QB Lee leads Cactus to shootout win

The season-opening game for No. 7 Glendale Cactus and No. 8 Prescott Valley Bradshaw Mountain was nothing short of an offensive showcase.

Led by three touchdown passes from junior quarterback Mahal Lee and another touchdown run, Cactus defeated Bradshaw Mountain, 70-49 in 6A Conference play in Glendale on Friday.

Both teams came out looking sloppy out of the gate as Bradshaw Mountain had four penalties for 40 yards and Cactus took five penalties for 25 yards in the opening quarter.

The difference-maker of the opening quarter was a 10-yard touchdown pass from Lee to senior wide receiver and team captain Matthew Eberhart that made it 14-13 at the end of the first.

But it was all Cactus (1-0) in the second quarter. It outscored Bradshaw Mountain 28-8 in that period and blew the game open with a Damaria Norris 2-yard run with 7 minutes, 31 seconds remaining in the period.

Moments later, Bradshaw Mountain (0-1) would be forced to punt from its 20-yard line but Cactus would block the punt, linebacker Cory Jones recovered the ball and returned it for a touchdown to make it 42-13 with 6:26 remaining in the half.

Despite trailing by 21 entering the third quarter, Bradshaw Mountain wouldn’t go away.

Senior wide receiver Ryan Shaver made a 21-yard reception in the end zone to cut the Cactus lead to 22, and the visitors pulled a bit closer when senior quarterback Gunner Bundrick completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Abraham Hernandez to cut the deficit to 14.

But any chance of a Bradshaw Mountain comeback was quelled by the Cactus offense.

Leading 63-49 late in the fourth quarter, Eberhard would return a kickoff return 87 yards to give Cactus its first victory of the season.

Senior quarterback Gunner Bundrick had 388 passing yards, passed for seven touchdowns and had another 181 yards on the ground in his team’s effort.