(Cooper Payne. Andy Morales/AZPreps365)

 

The City of Tucson hasn’t seen an eight-man football team since St. Augustine and Arizona State School for the Deaf and the Blind (ASDB) joined forces in 2009 but that changed Friday night when Desert Christian beat Desert Heights 42-20 in the first football game in program history.

Known as a Fall Soccer power, the Eagles fulfilled a dream to build a football program and that meant shifting soccer to winter and building a sports complex to support several sports including football. The school acquired a huge city lot that was located adjacent to school and it features an artificial turf stadium, a softball field and pickleball courts. The plan was to host the first game there Friday night but the city occupancy permitting process was not complete in time which meant opening up the program at it’s K-8 campus where the baseball team plays.

Lights were brought in, the outfield was painted and the fans sat in lawn chairs, but it didn’t matter, football was here. The referees kept the game clock on the field due to the lack of a clock on the baseball scoreboard and Desert Heights went up 8-0 after junior quarterback Mason Wicker hit freshman Justus Grabarec from seven yards out with a two-point conversion added midway through the first quarter. Kendrick Felix is a respected basketball and track and field coach at Copper Canyon and the longtime football coach ushered in a new era when the Coyotes joined the AIA in 2020.

(Mason Wicker. Andy Morales/AZPreps365)

 

The Eagles struggled in their first possession but junior QB Cooper Payne ripped off a 69-yard run up the left and he added two more points to tie the game up at 8-8. Josh Orozco put Desert Heights back up 14-8 on a five-yard run as the first quarter expired but Payne hit Rowan Carter from 18 yards out to tie the game at 14-14 and he found Tyson Dobbins for two to give the Eagles a 16-14 lead.

Desert Christian is led by former Sahuarita player Jason McKibben and this is his first time on the sidelines. His team had to forfeit a trip to Bagdad last week and he will follow up this win with a bye week to get healthy because he lost the services of Payne to an ankle injury after Payne put the team up 22-14 at the half and 30-20 near the end of the third quarter. Desert Heights cut into the lead with a 77-yard kickoff return by Orozco to start the second half but interceptions and a few sacks took the Coyotes out of rhythm the rest of the way.

McKibben turned to transfer student Bryant Devitt under center and he guided the Eagles to a 36-20 lead on a 17-yard pass to Dobbins and Ethan Craig scooped up a fumble and he dashed 30 yards to make it 42-20. Coyote freshman Mason Gervais also saw time at the QB position.

Payne threw for 95 yards with a TD and he rushed for 150 more with three TDs. Payne also picked up an interception from his defense position as did his younger brother Brock Payne when the Coyotes were about to cut into the lead at the one. Dobbins finished with 77 yards with a TD on four catches and Devitt threw for 62 yards with a score. Grabarec also picked up an interception.

Wicker threw for 88 yards and a score and Bryce Godfrey had 56 reception yards. Desert Heights beat Valley Union 40-36 last week to go 1-1 on the year and the team hosts Cicero Prep (0-2) next week. As mentioned earlier, Desert Christian (1-1) will enjoy a bye week before traveling to Maryvale Prep (0-1) on Sept. 13.

(Kendrick Felix. Andy Morales/AZPreps365)