Division III Championship
No. 1 Desert Edge vs. No. 2 Queen Creek
What: Division III state championship game
When: Saturday, 3:07 p.m.
Where: Sun Devil Stadium
TV: Fox Sports Arizona
Internet: AIA365.com
Records: Desert Edge 13-0; Queen Creek 13-0
Desert Edge leaders: QB Sawyer Lung (146-225, 3,119 yards, 36 TD, 7 INT); RB Kyle Woolard (174 rushes, 1,545 yards, 13 TD); WR Elijah Marks (53 rec., 1,306 yards, 18 TD); WR/LB Ismael Murphy-Richardson (28 rec., 731 yards, 11 TD; 64 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 2 INT, 4 fumble recoveries); LB Raheem Dowdell (105 tackles, 5 sacks, INT).
Queen Creek leaders: QB Carson Jones (128-188, 2,003 yards, 18 TD, 4 INT); RB Matt Guida (183 att., 2,668 yards, 30 TD); RB Marcus Still (79 att., 856 yards, 11 TD); WR Gabe Vasquez (42 rec., 775 yards, 8 TD); DB Mike Graff 59 tackles, 9 INT; LB Dean Wenger (123 tackles, 3 sacks, 3 INT).
Keys to the game
• Desert Edge’s big-play passing game vs. Queen Creek’s stout secondary: The Bulldogs’ defensive backs are well-disciplined ballhawks. Most teams have trouble moving the ball against this unit, but the Scorpions have the most talented receivers Queen Creek has faced. Elijah Marks and Ismael Murphy-Richardson are both averaging more than 24 yards per reception and will try to break loose for big gains.
• Queen Creek RB Matt Guida vs. the Desert Edge running defense: Guida leads the state in rushing (2,668 yards) and yards per carry (14.58). The star junior has rushed for 193 yards or more in his past five games and another such performance would go a long way in carrying the Bulldogs to the title. Desert Edge, though, held Thunderbird star running back Kani Benoit to 81 yards rushing in the season opener and Saguaro to 4.1 yards per carry in the quarterfinals. Defensive lineman R.J. Tui leads the Scorpions tough defense.
• Bend or break: The Queen Creek defense forces teams to take short gains and drive the length of the field. If Desert Edge can avoid penalties and mistakes, it should be able to put up points on the Bulldogs. However, if they are consistently in 3rd-and-long situations, turnovers could be coming. The Scorpions must remain patient in order to solve the Bulldogs’ defense.
Queen Creek
Offense
QB — Carson Jones
RB — Matt Guida
FB — David Genantonio
WR — Gabe Vasquez
OL — Cody McGhee
OL — Chris Ervin
OL — Shane Till
OL — Carson Sawyer
OL — Dalton Tebbs
TE — Travis Cavanaugh
WR — Mike Graff
Defense
DL — Dejon Thompson
DL — Drake Danielson
DL — Dawson Prickett
DL — Caleb Tate
LB — Dean Wenger
LB — Luis Moreno
LB — Shane Till
DB — Colton Moore
DB — Mike Graff
DB — Tyler Johnson
DB — Derek Arrington
Specialists
K — Miguel Ibarra
KR — Weston Barlow
P — Colton Moore
PR — Mike Graff
Desert Edge
Offense
QB — Sawyer Lung
RB — Kyle Woolard
WR — Elijah Marks
WR — C.J. Heard
OL — J.R. Parra
OL — Dylan Cary
OL — Mark Morrison
OL — Israel Reyes
OL — Brage Cape
WR — Jordan Jackson
WR — Ismael Murphy-Richardson
Defense
DL — Tomas Macedo
DL — R.J. Tui
DL — Will Rodriguez
LB — Jonathan Snyder
LB — Josh Famolaro
LB — Raheem Dowdell
LB — Ismael Murphy-Richardson
DB — Ronald Dowdell
DB — Paul Davis
DB — Kyle Woolard
DB — K.J. Sells
Specialists
K — Chris Brown
KR — Kyle Woolard
P — Chris Brown
PR — Kyle Woolard
Reach Kyle Odegard at (480) 898-6834 or kodegard@evtrib.com. Follow his blog at http://blogs.evtrib.com/varsityxtra, or find him on Twitter @Kyle_Odegard.
