllSportsTucson @MaranaFB pic.twitter.com/sveL8Mz3JP
— Lori Burkhart (@loriburkhart) September 20, 2025
CDO (2-2) fumbled the ensuing kickoff return, and it didn’t take long for Marana to capitalize on the turnover with a Sean Roebuck rushing touchdown.
The extra-point try was blocked, and Marana led CDO 16-0 with 3:05 left in the first half.
CDO fumbles the kickoff return and Marana capitalizes with a Sean Roebuck TD.
The extra point was blocked.
Marana – 16
CDO – 0
3:05 left in the first half. @AllSportsTucson @MaranaFB pic.twitter.com/YJz5vhuAhS
— Lori Burkhart (@loriburkhart) September 20, 2025
CDO scored its first and only points of the game with 6:50 left in the third quarter when Reece Douglas nailed a 45-plus-yard field goal.
CDO’s Reece Douglas hits a 45+ yard field goal to get the Dorados on the board.
6:50 to go in the third quarter Marana leads CDO 16-3.@AllSportsTucson @FootballCdo pic.twitter.com/YwHoa9BIlv
— Lori Burkhart (@loriburkhart) September 20, 2025
Marana scored its final touchdown of the game off an impressive catch by Remy McKinnon with 2:31 left in the third quarter.
With Meyer scrambling and directing traffic, he found McKinnon at the right edge of the end zone. McKinnon kept his feet in and toe-tapped for the score.
Scramble and toe tap for a touchdown you say.. yes.. yes I did.
Colten Meyer scrambles and finds Remy McKinnon along the right edge of the end zone.. McKinnon toe taps for the TD.
Marana’s two point conversion try was good.
The Tigers lead the Dorados 24-3 with 2:31 left in… pic.twitter.com/caIA1slg32
— Lori Burkhart (@loriburkhart) September 20, 2025
“Hats off to Colten. He does a really good job when he has to scramble,” Steward said.
“I saw an out route and then he wheeled it up and I rolled out and found him in the end zone for the toe tap,” Meyer said about directing McKinnon on the touchdown.
The two-point conversion try was good and Marana held a 24-3 lead.
That lead would hold for the rest of the game as both defenses buckled down and kept each other scoreless for the fourth quarter.
“Hats off to them, they (the Dorados) played really good defense” Steward said. ” They showed us some different things that they didn’t show us on film.”
Defense was a bright spot for CDO as its offense struggled due to Marana’s defensive line camping out in the Dorados’ backfield most of the night.
Marana defensive end Hayden Utley had one solo sack and was part of two other sacks on CDO quarterback Peyton Strang.
“The main thing that we do that makes us so good is we give 110 percent effort every single time, no matter how tired, no matter if we have turnovers, third and they get a first down, three plays, first down, we always give 110 percent,” Utley said.
Marana defensive end Hayden Utley talks about the defense giving 110% on every play, pressuring the quarterback and the defensive line working as a unit. @AllSportsTucson @MaranaFB @MaranaAthletics @Hayden_Utley55 pic.twitter.com/i2ZM4lNmrH
— Lori Burkhart (@loriburkhart) September 20, 2025
“We’ve just gotta have a good week of practice this week, really recover and hopefully go out there and score more points next week,” Meyer said about preparing for next week’s home game against Buena.
Marana QB1 Colten Meyer talks about the game plan against CDO and directing the offense. @AllSportsTucson @MaranaFB @MaranaAthletics pic.twitter.com/P2uB4nhTL7
— Lori Burkhart (@loriburkhart) September 20, 2025
Next Up:
Marana will host the Colts (3-1, 1-0), who beat the Tucson High Badgers 42-28 in a weather-delayed game at Buena on Friday.
CDO will head a few miles up the road to take on Ironwood Ridge (0-3, 0-1) at Nighthawk Stadium. Ironwood Ridge lost 41-40 to Casa Grande on Friday.
Game Extra:
Marana coach Phillip Steward isn’t just a high school football coach, he is also a dad. During halftime of the Marana and CDO game coach Steward was on the sidelines watching his daughter perform with the cheer team.
Recommended for you
