Fast start, QB Eckley propel Marcos to win

It took the Tempe Marcos de Niza offense three plays to gain a lead it wouldn’t relinquish Friday night at Mesa Westwood.

After the defense forced a punt on Westwood’s opening drive, Marcos junior running back Luke Nguyen broke off a 60-yard touchdown run as Marcos went on to beat Westwood 37-13 in a Division II, Section VI game.

“Starting with a big play like that is huge,” Marcos coach Roy Lopez said. “And then the defense came out from the beginning and played hard tonight.”

Marcos (6-2, 2-1) was in complete control of the first half and went into the break up 16-0. Senior quarterback Joshua Eckley hooked up with senior running back Jake Lagunas for a 17-yard score, and Marcos added a safety.

But the Westwood (4-4, 0-3) offense, which was led by backup quarterback Kane Tieman after McKay Tingey went down with an early injury, found life in the second half.

On Westwood’s first drive of the third quarter, sophomore running back Ethan Johnson scored from 5 yards out. On the next possession, Tieman ran it in from the 1.

But between those scores, Eckley kept the ball on a read-option and ran 55 yards for a touchdown. He added a 32-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter.

“When he turns it on, he turns it on,” Lopez said of his quarterback. “I don’t know how to put it any other way. He is the most competitive kid I’ve ever coached.”

Eckley finished the game with nearly 250 yards of total offense.