Zach Wargo is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Phoenix Christian for AZPreps365.com.

The Coolidge Bears scored three touchdowns in the second quarter to defeat the Phoenix Christian Cougars 49-13 on Friday. The Bears took control of the game with help to a strong running attack and tiring the Cougar defense for most of the contest. 

Phoenix Christian’s offense was effective, as the Cougars were able to move the ball quickly and efficiently. The run game helped the Cougars get inside Coolidge’s 10-yard line to open the game, where Phoenix Christian was unable to finish on a 27-yard field goal as it was wide left. The drive ended up being a 10:38 possession that saw Phoenix Christian convert on four fourth downs on the drive. 

The Bears then took over on their own 20-yard line and established a nine-play, 80-yard drive to give them the quick 6-0 lead. Phoenix Christian was able to move the ball for most of the game. Miscues stopped the momentum for the Cougars after an interception was thrown in the end zone. 

“We didn’t finish in the red zone, we turned the ball over twice and got stopped on downs, some of that is on me with the play-calling,” Phoenix Christian head coach Dan Fort said. “But our kids fought, I think we found something to hang our heads on and I’m happy about that.”

The next drive was a one-play, 80-yard touchdown for Coolidge senior Tad Lynch which gave the Bears a 14-0 lead. Lynch scored three more touchdowns in the second half to have a total of five touchdowns and 348 rushing yards to end the game. 

The Cougars went into halftime down 21-0, with more than 150 total yards in the game but nothing to show for it on the scoreboard. Coming out of halftime the Cougars used play-action to move down the field and mixed in using senior quarterback Cristian Mackey as a scrambler. 

Junior running back, Levi Rhynard finished a 4-yard touchdown to give the Cougars their first points of the night for a 27-6 score. It would not be not enough as the defense was unable to stop Coolidge’s rushing attack which totaled over 400 yards for the entire game.

“From the start of the game we had a long drive and moved the ball down the field, it was the fact that we couldn’t finish for a touchdown on our first drive, I feel like our rhythm was there for the entire game, but we needed better communication as a team, and I think we’ll be fine,” junior running back Cam’Ryn Hatter said.

Hatter finished the game with 86 yards on the ground along with Mackey rushing for 42 yards for Phoenix Christian. The Cougars scored touchdowns on back-to-back drives by continuing to use the run in the second half, with the balance of using screen passes to throw off the Bears defense.

“We didn’t stop fighting, we had to face adversity the entire night,” Phoenix Christian quarterback Cristian Mackey said. “I think we handled it pretty well, although our defense wasn’t able to get stops, our offense was able to move the ball and created some good drives.”

Despite being down a large amount for a portion of the game, the fans stayed loud and kept the energy for the entire game. The Cougars fell to 1-3 on the season and move onto next week’s matchup at Window Rock (1-3) where they look to rebound in Fort Defiance, Ariz. at 6 p.m Friday.