Cactus Shadows wards off late rally, wins opener
MARC BUCKHOUT ~MANAGING EDITOR ~ 9/8/2010

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Behind a four touchdown performance from senior receiver John Leonard and a stellar debut by sophomore quarterback Bryce Kinsler the Cactus Shadows football team claimed a season opening 32-29 win over Cienega in Friday’s season opener.
In his first varsity game Kinsler showed a quick release and an accurate arm during a 14-of-22 179 yard four touchdown night.
Despite the duos effort, which saw Leonard catch 11 passes for 149 yards, the Falcons had to hold their breath as a 75-yard touchdown pass with just more than a minute left in the game was called back for a block in the back penalty.
“We didn’t finish,” Cactus Shadows coach Chad DeGrenier said. “We faced a great team and earned a hard fought victory, but we need to get better.”
A season removed from going 11-1 with an offense that put up 40 points per game, the 2010 version of the Falcons faced question about whether they’d continue to have a high-powered attack after graduating their quarterback, leading rusher and leader in receiving yards from a season ago.
When Cactus Shadows scored on its first three possessions of the game, running out to a 20-0 just 1:02 into the second quarter it became apparent that the Falcons have little to
worry about offensively.
The third touchdown in just more than 13 minutes came on a 61-yard touchdown pass from Kinsler to Leonard on a swing pass to the left flat in which the senior receiver simply ran away from the Bobcats defense.
Special teams gaffs and a defense that looked shaky late though would turn what looked like a laugher into a nail-biter.
Down 20-0, Cienega would respond in just three plays to get on the board as the Falcons defense had a pair of 15-yard penalties, a facemask followed by a late hit out of bounds to aid a 69-yard scoring drive.
The defense did redeem itself late in the half when it made it’s second fourth down stop of the game, spoiling a Cienega 10-play drive that had the Bobcats earn a first-and-goal on the 5-yardline. The stand allowed the Falcons to take a 20-7 lead to the locker room at the half.
In the third quarter Cienega star running back Willie Willis showed off his explosiveness, scoring his second touchdown of the game on a 39-yard scamper around the left end, a pitch play in which he was hit in the backfield before breaking away from the Falcons defense.
After seeing the Bobcats pull within 20-14 the Falcons would respond. On consecutive possessions Cactus Shadows leaned on a heavy dose of senior running back Nic Erickson, who finished the game with 60 yards on 17 carries. On the first drive Erickson had eight carries for 42 yards on a drive that ended with a perfectly lofted pass by Kinsler to Leonard in the back corner of the end zone, the second time the two connected for a touchdown
on the same play.
After an interception by Joree Schneider, who returned the pick 25 yards and had a 15-yard penalty on Cienega tacked on, the Falcons offense set up shop in Bobcats territory from the 31.
Following three carries for nine yards by Erickson, Cactus Shadows faced a 2nd-and-6 from the 19-yardline when Leonard made perhaps his most impressive move of the night.
On a quick pass to the right flat from Kinsler, Leonard caught the ball with his back to the defense. After making the catch he made a quick fake as though he were going to turn back toward the middle of the field. As the Bobcats corner bit on the fake Leonard instead spun toward the sideline and then tiptoed down the sideline to get to the end zone for his fourth score of the game.
“The whole offense deserves credit for what we did tonight,” Leonard said. “The line
did a great job.”
As for the connection with his new quarterback Leonard said the chemistry between the two developed pretty quickly during the summer.
“He’s the man,” Leonard said. “He puts the ball where it needs to be almost every time. He’s our little brother, but he doesn’t play like somebody that’s younger.”
Leonard’s fourth touchdown gave Cactus Shadows a 32-14 advantage with only 6:16 remaining in the game.
That’s when things would get frightening for the home team.
A Jordan Mills to Edgar Poe 31-yard touchdown pass made it 32-21 with 3:53 left.
With Cactus Shadows looking to run out the clock the Falcons instead ran the ball up the middle twice for next to nothing and then threw an incomplete pass. On fourth and long, from just inside Cienega territory the Falcons, who had already had an errant snap sail over their punter’s head in the first half and also had two extra points blocked, elected to put the ball in the hands of their sophomore quarterback.
On a rollout right Kinsler didn’t see anyone open and went to the ground rather than risk a throw. The turnover gave the ball to Cienega near midfield. The Bobcats took advantage going 56-yards in just 6-plays, capping the drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Poe on 3rd-and-10. When the Bobcats converted a two point conversion the score was 32-29 with 2:51 left.
While an onside kick attempt failed, the Falcons offense went three and out again. This time the Falcons punted, giving the ball to Cienega with 1:20 left in the game on their own 17.
On 2nd-and-2 from the 25-yardline Mills threw a ball to Jeremiah Robinson in the left flat. The senior went down the left sideline 75-yards for what would have been the go-ahead score. Instead the touchdown was called back for an illegal block in the back penalty. From there the Falcons defense was finally able to hold off Cienega to win the game.
On Thursday Cactus Shadows hosts Greenway in the Cox 7 Game of the Week.

BOULDER CREEK
At Boulder Creek the Jaguars (1-1) will look to rebound from a humbling loss in their home opener when they travel to Kingman Friday.
Perennial power Chaparral, which beat the Jaguars 42-7 in 2009, thumped Boulder Creek again, this time by the score of 48-7 on Friday.
The Northwest Region opener will come against a Kingman (0-1) squad also looking to bounce back from a tough loss as the Bulldogs were defeated 33-0 in their season opener against Lake Havasu.