Adam Kunin is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Veritas Prep Academy for AZPreps365.com

PHOENIX-- In a game that featured just three punts, Veritas Preparatory Academy still managed to hold Madison Highland Preparatory’s offense scoreless en route to a 47-6 win.

The Falcons relied on young defensive playmakers to capitalize on Heat mistakes and create a whopping five turnovers. Veritas Prep even recovered an onside kick to button up a dominant performance at home.

The Falcons' defense proved aggressive from kickoff. On the very first drive, sophomore linebacker Caleb Pope recovered a fumble to give Veritas Prep a short field on offense.

Later in the first quarter, Pope came through for the Falcons again, as he pounced on a loose ball on a kickoff return to allow Veritas Prep to once again start in Madison Highland territory.

The Falcons’ offense took advantage of the turnovers by scoring on all three of their offensive drives in the first quarter to jump out to a 21-0 lead.

Even the Veritas Prep defense manufactured a touchdown of its own. Sophomore cornerback Aidan Bailey came up with an interception late in the second quarter and ran it back 52 yards for a touchdown.

Bailey finished with two interceptions and multiple pass breakups in what proved to be his best performance of the season.

Just a sophomore, Bailey has limited experience at the varsity level. However, with a few games under his belt and extensive work in practice, the young cornerback feels more comfortable than ever before.

“I just put a lot of hours in,” Bailey said. “As soon as you put that into the game it all makes sense. It’s like all you’ve been working for clicks and this was the game for me.”

The Falcons’ defensive dominance continued into the second half as they held the Heat scoreless until the 6-minute mark in the fourth quarter; senior defensive lineman Ephraim Hercules recovered a fumble and returned it 57 yards for Madison Highland’s only points on the night.

Nonetheless, Veritas Prep broke its two-game losing streak.

After not playing a home game in three weeks, the Falcons made sure to emphasize the details in their preparation to get back on track and take care of business at home.

“I think it was [our] mental preparation before the game,” junior linebacker Anthony Sanfratello said. “This was one of our best weeks of practice as far as doing our jobs and knowing our responsibilities. I think that even before the game [we had] a mindset that we wanted to put it on these guys early on and show them what Veritas football looks like.”

With only two games left on their schedule -- against the bottom two teams in the 2A Verde division -- the Falcons now hope to stay healthy, while preparing to make a postseason push.

“We’re going to play some opponents that are struggling right now,” head coach Mike Sanfratello said. “It should allow our young guys a chance to play more and allow our older guys to hopefully not get banged up before the playoffs.”

The Falcons will look to carry their momentum on the road when they face  the Valley Lutheran Flames at 7 p.m. this Friday.