ORO VALLEY — Many high schools have rivalries with schools close to them. Not many are so close they can see the other from atop their press box.
The Canyon del Oro-Pusch Ridge Christian Academy rivalry has already developed a unique feel, as students from the latter joined together to make the short walk across Oracle Road to the former, halting traffic for a few minutes as they piled into the visitors stands at Dorado Stadium. All clad in white, they provided a perfect asymmetry to the home fans clad in black and green.
A visitor upon the scene would think these schools have a storied history facing each other, when in reality, it’s just the opposite.
In just their second meeting, CDO (4-0) once again took home the spoils, winning 21-0. Yet, it still felt like a big-time rivalry win.
“We put them on the schedule hoping for this kind of environment and we’ve gotten it the last two years,” Pusch Ridge coach Jerry Harris said. “It’s great for the fans, great for the players and great for both programs.”
The rivalry has emerged due to the overall attendance dip at CDO, which won a Class 4A state title in 2009, and the sudden rise to promise for PRCA, which went 13-1 in 2017.
Yet, Friday night the Dorados kept the high ground with a gritty defensive performance. They turned away PRCA (1-2) three times in their own territory to end the game, including a pivotal fourth down and goal stop from their own 5-yard line while up 14-0. The stop came after the Lions, relying heavily on running backs junior Evan Lovett and sophomore John Goodwillie, pushed the pile 74 yards on 17 plays taking up close to nine minutes of game time.
The stop astonished even Peace, who understands how limited depth — CDO had eight players not dressed due to injury — has affected his crew.
“Character-wise that’s the best defensive series we’ve had all year,” he said. “I didn’t even know that it was 17 plays, but that make it an even stronger argument. We fought first and goal from the five and were able to keep a team that runs the ball like that out of the end zone. That’s a character stop we’ll rely and build on.”
The CDO defense had more takeaways than plays of 10 or more yards, stonewalling Lovett, who came into the game with 219 yards over two games but finished with just 75 yards on 11 carries. Goodwillie took his 11 carries for just 36 yards.
The Dorados took control of the game from the opening series when quarterback Montana Neustadter raced up the middle for a 52-yard touchdown on third down just two minutes into the game.
“I really didn’t believe I was that open,” Neustadter said. “I just saw a gap and took off as fast as I could. I felt a little pressure on my backside and just hoped I wouldn’t get shoe-string tackled.”
A few series later, at safety, he pulled down CDO’s first interception to end the first quarter. He finished with 101 rushing yards on 11 carries but he completed just one of five passes for zero yards. Without much of a passing attack, the Dorados relied heavily on tailback Gavin Davis, who ran for 136 yards with 20 carries. They travel to Amphitheater next week while PRCA makes the long drive to Snowflake.
