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

The Phoenix Christian Cougars defeated the Cortez Colts, 35-19, on their home field Friday.

The chaotic game featured five fumbles between the two teams. The Cougars' offense accounted for three of those turnovers but still secured the double-digit win.

Phoenix Christian (7-1) has now won five straight games, and is ranked No. 4 in the 2A conference. 

The game started slowly for the Cougars, who fell behind after the Colts scored a quick touchdown on their opening drive. Phoenix Christian’s offense struggled with penalties and mishandled snaps, leading to a punt on the Cougars' first possession.

The Cougars needed a spark, and junior Kevin Palafox provided it with a huge punt return that put them in scoring position.

“At the beginning we weren’t focused,” Palafox said. “On the punt return, I saw the ball coming my way, and once I caught it, I wanted to get into the end zone.”

The drive ended with a touchdown run by Palafox, giving the Cougars a 7-6 lead.

The first half was a defensive battle, with both teams holding their ground.

On the final drive of the second quarter, the Cougars connected on a long pass to junior Cashis Grimwade, which put them in the red zone again. With just seconds left on the clock, the Cougars executed a trick play, ending in a lateral pass TD to close the half on a 14-6 lead.

In the second half, the Cougars found success running the ball, with junior Z’yeon Rondan leading the way.

“In the first half, they had a player blitzing down the middle, and we couldn’t figure it out,” Rondan said. “In the second half, we adjusted and were able to run the ball forward.”

Rondan finished the game with three rushing TDs, all coming in the second half.

The Cougars controlled possession for much of the second half, leaving the Colts with few scoring opportunities. Despite the win, Phoenix Christian's three fumbles gave the Colts excellent field position. A kickoff return for a TD by Grimwade was called back due to a personal foul, and another punt return by hium, which nearly reached the end zone, was called back by a penalty.

“I felt fine after the penalties,” Grimwade said. “Those are just mistakes we’ve got to make up for, especially with the playoffs coming up. We can’t afford those types of errors.”

The Cougars, led by second-year head coach Jason Kindred, are headed for a playoff push with two games left in the regular season.. They will aim to play error-free football on Friday, Oct. 25, when they take on Mountainside (5-3) in their annual homecoming game.