Luke Rubenzer, Saguaro: The sophomore quarterback carried the Sabercats to a last-second victory against Phoenix Thunderbird, racking up 457 yards of total offense and five touchdowns in a 43-39 come-from-behind victory. Rubenzer finished 22-of-27 for 306 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 151 yards and two touchdowns. He also played safety for Saguaro the entire second half.
Josh Hoekstra, Pinnacle: Hoekstra broke the Pinnacle single-game rushing record, amassing 290 yards and 3 TDs on 19 carries to lead the pioneers to a 43-20 win over cactus Shadows. Hoekstra had touchdown runs of 48, 45 and 45 yards.
Josh McDowell, Campo Verde: He returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown with 19 seconds left in the game to give Campo Verde a 14-3 win over Higley. On the play before, McDowell also had a big hit to break up what would have been a Knights’ first down at the Coyotes 35-yard line.
Tyrine Blaise, San Tan Foothills: Whether it was on offense or special teams, Blaise ran for two touchdowns, plus a 99-yard kickoff return for another score in a 47-13 victory over Canyon State.
Josh Eckley, Marcos de Niza: Through the air and on the ground, Marcos de Niza quarterback Josh Eckley did it all, capped by his 11-yard improvised QB keeper for the game-winning touchdown on the game’s final play to pull off a 29-27 victory at Chaparral. Eckley was responsible for 305 of Marcos de Niza’s 542 yards of offense.
Luke Taffuri, Notre Dame: Notre Dame’s senior running back/linebacker scored two touchdowns and tallied five tackles on defense as the Saints defeated Philadelphia’s Father Judge, 20-6, in Ireland. Tuffuri also picked off a pass on Notre Dame’s 1-yard line early in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
J.J. Husar, Desert Ridge: Despite an injury that forced him out of the game for a stretch, Desert Ridge wide receiver J.J. Husar still managed to rush for 163 yards on 14 carries and three touchdowns in the Jaguars’ 45-23 victory over Mountain View. If that wasn’t enough, Husar also caught a 37-yard TD pass.
Blake Young, Highland: The junior quarterback threw for 155 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 103 yards and another score as the Hawks beat Gilbert to improve to 2-0 this season.
