September 11, 2004
Despite a superb rushing performance by Red Mountain’s Channing Trotter, all thoughts were on Mountain Lions starting quarterback Maurice Hector, who had to be taken off the field on a stretcher after the last play of the first half.
Red Mountain rallied behind Trotter, who rushed for 225 yards and a touchdown, as the visiting Mountain Lions topped Mountain Pointe, 17-13.
Hector, who started his first game at the varsity level in last week’s win over Mesquite, was sacked by four Mountain Pointe players with about 10 seconds to go in the quarter and went down.
Red Mountain coach Jim Jones said Hector had feelings in all of his extremities, but still had pain in his neck. Hector had a previous injury to his back and had undergone therapy throughout the summer.
Hector, who was 3-for-10 for 50 yards in the first half, was taken to Chandler Regional Hospital for precautionary purposes. Emergency room personnel said Hector was in good condition.
Despite trailing 6-3 at halftime, Red Mountain dominated on the field. The Lions outrushed the Pride 142-54, thanks to the performance of Trotter, who had 114 yards on 13 carries in the first half.
Trotter said his team was fired up and felt like it was playing for its quarterback.
"In the locker room, we were just talking about it, thinking about it," Trotter said. "We knew we needed to do it for him."
Trotter and the Lions opened the second half with a three-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Trotter going 71 yards.
Jarvis Hodge and the Pride answered back with their own touchdown drive, ending with Hodge scoring from 10 yards out. Hodge, the team’s starting tailback and a member of the Pride’s 400 track relay squad, was also responsible for the Pride’s first touchdown, a 4-yard sweep that gave Mountain Pointe an early lead.
Red Mountain answered through the air with 4:27 to go in the fourth as junior quarterback Nick Orr hooked up with senior receiver Nick Miller on a 41-yard strike down the sideline, giving the Lions a 17-13 lead.
Trotter again came up big in the fourth quarter with two interceptions, including one with under a minute to go.
