Ryan Bunnell is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Alhambra High School for AZPreps365.com.

Central quarterback Dominik Bagchi’s five passing touchdowns led the Bobcats to a 48-0 road win at Alhambra Friday night.

After the Spartans (4-1) scored for the final time with 2:42 remaining in the third quarter, the game moved to a running clock for the rest of the second half, per the Arizona Interscholastic Association football speed-up rule.

“I was very impressed with his [Bagchi] poise,” Alhambra coach Charles Rivera said. “He moves very well in the pocket and outside of the pocket. He’s a good ball player, and very much a team leader. I was impressed with that.”

The Notre Dame Prep transfer’s night ended early as the Bobcats' second string came in midway through the 4th quarter, though he still managed to put up 284 yards of total offense. He completed 13 of 17 pass attempts for 250 yards, including five 25-plus-yard completions.

Although high-level play behind center was the focal point of the Bobcats’  offense, they proved to be a challenge for the Lions’ (1-4) defense on the ground as well.

Central finished with 143 rushing yards featuring four players – Bryson Ballard, Michael Harvey, Destined Lucky, Bagchi – with more than 30 yards.

Rivera said his team’s preparation relies on lining up correctly and executing on both sides of the ball, but they didn’t do that Friday.

“They’re a very fast team,” Rivera said. “They’re a very athletic team, and tonight they got the best of us.”

Despite Alhambra finishing with 39 yards of total offense, there were a few bright spots from the loss.

Senior running back Roman Moreno had a 45-yard kick return in the final minutes of the third  quarter to give Alhambra its best starting field position of the game. The drive ended with a turnover on downs following a failed fourth-down conversion on fourth and 35.

Moreno went down with an injury late in the first half but managed to make a return in the third quarter after getting his ankle wrapped on the sideline.

“It was a bad snap on the punt. I picked it up very late and took it out to the outside,” Moreno said. “The defender jumped at my knees and I just couldn’t get out of the way in time.”

Senior wide receiver James Gaie also made a splash late in the game. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Gaie made a 24-yard catch near the sideline that ended up as the Lions’ biggest gain of the night.

Rivera had nothing but praise for his receiver after filling a workhorse-like role.

“The kid has heart,” Rivera said. “He put the team on his back and we lean on him. The kid has heart, bottom line.”

Aside from lining up at receiver, Gaie was also featured at running back and cornerback throughout the game.

Gaie said he wouldn’t want it any other way as he appreciates each and every opportunity he gets to go on the field.

“I like doing that because I’m very athletic and I can play any position,” Gaie said. “Put me in there and I would be more than happy to run that position.”

Even with a few big gains, the Central defense held the Lions stagnant for the majority of the game.

The Bobcats finished with four sacks, one forced fumble, and 12 tackles for loss.

Rivera said although it didn’t go their way, he thought there were some positive takeaways from his team’s performance.

“The saying we have is ‘If you’re going to make a mistake, make it full speed,’ and there were a few times we saw that,” Rivera said. “They just played it out how they’re supposed to.”

Being the home team comes with its perks, though. Even with a running clock in the second half, Alhambra fans continued to chant “You got to be a Lion or you’ve got to go” until the final whistle.

“We represent our community and we represent our school,” Rivera said. “It always feels for us when we see them stick with us like today.”

Alhambra finishes its three-game home stretch next Friday at 7 p.m. against Kofa. The Bobcats have a bye week coming up and will travel to South Mountain on Oct. 7.