Tempe Marcos de Niza held a comfortable lead late in the second quarter Friday night.
But the Padres had no plans to take it easy.
SLIDESHOW: Friday night high school football action
Marcos blew open the game, scoring 17 points in the final three minutes of the half on the way to a 44-14 victory over Glendale Deer Valley (5-6) Friday in the first round of the 5A-II football state playoffs at Marcos.
“This is the first step of a journey,’’ Marcos coach Roy Lopez said. “It’s a different level. It’s a higher level.”
Marcos’ Ramon Abreu ran for 112 yards, scored two touchdowns, caught a 50-yard pass and intercepted a pass. The Padres (10-1) had 256 yards passing, 196 from starter Zach Schira, who finished with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Marcos held Deer Valley to 36 yards on the ground.
“They’re a great team,’’ Deer Valley coach Sven Christianson said. “Offensively, defensively — we just didn’t have any answers.”
Abreu rolled up 92 yards in three carries in the first quarter, scoring on runs of 11 and 61 yards.
Ahead 21-7, the Padres started their surge late in the second quarter on Dominic Sotelo’s 4-yard TD run. The Padres forced a punt and scored on a 55-yard pass play from Schira to Tevin Newell. Then, Donovan Henley intercepted a pass near midfield and returned it to the 11, setting up a field goal by Eric Rodriguez right before the half.
