Zach Harrison, 11, threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more as the Cottonwood Colts won their first Northern Arizona Youth Football championship with a 31-13 victory over Wickenburg.
The Colts finished the year with just one loss Saturday, Nov. 7, at Mingus Union High School after upending the Chino Valley Minors team on the road in the first round of the playoffs.
“It really didn’t matter to us — between the players and the coaches, we knew which team was the No. 1 team,” said second-year head coach Guillermo Briseno, who will return another 16 players next season. “We only had four or five kids not returning from last year, and they’re all coached the same and are on the same level.”
One of those second-year players is his 11-year-old son, Jase, who got the Colts on the scoreboard first with an 18-yard rush down the middle of the Wickenburg defense. It was set up by Harrison’s 15-yard pass to Connor Goff, 10, who also had an interception to help the Colts’ defense.
“I didn’t coach Zach his first year, but they’re big pieces in the offense,” Briseno said. “It’s a team effort, but it starts with the line.
“If the line blocks, then the quarterback, running backs and receivers can get the touchdown.”
First-year player Freddy Martinez, 11, made his last game with the Colts count with a touchdown reception to begin the second half.
After that, it was all over but the trophy ceremony for Briseno and assistant coaches Rob Harrison, Javier Anguiano, Fernando Anguiano, Derick Fringer and Casey Goff.
“I’ve had the same coaching staff for five years now,” he said. “Hopefully, we can repeat next year, because I have a lot of kids back.”
The Colts came back from a 12-0 deficit late in the first half at Chino Valley with eight points, shutting out the Cougars in the second half as they scored two more touchdowns in the third quarter.
