(Mogollon celebrates after winning the Division VI title. Photo by Jim Willittes/maxpreps.com)

Mogollon coach Tim Slade raised his hands in disbelief after the Division football VI final and said that he didn’t expect to participate in such a low scoring affair.

There’s nothing wrong with a defensive battle, but D-VI, 8-man football is known for its Arena Football-like scores and not the slugfest that took place between Mogollon and Bagdad Saturday at North Canyon High School. Mogollon and Bagdad scored a combined 22 points, the second fewest total ever recorded in a D-VI final since 1967.

But as long as the final score favored Mogollon like it did in Saturday’s D-VI final, it really didn’t matter to Slade how many points his team scored. Mogollon’s offense scored just one touchdown against Bagdad, but it still walked away a 14-8 win and the championship hardware.

The last time Bagdad was held under 10 points in a game was Oct. 27, 2006. Also, Mogollon snapped Bagdad’s 20-game win streak and avenged last year’s 44-20 D-VI title game defeat.

“It’s redemption,” Mogollon linebacker Baylend Stephens said. “We worked so hard last year and came up short, but they were a great team. But this just feels so good to come back and beat (Bagdad). They are a quality team, and I’ll bet we’ll see them next year too and it will be a battle next year too.”

With 22 tackles, one sack and two forced fumbles, Stephens was the defensive star of the game.

But the biggest defensive play of the game by Mogollon came when Joe Gaylor intercepted a Tony Jauregui pass and returned it for a touchdown in the second quarter. Mogollon’s ensuing 2-point conversion failed but only trailed 8-6 at halftime.

Running back Casey Jean scored during a short first quarter run for Bagdad’s only touchdown.

Converting their third and fourth downs proved difficult on this night for each team, but Mogollon used a fourth down stop by its defense in the third quarter to help it score its only offensive touchdown. During that 55-yard scoring drive, Mogollon ran a couple of plays that Bagdad hadn’t seen in the game yet.

The first play, an inside reverse handoff to Jaden Willis, allowed the running back to break free for a long run. At the end of that run, Bagdad was called for a personal foul, setting Mogollon up with a 1^st and goal at Bagdad’s 7.

Willis (158 yards rushing) eventually scored from two yards out and ran in the 2-point conversion from the Wild Cat formation, another new Mogollon wrinkle. Mogollon’s defense kept Bagdad from advancing far during Bagdad’s final two drives, and Mogollon ran out the final 6:20 of the game.

“To hold Bagdad to just one score is unbelievable for our kids,” Slade said.

The appearance of Bagdad senior Brenden Garza at the game also was unbelievabe. 

Tumors discovered in Garza’s brain and lungs kept him from playing in the past month. Garza was in a Phoenix hospital during the past two weeks, but doctors gave him the OK to attend the D-VI final.

Before the start of Saturday’s game, Garza surprised his teammates when he entered Bagdad’s locker room.  

He was welcomed with hugs and cheers from his teammates in the locker room.

“It’s a great feeling to be here with my team,” Garza said. “They are family, and I know most of them wanted to cry. This was just a great feeling being out here.”

Doctors are in the process of diagnosing what Garza is battling.

He was allowed to return home with his team Saturday night, be he has to return to the hospital on Tuesday.

“It was neat to see (Garza) here, win or lose,” Bagdad coach Dalton Mills. Said. “(Slade) and I were talking before the game, and we both agreed that this game seems so much smaller compared to what Brenden is going through.”

                                                                (Bagdad's Brenden Garza is introduced just before the start of the Division VI title game. Photo by Jim Willittes/maxpreps.com)