Campo Verde triumphs with three-TD, 2nd quarter

October 14, 2022 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Casa Grande's defense tries to corral Campo Verde running back in Friday's 5A San Tan Region game at Campo Verde. (Azpreps365 photo)

It didn't take long for Campo Verde to erase its only deficit Friday night against visiting Casa Grande.

Trailing 7-6 with 7:51 left in the second quarter - the deficit the result of a failed point-after-touchdown - Campo answered back in one-minute and 18 seconds of Casa Grande's only TD.

Coyotes running back Athan Ferber finished off a four-play, 35-yard possession with a 7-yard touchdown run. Campo Verde added a TD before halftime and cruised with the help of a shutout second half to a 26-7 win.

Campo Verde, ranked #5 in the current 5A power-rankings, improved to 4-1 overall and 1-0 with its San Tan Region-opening win over the Cougars (3-3, 1-1). Casa Grande opened the season with three wins and is now in the throes of a three-game skid.

"I'm happy with the way we played tonight," Campo Verde coach Ryan Freeman said. "They were set on stopping the run. I thought we threw the ball well to offset that."

Campo's ground game was limited to 119 yards on 39 attempts. The passing game came through to offset the season-low rushing outpit. Campo completed 10 of 13 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Mason Shea connected for both TD passes - one to Alston Garcia (17 yards) and the other to Beau Hanson (10 yards). The Coyotes entered the contest averaging 300 yards rushing per game and 90 through the air.

Casa Grande ran the ball well (192 yards), but had to abandon the run in the final quarter trailing by three TDs. The Cougars completed only 8 of 26 attempts for 44 yards.

Campo Verde continues region play next week at American Leadership Academy Queen Creek (5-1). The ALA-QC's only loss is to 6A Queen Creek. Casa Grande returns home next week for a region game vs. Horizon.