ALA-Queen Creek triumphs behind Jamison’s big plays

They might be the two best small-school running back-linebacker players in Arizona.

They might be two of the best at any level. With senior Man-Man Freeman trying to will a Phoenix Christian comeback Friday night, Aziya Jamison made too many big first-half plays to lead American Leadership Academy-Queen Creek to a 3521 victory.

The only thing that spoiled ALA-QC’s homecoming was a prankster shutting off the lights, before the trucks could roll around the track. It took 20 minutes for the lights to come back on.

After Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” was played over the public-address system, the king and queen were announced with the vehicle’s headlights used for the overflow ALA side to see them.

Otherwise, it was a great night for small-school football with one big takeaway.

ALA-Queen Creek will go a long way in 3A, behind the sophomore sensation Jamison running and catching the ball, and Phoenix Christian will go a long way in 2A with Freeman running with abandonment and making plays in the backfield as an outside linebacker.

“We have to clean some things up, but that’s a good football team,” ALA coach Rich Edwards said. “I think they’ll be there at the end in 2A.”

Edwards’ top-ranked 3A bunch now has faced three-time defending 2A champion Thatcher and Phoenix Christian (3-1) out of 2A. They’re considered the two best in 2A.

ALA-QC (4-0) gave Thatcher its only loss, 54-25, on Aug. 30.

“I wouldn’t want to pick that game,” Edwards said. “Both good teams. Both physical. Both don’t quit. They keep playing until the end.”

Had Phoenix Christian not missed an open receiver with a pass deep that would have gone for a touchdown, had it not dropped a pass that would have gone for a score, had it not fumbled a kickoff and a snap, who knows what the outcome would have been.

Phoenix Christian coach Brian Cole figured the score would have been at least 14-14 at halftime.

Instead, the Patriots led 35-14 at the half, thanks to two touchdowns in a span of seven seconds and Rand Jensen finding Jamison out of the backfield in stride for a 40-yard touchdown in the final minute. Jensen was 13-of-17 passing for 187 yards and three TDs in the half.