Marc Buckhout/The Foothills Focus
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Boulder Creek blanked in season-ending loss
MARC BUCKHOUT ~MANAGING EDITOR ~ 11/09/2011
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The optimists hoped that the regular season finale, in which Boulder Creek fell to Desert Ridge 38-14, would have been a teaching tool that would offer the team from Anthem some clue as to how they could approach a rematch just eight days later.
The logic went that after an ugly first half Boulder Creek had outscored Desert Ridge 14-10 in the second half.
“We really thought we would have a chance,” coach Daniel Friedman said. “Our coaching staff felt like we had a good game plan after seeing what they liked to do scheme wise and our kids had a great week of practice.”
Just eight days later though it appeared the only thing that the Anthem version of the Jaguars had gathered from the first encounter was that they weren’t in the same class as
the team from Mesa, also known as the Jaguars.
“We knew we’d have to ball control, but their front four might have been the best we’ve faced in the five years I’ve been here at Boulder Creek,” Friedman said.
In the first round of the Div-I football playoffs No. 4 Desert Ridge (9-2) team ended
the season of No. 13 Boulder Creek (6-5) 49-0.
“We thought moving up to Div-I that making the playoffs would be a good accomplishment,” Friedman said. “We’re glad about that, but as the season progressed we got a little stale. After the bad loss at Mountain Ridge we went into a tail spin. I’m not really sure why that was. Did people figure out our schemes? Did we get complacent for some reason?
It seemed like we hurt ourselves a lot.”
A week after getting drubbed 28-0 in the first half of the regular season finale things were even worse in the playoffs as Desert Ridge scored on all five of its first half possessions and also registered a special teams touchdown in running out to a 42-0 halftime advantage.
Desert Ridge running back Joey Counts was a one-man wrecking crew. A week after rushing for 226 yards on 27 carries and scoring a touchdown in the regular season finale, the senior was even more dominant in the rematch, tallying 234 yards on only 11 carries and scoring five touchdowns.
“I don’t want to make excuses, they are a really talented team, but we had some crucial injuries to the defense,” Friedman said. “At some points in the game we had five sophomores out on the field. It’s another reminder that we need to develop more depth in the program.”
Counts impact was felt immediately on Friday as he took the first play from scrimmage and went 85 yards for a touchdown.
Down 7-0, Boulder Creek’s offense looked to respond. Putting together their best drive of the game, the Anthem based Jaguars moved from their own 32 to the Desert Ridge 18 in eight play. On third-and-five junior Stephen Landeros was thrown for a 3-yard loss.
With a chance to at least respond with a field goal the Jaguars kicking game, which struggled all season, went out to attempt a 39-yard field goal.
Instead of getting their footing and establishing that they would be in the game the field goal attempt proved disastrous as senior defensive back Jordan Becerra blocked the attempt by Boulder Creek senior kicker Jacobus Van Leeuwen.
Desert Ridge’s Nathaniel Rodriguez scooped up the loose ball and went 75 yards for a touchdown to make the score 14-0, with 5:35 remaining in the first quarter.
“It seemed like we were snake bit on special teams this year,” Friedman said. “We had some big returns, but the kicking game obviously was very disappointing. Trust me, we spent a ton of time on it, but that’s going to be something we have to get fixed this offseason. At some point I think it got to be mental.
From that point on the game was all Desert Ridge.
“Early in the year against Brophy we showed that we belonged in Div-I, but obviously the last two weeks Desert Ridge showed us that we still have a ways to go,” Friedman said.”
Friedman said he’s excited for several of his graduating seniors that should be able to continue their football careers at the college level including Austin Farnlof, Marquis Bundy and quarterback Trevor Bonifasi.
“Trevor was a warrior,” he said. “He’s pretty beat up, but he played through a lot and was a great leader for us. Even throwing against the wind and with the pressure they were applying he was still pretty accurate. His size is the only draw back, but some college is going to get a heck of a player.”
Beyond those standouts Friedman said he’s got some other seniors that should be able to continue their football careers.
“That’s our next focus,” he said. “We’re hoping some of the other guys can find places to play at some of the smaller schools.”
Looking ahead to 2012, Friedman, who has led his team to the postseason each of the past four seasons, said there are things that need to be done if the program is going to continue to progress.