Nov. 7: No. 3 Pusch Ridge Christian 38, No. 14 Payson 13
Third-seeded Pusch Ridge Christian cruised past No. 14 Payson for a 38-13 win on Saturday night, advancing to the second round of the state playoffs for the third straight season.
Now the Lions have another shot at doing something for the first time in program history – reaching the state semifinals.
Pusch Ridge (10-1) goes for its 11th straight win next Saturday when it hosts sixth-seeded Mohave Valley River Valley, last year’s state champion. A victory there will snap an 0-for-4 skid in the second round of the postseason and set the school’s single-season wins mark.
“A playoff win is a playoff win” senior captain James Raica said. “It’s awesome.”
Sophomore running back Tamerat McLeod rushed for a game-high 98 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Lions while Raica and Pusch Ridge’s defense limited Payson to just one offensive score.
“In the past years, we haven’t had a team that’s so tight,” said Ben Walker, a senior tight end and defensive end. “This year, that’s there and we have the work ethic. I’ve been here on varsity all four years and I’ve never seen a work ethic like this one.
“We’re willing to go get it done and ti think that’s what’s going to get us over this hump.”
Pusch Ridge assistant coach Lamar Lovett does a celebratory break dance for the team after they defeated Payson 38-13 in the first round of the DIV state playoffs at Pusch Ridge Christian Academy, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015, Oro Valley, Ariz. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
With Pusch Ridge up 17-7 late in the second quarter, Walker hauled in 46-yard catch from senior quarterback Cody Cropp. A few plays later, with less than a minute left in the first half, Cropp connected with sophomore Mitch Maas for a 21-yard touchdown to give the Lions a commanding 24-7 lead.
Payson shifted the momentum midway through the third quarter when Taran Sarnowski scooped up a Pusch Ridge fumble and returned it 89 yards for a touchdown. A failed extra-point made the score 24-13 with 4:50 left in the quarter.
The Lions wasted no time extending their lead once again.
McLeod scored on a 4-yard run with 2:09 remaining in third to make it 31-13 and all but seal the game.
And, as if that score wasn’t enough, McLeod danced his way through Payson’s defense for a 44-yard touchdown, moments after Pusch Ridge came up with a fourth-down stop midway though the fourth quarter.
“This is good beginning,” McLeod said. “This is kind of like the Flowing Wells win but it’s a little more special because it’s in the playoffs.”
Although Pusch Ridge led the entire game, things could have been differently if penalties hadn’t negated two Payson touchdowns. Fourth-year coach Troy Cropp hopes to have the miscues on both sides of the ball fixed by the time River Valley comes tow next week
“We made our mistakes; we’ve got some things we have to clean up to move on,” Troy Cropp said. “We’ve got to get better at what we do an play more physical than we did.”
The Lions are the lone Tucson-area team left in the Division IV state playoffs after No. 9 Flowing Wells and No. 13 Pueblo were both eliminated on the road Saturday night.
Top-seeded Benson and No 6 Bisbee each advanced to the second round of the Division V state playoffs.
“It’s a home playoff win, there’s not a lot of teams playing right now,” Troy Cropp said. “We’re just happy, blessed and fortunate to be out here. We don’t take it for granted; it’ great to be playing right now.”
Daniel Gaona
