Canyon del Oroโ€™s Jordan Thomas runs around Phoenix St. Maryโ€™s PJ Lewis during Fridayโ€™s Class 4A state playoff game. Thomas scored both of the Doradosโ€™ touchdowns in a 13-7 win.

Facing a first-round exit in the postseason in Salpointe Catholicโ€™s first season competing at the Class 6A level, the Lancers needed a touchdown.

Quarterback Fredo Sotelo picked up a low snap near his left ankle, rolled to his left, planted his feet and darted a pass over the middle โ€” with three defenders nearby โ€” to sophomore Nate Spivey for a walk-off touchdown, lifting the seventh-seeded Lancers over No. 10 seed Gilbert Williams Field 36-33 Friday night in the first round of the playoffs.

It was part of a banner night for Southern Arizona teams, who went 3-0 in the first round of the โ€œbig schoolsโ€ playoffs. A fourth team, Pusch Ridge Christian, played Saturday in the 3A state semifinals.

โ€œAt no point did I ever feel comfortable,โ€ said Salpointe coach Eric Rogers. โ€œWilliams Field is a very well-coached football team, very good football players. Theyโ€™re gritty, theyโ€™re tough, theyโ€™re used to this. ... I knew this was going to come down to the wire.โ€

Added Rogers: โ€œI told them at halftime: โ€˜If you think theyโ€™re going to roll over, you have another thing coming. Theyโ€™re going to fight us until the very end and we have to be prepared for that.โ€™ We practiced all week knowing this could come down to one play, so I feel confident weโ€™ve been battle-tested. For us to hang tough and find a way and get a play done, Iโ€™m so freaking proud of the kids.โ€

The Lancers and Black Hawks were tied 9-9 at the halftime break. Salpointe opened the second half with a pair of touchdowns. Star defensive end Elijah Rushing tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage. It landed in the hands of defensive end Damian Coley, who returned the interception for a 43-yard touchdown. Sotelo completed a 64-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Gage Felix to extend the Lancersโ€™ second-half lead to 23-9. Williams Field scored a 10-yard touchdown in the third quarter to bring the Black Hawks within a possession.

Given a chance to put the game away in the fourth quarter, Salpointe committed a series of penalties that knocked the Lancers out of the red zone, eliminating a chance for a field goal.

โ€œWeโ€™ve got to shore that up,โ€ Rogers said. โ€œWeโ€™re way too undisciplined in some areas and weโ€™re just beating ourselves. In these tight ball games, thatโ€™s how you lose.โ€

The self-inflicted errors continued when they muffed a punt to hand Gilbert Williams Field the ball on the 27-yard line and a chance to tie the game.

Williams Field running back Joshua Dye, who finished the night with 25 carries for 123 yards, tied the game 23-23 with a 4-yard touchdown run with just over four minutes remaining.

Salpointe faced a fourth-and-6 near midfield, but opted to punt. Lancers punter and kicker Cameron Fiske booted a 64-yard punt and pinned the Black Hawks on their two-yard line.

โ€œIt was huge,โ€ Rogers said.

Another three-and-out by Salpointeโ€™s defense gave the Lancers the ball with 21.8 seconds left. With 6 seconds remaining, Fiskeโ€™s 44-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Williams Field to force overtime.

The teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime period. A Salpointe sack knocked the Black Hawks back, and they were forced to kick a 35-yard field goal.

With the season on the line, Sotelo and Spivey lifted Salpointe over the Black Hawks with a game-winning touchdown pass โ€” the first walk-off score in Spiveyโ€™s career.

โ€œThat was one of the newer plays we added in. ... Fredo threw it, I did the best I could and just caught it,โ€ Spivey said.

Spivey said escaping Friday with a win โ€œis a relief.โ€

โ€œWe donโ€™t gotta worry about it any more and just move on to the next one,โ€ he said.

No. 7 seed Salpointe will battle second-seeded Gilbert Highland on the road next Friday in the 6A quarterfinals.

โ€œWeโ€™ve got to find a way to fight, scratch and claw for 48 minutes again,โ€ Rogers said.

โ€œBest part? Weโ€™re practicing on Thanksgiving. Thereโ€™s nothing greater. Itโ€™s my favorite holiday and itโ€™s not because of the food. I get to be out here with our guys and coaches on Thanksgiving. Itโ€™s just a fun group to be around. To be here on Thanksgiving, thereโ€™s nothing better.โ€

Thomas scores twice in CDO win: Jordan Thomas rushed for a pair of first-half touchdowns and No. 6 Canyon del Oro beat No. 13 Phoenix St. Maryโ€™s in the first round of the 4A state playoffs.

Thomas punched in a 1-yard score in the first quarter to give CDO a 6-0 lead (the PAT failed), then tacked on a 17-yard score just before halftime to make it 13-0. St. Maryโ€™s David Galindo made it a one-score game with a 2-yard rushing score with 9 minutes left, but the visitors could get no closer.

CDO will host its second-round playoff game after No. 14 Phoenix Thunderbird upset No. 3 Tempe Marcos de Niza 17-14 in Fridayโ€™s quarterfinals.



Marana's Elijah Joplin, right, and Dezmen Roebuck celebrate after a second-half touchdown during Friday night's Class 5A state playoff win over Phoenix Sunnyslope.

Tigers run past Sunnyslope, get Notre Dame Prep next: Elijah Joplin threw for 283 yards and No. 8 Marana scored twice in the fourth quarter to hold off No. 9 Phoenix Sunnyslope 26-17 in the first round of the 5A state playoffs.

Joplin, the Tigersโ€™ star quarterback, completed 22 of 29 passes but did not throw for a touchdown. Instead, the Tigers turned to their often-overlooked running game to put Sunnyslope away.

Matthew Jensen rushed for three short touchdowns, part of a 14-carry, 40-yard performance. Joplin added a QB sneak for a score.

Sophomore receiver Dezmen Roebuck finished with a game-high eight catches for 81 yards. He added 21 rushing yards and 36 return yards.

Jaelen Collins, Samuel Brown and Dermain Linen all intercepted passes for the Tigers, who will travel to No. 1 Scottsdale Notre Dame prep for Fridayโ€™s 5A state quarterfinals. Notre Dame Prep thumped No. 16 Paradise Valley on Friday night, 42-19.

Pusch Ridge Christianโ€™s season ends: Mesa Eastmark beat Pusch Ridge Christian 45-10 on Saturday afternoon, eliminating the Lions from the Class 3A state playoffs in the semifinals.

Second-seeded Eastmark scored three touchdowns in the second quarter and three more in the fourth to put third-seeded Pusch Ridge away. The Lions took a 3-0 lead on Isaiah Peytonโ€™s 30-yard field goal in the first quarter. Eastmark scored two consecutive touchdowns in the second quarter, making it 14-3. Pusch Ridgeโ€™s Bubba Mustain punched in a 10-yard rushing score and Peyton hit a PAT, cutting the lead to 14-10. Eastmark scored the final 31 points.

Eastmarkโ€™s win came one week after it beat Sabino 42-28 in the 3A quarterfinals. Eastmark will play either No. 1 Thatcher or No. 4 Show Low in Saturdayโ€™s 3A final, which will be held at Phoenix Desert Vista High School.


Become a #ThisIsTucson member! Your contribution helps our team bring you stories that keep you connected to the community. Become a member today.

Contact sports producer Justin Spears at jspears@tucson.com. On Twitter: @JustinESports