FINAL SCORE

No. 5 Pusch Ridge 28, No. 12 El Mirage Dysart 20

Pusch Ridge took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and held off pesky Dysart the rest of the way in the first round victory of the 3A state playoffs. The Lions’ two-quarterback system with seniors Race Pinneo and MJ Buckner is run to perfection by Pusch Ridge coach Kent Middleton and offensive coordinator Brent Bartz. Although Pusch Ridge operates with a healthy roster of less than 30 players, and they do not pass the eye test with some other 3A schools with their size, the Lions keep rolling, improving to 9-2. Dysart finished its season 7-4.

PUSCH RIDGE’S TWO-HEADED MONSTER SCARY FOR DEFENSES

Pusch Ridge’s 2-QB system works to near perfection with MJ Buckner and Race Pinneo. They are interchangeable and even more dangerous when on the field together with laterals and passes. In the 28-20 win over Dysart, Buckner was 12 of 16 for 134 yards with a TD and Pinneo was 11 of 17 for 156 yards with a TD.

— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) November 7, 2026

Buckner completed his first five attempts in the first quarter, including a 12-yard touchdown pass to junior running back Marshall Williamson to cap the opening drive, but the hot start did not alter Bartz’s plan of having Pinneo enter the game as a passer.

Pinneo completed a 13-yard pass to Colton Bogard, converting the pass after taking a lateral from Buckner.

Williamson ran for a 32-yard touchdown, putting Pusch Ridge up 14-0 with 1:22 remaining in the first quarter.

Pinneo became the quarterback in the second quarter, and he led the Lions on a scoring drive that ended with Williamson’s 10-yard run with 39 seconds left in the half, increasing the lead to 21-7.

Pinneo was 8 of 12 for 128 yards and Buckner was 5 of 8 for 55 yards in the first half.

“We’ve been doing this for a while, four or five years now,” Pinneo said about sharing quarterback duties with Buckner dating to their youth football days. “It’s become accustomed into our game. We make each other better every week.

“We’re really close but I can confidently say that I wouldn’t be the playmaker and quarterback I am right now if I didn’t have someone else like this (Buckner) to compete with me, to make me better. So I’m really appreciative of the situation.”

It is a unique situation. Rarely, if ever, do two quarterbacks share the position their entire high school careers.

Andrew Fontagneres nifty running after catching Race Pinneo’s pass, scores on the 21-yard play. PRCA 28, Dysart 14 with 8:56 left. https://t.co/Kj2XiouUmH

— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) November 7, 2026

“Every day during practice the last four years we’ve been pushing each other,” Buckner said. “We’ve helped build each other to who we are today. … I just think we work well together whether on the field at the same time or we are not. We are both helping the team out. At the end of the day, it’s all about getting the win. That’s all that matters.”

Middleton mentioned character has much to do with how Pinneo and Buckner co-exist as quarterbacks.

“They’re just classy kids; classy Christian young men,” he said. “They’ve handled it really well. The thing is, they both play well. When one might be off a little bit, the other one picks up right where we need to. MJ has been playing really good football as of late and Race still gets his reps.

“Tonight, Race comes in and does a really good job. It’s a solid situation for us and it would not be that way if these kids were not great, great kids.”

Buckner finished 12 of 16 for 134 yards with a touchdown and Pinneo was 11 of 17 for 156 yards and a touchdown. Neither threw an interception.

PUSCH RIDGE PUSHES THROUGH SOME DIFFICULTY

After Dysart cut the lead to 21-14 with 8:32 left in the third quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by Josiah Laborin, the Demons had the opportunity to cut more into the lead immediately after recovering a fumble on the kickoff.

Pusch Ridge’s defense forced Dysart to punt, however. A drive engineered by Buckner stalled at the Dysart 2 (in the first half, the Lions came up empty despite reaching the Demons’ 1-yard line).

Pusch Ridge’s defense again forced Dysart to punt and the Lions’ had good field position starting at the Demons’ 35 with 10:36 left.

Pinneo completed all three of his passes in the possession, including a 21-yard scoring strike to Andrew Fontagneres that increased the lead to 28-14 with 8:56 left.

After another punt by Dysart, Buckner led Pusch Ridge on a drive that ended at the Demon 11 with a fumble. Buckner completed all three of his pass attempts for 45 yards in the possession.

Dysart cut the lead to 28-20 on a 3-yard touchdown run by Shamir Hardge with 25 seconds left. Pusch Ridge’s Brady Pettit fielded the ensuing onside kick attempt, securing the victory.

Next order of business is a quarterfinal game at No. 4 Show Low (10-1) on Friday at 7 p.m.

“We’re going to celebrate tonight because whenever you win in the playoffs, it’s a big deal, and our kids deserve to feel good about it,” Middleton said. “There’s a lot of things we have to work on, but obviously going up there (to Show Low) will be a challenge. … We’re going to savor this tonight and get back to work tomorrow.”

PUSCH RIDGE’S DEFENSE STRONG

Laborin presented challenges for Pusch Ridge’s defense as a run-first quarterback, gaining 110 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns. But seven other players who rushed the ball combined for only 45 yards on 15 carries.

The Lions’ pass defense shut down the Demons, limiting them to 6-of-20 passing for 92 yards. Laborin was 3 of 14 for 41 yards.

Levi Adcock had what should have been a pick-6 for Pusch Ridge but a personal foul on the returned erased the score.

Show Low predominantly runs the ball with 2,637 yards on the ground compared to only 871 yards through the air before last night’s 51-0 win over No. 13 Chandler Seton Catholic. Believe it or not, Seton Catholic finished 2-9 with the loss. A 2-8 team in the playoffs? That should not happen.

WILLIAMSON FILLING IN NICELY

Pusch Ridge junior Marshall Williamson is literally carrying the load for the Lions with leading rusher Dylan Shoaff out with an injury. Williamson rushed for 78 yards on 19 carries with two TDs and had three receptions for 30 yards and a TD in Pusch Ridge’s 28-20 win over Dysart in a 3A first round game.

— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) November 7, 2026

Williamson did not figure prominently into Pusch Ridge’s plans this season because senior Dylan Shoaff was expected to carry most of the load. Shoaff went down with a leg injury four games into the season after gaining 328 yards on 33 carries.

Williamson has responded with 546 yards on 79 carries over the last seven games, including Friday’s 78-yard performance on 19 carries.

He also had three catches for 30 yards and a touchdown.

“I thank all my blockers out there,” Williamson said. “The momentum in the beginning was really strong (with his 12-yard touchdown reception and 32-yard scoring run in the first quarter). Really, just a whole team effort and not just me.”

SHOW LOW LODGING

The drive to Show Low in northeast Arizona from Oro Valley will take the Lions more than three hours, prompting Pusch Ridge athletic director Amy Garnand to arrange for the team to stay at a hotel overnight after Friday’s game.

When Middleton delivered the news of the hotel stay during the postgame gathering, the Lions cheered.

“I can’t wait,” Middleton said. “I didn’t even mention Show Low this whole week, at all, because of the scuttlebutt and all this if we’re going to stay overnight, this and that.

“I wouldn’t mention it to them because I knew we would be in a dogfight tonight.”

MIDDLETON CONTINUES IMPRESSIVE SUCCESS

Middleton, in his seventh season at Pusch Ridge is now 5-2 in first-round games of the playoffs. His playoff record overall is 11-5, including a 4-0 run in 2024 when the Lions won the 3A state championship.

Overall, Middleton is 66-17, an incredible winning percentage of 79.5.

The former Arizona IceCats star began his coaching career in 1989 as an assistant under Wayne Jones at Mountain View.

He was an assistant coach for 32 years at Pusch Ridge, Mountain View, Ironwood Ridge and his alma mater CDO before finally getting his shot as a head coach in 2020 with the Lions.

As a tribute to Middleton, many of the Lions have dyed their hair the same light shade of blonde hair to emulate their coach.

Pinneo joked the Lions are next going to get Middleton to shave his head.