Kevin Cuevas is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Phoenix Christian High School for AZPreps365.com

The Phoenix Christian Cougars made a powerful 67-0 statement to rout the Highland Prep Honey Badgers at home on Friday.

The Cougars dominated all three phases of the game — offense, defense, and special teams — to perfection. Their defense played a pivotal role in giving their offense the opportunity to control the ball, leading to an impressive run game. Phoenix Christian's balanced attack allowed them to run in six of their nine total touchdowns.

Phoenix Christian (5-1) began the 2A Agua Fria regional matchup game by irregularly doing two onside kicks which resulted in forced turnovers by the Cougars defense. The first kick was recovered and Phoenix Christian got a fourth down stop on that possession. The second onside kick was recovered by Phoenix Christian. Both of these turnovers were quickly converted into touchdowns, giving the Cougars an early 14-0 lead.

“We put in the work to practice those,” Phoenix Christian's second-year head coach Jason Kindred said. “The focus in practice is to get as many possessions as possible, so those onside kicks are huge when we are able to get them. That's how we practice, we work hard, and we see those results on the field.”

Kindred's looking to have the Cougars make a playoff return after an 8-3 season and first-round exit last year. The Cougars are now 5-1 on the season with four games left. Under Kindred, the team has consistently shown up ready to compete, with multiple players contributing on both offense and defense.

Junior Z’yeon Rondan has made a significant impact on both sides of the ball. Rondan rushed for two touchdowns and made a key interception in the end zone, preventing the Honey Badgers from scoring.

"It's always fun playing both sides,” Rondan said. “I like playing defense more. I come out here to compete for my brothers. If we weren’t playing together, I wouldn’t be playing at all."

The Cougars' stellar defense stopped Highland Prep (4-2) on fourth downs, and forced multiple turnovers, including interceptions and a blocked punt that resulted in a safety.

“It looked like a good punt,” Phoenix Christian freshman running back Aaron Whitten, who blocked the punt and rushed for two TDs, said. “I just ran up and got past the dude that was blocking me and made a play on the ball. Special teams are very important. They can win us games, and winning is all that matters.”

The Cougars have produced shutouts and scored a mammoth total of 187 points through their last three games. They'll look to carry this momentum into their next game at Camp Verde (3-2) on Friday, October 4.