Flagstaff has nothing on Cottonwood, at least when it comes to football.
Mingus Union High School completed its two-game sweep of Flagstaff schools, Friday, Oct. 21, with a 78-6 victory over visiting Coconino High School in a game that — wait for it — wasn’t as close as the score would indicate.
The Marauders flooded the field with reserves in the third quarter, and by the end of the game had freshmen on the field and were simply running the ball up the middle. Not only that, but because of the huge deficit — it was 50-6 at halftime — the game clock was kept running throughout the second half. Without those concessions, the score would have been historic.
Combined with the Marauders’ 49-14 win the previous week over Flagstaff High School, it was Cottonwood 127, Flagstaff 20.
Bottom line, though, the win over the Panthers was just one win, but it served to keep Mingus in the hunt for a state playoff spot.
The Marauders, with a 6-3 record, are ranked 13th in the state. In the 4A Grand Canyon region, they are 5-1, trailing just Bradshaw Mountain High School, who beat Mingus earlier this season.
The state tournament includes eight automatic bids, — the top team from each region — and eight at-large qualifiers based on ranking, according to the Arizona Interscholastic Association.
Despite the epic blowout, Coconino seemed to belong on the same field as the Marauders at the beginning of the game.
Taking the opening kickoff at their own 16-yard line, the Panthers easily pushed the ball across midfield. The eight-play drive relied mostly on the running game to reach the Mingus 44, but a couple of incomplete pass attempts and a run play stuffed by the Marauders defense forced the visitors to punt.
The Mingus offense took over at its own 18. On the ensuing drive, senior Jason Groth ran the ball four times for 30 yards, and senior quarterback Trey Meyer added seven more yards when he kept the ball on the option.
On first and 10 from the Coconino 45, Meyer found senior Juan Ruiz wide open behind the secondary for a touchdown pass and a 7-0 lead with 7:21 left in the first quarter.
The Panthers answered almost immediately. Taking possession at their own 20, and after an incomplete pass, senior David Quick took the handoff, burst through a hole and outran the Mingus defense for an 80-yard touchdown. Sophomore Alex Nelson blocked the extra point attempt, and the score was 7-6 with 7:03 left in the quarter. It would be the last time Coconino would even be within sight of the red zone, let alone score.
Not to be outdone, the Mingus offense would respond in a similarly rapid.
After Nelson returned the kickoff to the Mingus 39, senior Alejandro Stabreff took off on a 35-yard run and Meyer would follow with a 26-yard touchdown scamper and a 14-6 lead with half the first quarter still to go.
After that, it was a series of defensive stops followed by big plays on offense.
Mingus defenders forced a three and out on the next series, and the offense took possession on its 38. Meyer hit Ruiz for 33 yards, and Groth ran for two yards before breaking free on a 29-yard touchdown burst and a 21-6 lead.
Again the defense forced a three and out, and again the Mingus offense wasted no time. From the Coconino 46, Groth ran for 14 yards and Meyer hit a wide open senior Jordan Pollock in the end zone for a 28-6 lead.
The first quarter ended with the Panthers facing a fourth and three at the Mingus 40.
In the quarter, the Marauders rushed for 141 yards and passed for 117.
On the first play of the second quarter, the Mingus defense stuffed Coconino’s fourth-down try, giving the offense the ball on its own 39. On the second play from scrimmage, Meyer hit Stabreff with a 43-yard pass to the Panthers’ 11, but a holding penalty, a botched handoff and two incompletions — the only ones of the game for Mingus — killed the drive and Meyer kicked a 41-yard field goal for a 31-6 lead.
On the next Coconino possession, junior Jordan Huey intercepted a pass on the Panthers’ 31 and then Meyer, as he was being pulled down by a defender, got the pass off to a wide open Stabreff for another touchdown. The extra point kick was blocked, but the Marauders were up 37-6 with 7:24 left in the second quarter.
Favian Jiminez was the star of the next defensive stand, sacking Coconino’s quarterback twice, prompting another Panthers’ punt.
The offense again took advantage. After Meyer ran for 12 yards, Groth appeared to be stopped at the line of scrimmage, but broke a couple of tackles and sprinted 26 yards to the end zone. Meyer missed the extra point kick, but the Marauders led 43-6.
Coconino fumbled on its next possession and Jiminez recovered at the Panthers’ 22.
A couple of plays later, Meyer hit Stabreff for an apparent touchdown, but officials ruled he had stepped out of bounds at the 4. On the next play, Meyer ran it in and kicked the extra point for a 50-6 halftime lead.
Coconino successfully executed an onside kick to open the second half, but failed to cross midfield and punted to the 16. An encroachment call against the Panthers gave Mingus the ball on the Coconino 21. On the next play, Groth took it 79 yards for the touchdown and a 57-6 lead.
After that, the Marauders got rushing touchdowns from Nelson, sophomore Chaz Taylor, in for Meyer at quarterback, and senior Charles Furrey.
