Update: This has been edited to reflect changes in the upcoming schedule for the Mingus football team that were announced on Wednesday, Oct. 14. and Thursday, Oct. 15.
Breaking a long losing streak is not easy. Games that finally break extended losing skids often come down to the wire, with the winning team making an unexpected play to seal a tense victory. However, the Mingus football team left Mohave in the dust on Friday, Oct. 9, taking its first win since November of 2018 in the process.
The Marauders set the tone from the opening kickoff, which senior Jonathan Sanchez returned deep into Thunderbirds territory. Sanchez then found the end zone on the fifth play from scrimmage. That ended up being the only touchdown that Mingus would need — but it was not the only one they would score — as the Marauders went on to defeat the visiting Thunderbirds 69-0.
“It feels awesome,” quarterback Zach Harrison said. “We didn’t win any games last year. I’ve never lost so many games in a row. So to be able to break the curse feels good.”
Following the first Mingus score, the game briefly looked like it would be a high-scoring affair for both sides. Mohave struck with a pass play, setting the Thunderbirds up deep in Marauders territory. The Mingus defense held firm, though, eventually forcing a turnover on downs. The Marauders marched down the field from there, finding the end zone on a 32-yard keeper from Harrison to jump to a 14-0 lead.
That opened the floodgates to a first quarter that left no doubt about what the game’s final outcome would be. After Harrison’s points, junior defensive back Angelo Alvarez scored on a 45-yard interception return, Sanchez scored on a five-yard run, and senior Drew Meyer recovered a loose ball in the end zone after the snap on a Mohave punt attempt sailed well over the Mohave punter’s head. That gave Mingus a 35-0 lead after the opening quarter.
In addition to being the first win for the Marauders in nearly two years, it was also the first Mingus win for first-year coach Doug Provenzano.
“It feels good,” Provenzano said. “I’ve been wanting these guys to get a win ever since I met them. Losing is tough.”
“It’s about playing aggressive and being explosive,” the coach added. “Getting them lined up right and being sure that these dudes know that alignment is half of the battle. Knowing how to get lined up. Knowing where to be. Studying film. And we’ve been able to finally get the weight room settled in, watching film and starting a program. Lifting weights everyday. So the kids are starting to understand that this is what it’s going to take for us to be successful.”
Sanchez was the Marauders top playmaker of the night. He carried the ball only nine times but rushed for 128 yards and five touchdowns. Harrison was the second leading Mingus rusher, finishing the game with 42 yards on the ground. Meyer meanwhile ran for 40 yards and added a rushing touchdown to his score on the fumble recovery.
As a passer, Harrison went 5-for-7 for 62 yards and a touchdown. Harrison also found Meyer for 13 yards to pick up a critical fourth-down conversion, which set up the first Marauder touchdown. For the second score, Senior Andrew Nahar got an eight-yard pass to third down. Sanchez caught one pass for eight yards while senior tight end Zach Figy caught two passes for 26 yards and one touchdown.
Figy was the only Mingus player to catch more than one pass, signifying how much of a team effort the Marauders’ win was, something they were proud of.
“It feels great to be able to look up at the board and see a way better number than last year — to be able to tell our friends and family that we’re doing better than last year,” Alvarez said. “All of us executed around the team. We all had great effort. Nobody lagged. It was the whole team.”
With the win, the Marauders moved to 1-1 overall and in Grand Canyon Section play.
And while the Mingus players were happy with their win, it didn’t take them long to start looking towards the next game and the remainder of the season.
“It feels great. But we’ve got another game next week,” Figy noted.
“I think we did really well,” Harrison added. “We have a lot of team chemistry. I think we played as a unit. But I’m not satisfied. We have to fix all of our mistakes to take on tougher competition.”
Mingus was scheduled to host Combs on Friday, Oct. 16 but that game was canceled on Wednesday, Oct. 14 following a COVID-19 outbreak at Combs. On Thursday, Oct. 15, Mingus found a new opponent in River Valley, whose game against Cortez was also canceled.
That game will be played at Mingus on Friday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m.
