Nicholas Pietrzycki is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Arcadia High School for AZPreps365.com.

The Arcadia High School Titans fell to 1-2 after a rough 41-6 loss to the Desert Mountain High School Wolves on Friday night. 

The Titans could not produce another comeback effort against Desert Mountain one week after a comeback win against the Sahuaro Cougars. Arcadia never possessed a lead in the game and was unable to score until the fourth quarter. 

Desert Mountain scored a touchdown on offense, defense and special teams en route to the win, which gives the Wolves a 2-1 record in non-conference play. Desert Mountain head coach Conrad Hamilton urged his team to be cautious about the team’s win, despite the Wolves’ largest win of the season. 

“Everything we do with this job is a teachable moment for our players,” Hamilton said, “We played down to the level of competition a little bit.” 

Arcadia’s defense had held their opponents scoreless in the first half in their previous two games this season against the Greenway Demons and Sahuaro. However, it was Arcadia’s offense that ended the scoreless first-half streak against Desert Mountain.

On the first play of the game, Desert Mountain senior linebacker Jacob Gimbel picked off Arcadia's sophomore starting quarterback Rocco Mortensen and ran the ball back for a Desert Mountain touchdown. 

Both Arcadia and Desert Mountain found themselves struggling to move the ball in the first quarter. The teams combined for a total of four punts and a turnover on downs after Gimbel’s interception. However, at the end of the first quarter, Desert Mountain drove to the Arcadia 1-yard line.

On the second play in the second quarter, senior running back Zack Kilburg scored the first offensive touchdown of the night. The point after was no good, and Desert Mountain led Arcadia 13-0. 

Desert Moutain’s defense continued their impressive performance with another interception from Gimbel. Unlike his first interception, Gimbel could not find the endzone, and Desert Mountain took over at the Arcadia 28-yard line. 

After facing a goal-to-go scenario for the second drive in a row, sophomore quarterback Brady McDonough called his own number and scored on a one-yard touchdown run. McDonough is recovering from elbow surgery and cannot throw yet, according to Hamilton. 

“He’s [McDonough] probably our most explosive offensive player. So if he can’t throw it, we want to utilize him in the run game,” Hamilton said. 

Desert Mountain led Arcadia 20-0 with 8:15 left in the first half after the extra point was converted. The Wolves took advantage of an Arcadia three and out when sophomore returner Jack Freeburg returned a punt to the Arcadia 25-yard line, setting Desert Mountain up deep in Arcadia territory. Junior quarterback Drew Tapley’s first touchdown pass of the game increased Desert Moutain’s lead once again.

Down 27-0 in the first half, Arcadia senior quarterback Spencer Hoos replaced Mortensen with 4:27 left in the first half. Hoos completed one pass for 26 yards to sophomore wide receiver Brady Forst in his first drive in relief.

“We expected to play one quarterback,” Arcadia head coach Ray Brown said. 

With 3:41 left before halftime, Desert Mountain capped off a 27-point second quarter with another touchdown. This time, Tapley found the hands of sophomore wide receiver Dylan Tapley in the back of the endzone. 

With 17 seconds before halftime, Arcadia trailed 34-0, and the Titans faced their largest deficit of the year. 

Desert Moutain’s explosive play continued into the second half after Kilburg returned the second-half kickoff for a touchdown, giving the Wolves a 41-0 lead. 

Despite previously being replaced by Hoos, Mortensen started the second half at quarterback for Arcadia. However, Arcadia began the fourth quarter the same way they started the first quarter, with a Mortensen interception. Only this time, it was senior defensive back Ryan Schnitzler who picked off Mortensen.

Only six more points were scored in the rest of the game, after Kilburg’s return. Desert Mountain attempted a 50-yard field goal, but senior Tristen Banquil’s kick was no good. 

Arcadia was able to drive down the field with help from three separate 15-yard penalties against Desert Mountain, including one unnecessary roughness and two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. A 13-yard touchdown pass from Hoos to junior running back Tommy Guerrero capped off the drive. Arcadia’s 2-point conversion failed following the touchdown. The drive was a “little victory”, according to Brown. 

Brown believes that the key to Arcadia’s success in the future relies on simplicity and little victories. And to go along with the simplicity, Brown believes in growing the confidence to help his players succeed on the field. 

“Our strength has got to be what we know," Brown said. "If we’re out there thinking, we’re hurting the team."

Arcadia will travel to Buckeye Union next Friday to take on the Hawks at 7 p.m.