MESA — Cienega improved to 3-3 on Friday night after picking up a big 34-13 road win over 6A Desert Ridge. While the 5A Bobcats still showed room for improvement, the team did what they needed to do to get the job done in a victory that will hopefully prepare them for the back half of the season.
“We don’t take any game for granted, any win for granted,” Cienega coach Justin Argraves said. “Obviously, we’re on fall break right now so getting in the bus and driving two hours up here, it’s definitely different for them. Plus, it’s our first Phoenix game this year.”
The Bobcats had to battle some adversity from the start. Things didn’t quite go as planned when senior running back Jalen Horn went down on the first snap of the game. He limped to the sidelines, where he spent the rest of the game on the bench.
“It’s tough,” Argraves said. “Horn is a two-way player for us, as well, so losing a dynamic two-way player like that for us is definitely difficult, but you know we had guys that stepped in in his place… Hopefully tomorrow we get some good news and we can get him back next week.”
Despite fumbling the ball away later on the opening drive, the Bobcats remained locked in on their jobs.
Defense was able to cause a turnover on downs, and offense came out and took advantage of the fresh start.
It took only two snaps to move the ball 81 yards. First, quarterback Julian Hainley was able to connect with Riley Lohmueller for a 24-yard gain. Then, Hainley found Ayden Billings for a 57-yard touchdown. The PAT was no good, making it 6-0 Cienega with 5:36 remaining in the first quarter.
On Desert Ridge’s following possession, the Jaguars were doing a good job of moving the ball down the field before Cienega’s defense put a grinding halt to it. After a pass, defensive back and Idaho State commit Jaden Rodgers was able to not only strip the ball away but also recover it at the 26-yard-line to give Cienega possession with 3:39 remaining in the first.
Chopping away at the chains, Cienega was able to move the ball and capitalize off the turnover, reaching the end zone on a 16-yard pass to Rodgers.
“He’s our guy,” Argraves said about Rodgers. He continued, “He’s a pretty special player. Just the athleticism of him being able to go three sides of the ball with specials, offense and defense and do what he does and do it consistently, it’s pretty fun to watch him play.”
The Bobcats went for two but weren’t able to convert, making it 12-0 with 1:06 remaining in the first quarter.
Desert Ridge got the ball back and was able to score on a deep pass from Gunner Brewer to Gage Highsmith as time expired in the first quarter. The kick was good, making it 12-7.
The next few possessions for each team resulted in punts. With just under five minutes left in the half, Cienega got the ball back and started marching down the field. Finishing off the drive, Hainley was able to take the ball eight yards in for a touchdown. The Bobcats elected to go for two once again and this time were able to convert, making it 20-7 with 1:50 remaining in the half.
Argraves said part of the plan was getting a jump on Desert Ridge early and making sure they established the passing game. He also said the loss of Horn contributed to a change in their game plan, but Argraves credited the defense for their consistent efforts tonight.
“Defensively, we put ourselves in a position to make stop after stop to get our offense back on this side of the ball, and that was kind of the goal going in today,” Argraves said.
After electing to defer, the Jaguars got the ball coming out of halftime but weren’t able to do anything with it. They ultimately ended up punting the ball away with 8:48 remaining in the third quarter.
Cienega got the ball back at its 35 and moved quick to strike again. The Bobcats were able to find the end zone on a pass from Hainley to Logan Welsh, before a good extra-point attempt by Alex Moya. With 7:43 remaining in the third quarter, Cienega pushed the lead to 27-7.
More trouble ensued for Desert Ridge on the following drive as they coughed up the ball once again, only to be recovered by Cienega with 6:41 remaining in the third.
Cienega’s following drive didn’t last long, as it gave the ball right back on a fumble of its own with 6:00 left in the third.
Desert Ridge got the ball near midfield but was unable to progress forward, ultimately turning the ball over on downs.
The Bobcats took over at their 49 and got to work, reaching the red zone in just three plays. From there, it took a little more work, but the Bobcats were able to score on another pass from Hainley to Welsh. The extra point was good, making it 34-7 with 14 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
With 4:11 left in the fourth quarter, the Jaguars scored on a blocked punt returned for a touchdown. The extra-point attempt was no good, making it 34-13.
Desert Ridge tried an onside kick, but Cienega was able to field the ball and return it to the Jaguars’ 31.
After putting in some of its backups, Cienega was able to reach the red zone but unable to score again before time expired.
For Cienega and Argraves, it was a nice way to recover after a tough 27-6 loss last week at Mountain View.
“For us to come up here and bounce back from last week and do what we did tonight, it’s a good springboard going into next week and the remaining four games of the season,” Argraves said.
He credited Hainley with a great performance and noted three of the team’s four starting receivers had touchdowns.
The Bobcats will now shift their focus to Sunnyside, as they host the Blue Devils (4-1, 1-1) on Friday night.
“Sunnyside’s a really well-coached team and they’re doing well this year, as well,” Agraves said. “We’ve just got to come out fast, but the big thing for us is just being consistent during the week of practice. Making sure we’re doing everything right. So if we do those things, hopefully the ball falls in our favor.”
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