Desert Edge cements top ranking in blowout fashion
There was no letdown in this game, and afterward there was absolutely no doubt that Goodyear Desert Edge is for real.
A week after its eye-opening win over defending state champion Peoria Centennial, Desert Edge dominated Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep in all facets of the game, taking a 48-0 lead into the locker room at the end of the first half and cruising to a 48-19 win Friday night at home.
“We got it going a little bit, and I thought the defense played really well in the first half, and kind of let the offense get into a little bit of a rhythm,” said Desert Edge coach Rich Wellbrock about his team, which improved to 2-0 and seemingly did everything it could do to justify its spot as the top-ranked squad in the 5A Conference.
Desert Edge’s defense completely shut down a Notre Dame offense that had scored 35 points in its season opener last week. Notre Dame, which came into the game as the ninth-ranked 5A team, gained a first down on its first play from scrimmage, and then its offense didn’t generate another first down until the second half.
Desert Edge forced an incredible seven three-and-outs in the first half. Punctuating the first-half defensive effort were third-down sacks by Dante Blissit, Milton Rodgers and Daniel Pullem.
“They had their ears pinned back and they were getting after it, and they really communicated on that side of the ball to make sure everyone was doing what they’re supposed to be doing,” Wellbrock said.
The Desert Edge offense was almost equally impressive. After stalling on its first drive, Desert Edge scored touchdowns on its next seven possessions.
Leading the way was senior quarterback Tehran Thomas, who racked up 161 yards on just nine carries in the first half, including touchdown runs of 47, 31 and 30 yards. Thomas also threw scoring passes to three different receivers in the first half, Roshaun Johnson, Eric Marsh and Rashaad Brown.
Several of Desert Edge’s biggest plays were made when Desert Edge got its playmakers such as Thomas, Johnson and receiver Kayden Kraus, in space where they could employ cuts and spin moves to turn seemingly short gains into huge gains.
Notre Dame Prep (1-1) finally got on the board in the second half when junior running back Cole Fisher found the end zone on an 8-yard run. Fisher added a second touchdown as time expired, and Notre Dame’s scoring was completed by a 95-yard interception return by sophomore Grayson Fleitz.
Despite a second straight notable victory, Wellbrock was cautious in his assessment of his team.
“I said last week was game one, and I’ll say this week is just game two. Every team is kind of feeling themselves out at this point," he said.