Scott Sandulli is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Perry High School for AZPreps365.com

Homecoming week is usually a celebration for the home team, and the Perry Pumas (4-4) had for their game for it on Friday. But Boulder Creek (5-3), led by senior halfback Sinjin Schmitt, came into their home field and defeated them, 14-7. 

Perry entered Friday looking to right the ship following its back-to-back losses to Open Division caliber teams in Hamilton and Casteel, And while the Pumas' stout defense did their best to plug those holes, Schmitt kept creating new ones.

With a 7-7 tie still at the start of the fourth quarter, Schmitt’s 37-yard TD put the Jaguars ahead for the rest of the game. A Perry fumble in the ensuing drive and failure to capitalize off a late interception impeded their chances to overcome Schmitt and the Jaguars on Friday.

“He’s a big guy and a big load,” Perry head coach Joe Ortiz said in the postgame. “He ran hard and kept running power and that was hard for us to stop.” 

Schmitt made his impact on the game early and often. Following a nearly nine-minute drive in the first quarter that Perry forced a turnover on downs, Schmitt wouldn’t be denied from the end zone his second time around, hitting paydirt in the second quarter's opening minute of the 2nd quarter. 

Similar to Perry's rushing defense, its offense had its own struggles. While they did answer Boulder Creek’s second-quarter touchdown with Perry junior Maddox Ford's second score of the year right before the half, that drive would be all the Pumas could muster on offense.

Following Boulder Creek’s touchdown early in the fourth, Perry’s defense came up huge to keep the score as it was. Junior defensive back Elisha Wells also secured an interception in the end zone with less than five minutes to play.

In a game centered on ground plays, passing was not a strong suit on either sideline. The impact was felt deeper by Perry because they completed just one pass all night.

“They played straight man and right now it’s tough for us to make completions,” Ortiz said. “We had some stuff that was open and we just missed it. We’d get a big chunk play and then get stuffed.”

There was over ten minutes on the clock when Schmitt had his fourth-quarter touchdown. And no matter how hard Ford tried to lead the way, the Pumas couldn’t find an answer for Boulder Creek’s stifling defense.

“The loss is always frustrating,” Ford said. “It’s on the team. We’ll work through our mistakes.”

While this defeat surely feels like a missed opportunity by Perry, the Pumas are not mentally defeated, as they take on their 6A Premier region rival at top-seeded Chandler (7-1) is next Friday at 7 p.m.

“Anything can happen in football,” said Ford. “I’m sure everyone is picking us to lose by a lot but we don’t care.”

Coach Ortiz summed up the moving-on mentality perfectly in his postgame speech to the team: “If you’re dreading next week, don’t come.”