Two second-half offensive possessions and a last-second stop was all Phoenix Pinnacle needed to escape Tucson with a 28-21 win over Salpointe Catholic on Friday night.
The loss conceivably knocks the Lancers (3-2) out of the Open Division playoff hunt for the first time since the postseason grouping was formed in 2019.
Friday nightβs defeat also marked the first time since 2015 that the Lancers lost back-to-back games. Salpointe lost to powerhouse Scottsdale Saguaro last week.
βWe had our opportunities,β said Salpointe head coach Eric Rogers. βWe just didnβt quite make the play we needed to. But I told the boys after the game how proud I am of them. Thatβs a gutsy, gutsy effort. We knew what we were getting ourselves into. (Pinnacle) is a great football team, hats off to them, they did the job and got the win.β
Salpointe Catholicβs Treyson Bourguet takes off on a quarterback keeper during the first half Friday night.
In recent history, the Lancers were always the ones hosting Power 5 college football coaches on their sidelines for high-profile recruits. The main attraction Friday night was Pinnacle star Duce Robinson, a five-star junior rated by recruiting websites as the top tight end in the 2023 recruiting class.
Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott, Washington head coach Jimmy Lake and an assistant from Northern Arizona was in attendance to scout Robinson, who finished the night catching two touchdowns, both in the first half.
βHeβs special, thereβs no doubt about it. That guy makes plays, and he did it over and over on third down after third down,β Rogers said.
Robinson caught a 45-yard touchdown to give the Pioneers (2-3) a 7-0 lead. After a failed fourth-down conversion near midfield and a missed 39-yard field goal, Salpointe trailed 14-0 following Robinsonβs 80-yard touchdown catch.
Salpointe quarterback Treyson Bourguet connected with Dylan Dreis on a key third-and-7 to extend a drive in the second quarter, which resulted in Gage Felix hauling in a 25-yard touchdown. On the final drive of the first half, Bourguet improvised on a pass play and ran the ball 47 yards to the 1-yard line, then punched in the touchdown with a quarterback keeper the following play to lock the score at 14 going into halftime.
Phoenix Pinnacle's Jacobie Rucker is tacked by Salpointe Catholic's Joey Sumlin (9) during the first half Friday.
Bourguet finished the night with 104 rushing yards on 10 carries.
βWe have a very gutsy football team and that showed tonight. After dropping 14-0, they never gave up or even flinched. We have a veteran coaching staff that just works their butts off, and we didnβt panic,β Rogers said.
Bourguet began the second half with an interception on a deep route and gave the ball to Pinnacle early. From there, the Pioneers chewed up the remainder of the third quarter and went ahead 21-14 after Pinnacle receiver Myles Libman caught an 11-yard touchdown.
βWe just couldnβt make that play on third down to get guys off the field β and thatβs honestly two weeks in a row now,β Rogers said.
Salpointe answered with a methodical drive, with senior running back Anthony Wilhite, who finished with 75 yards, scoring a goal-line touchdown to tie the game. But Pinnacleβs constricting dink-and-dunk offense charged down the field to score the go-ahead touchdown, leaving just 1:37 for Bourguet and the Lancers to either tie or win the game with a 2-point conversion.
One final Hail Mary attempt was batted down in the end zone to put a stamp on Pinnacleβs win.
βFor Treyson, thatβs one of the gutsiest football games Iβve ever seen him play,β Rogers said. βHe was tremendous, itβs just unfortunate we didnβt come out and have the scoreboard in our favor. β¦ Tonight just wasnβt our night on the scoreboard.β
Salpointe will play at Desert View (5-0) next Friday night.
