John Busker is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Bourgade Catholic High School for AZPreps365.com.

PHOENIX - It’s first-and-goal. The Bourgade Catholic Golden Eagles are looking to go up four scores over the Cortez Colts. There’s just over eight minutes on the clock in the third quarter. Patrick Viscaina runs onto the field to get set. The 6-foot-2-inch, 300-poundish senior gets ready to charge forward. Only this time, he’s not lined up on the offensive line. He’s behind the quarterback, at running back. Sophomore quarterback Jimmy Hill takes the snap in the pistol formation and hands it to Viscaina. He follows his blockers right, but runs into a Cortez defender. But that’s not stopping Viscaina from getting his moment on senior night. In a moment reminiscent of William Perry and the 1985 Chicago Bears, the Golden Eagles have found their own refrigerator.

“It felt amazing,” said Viscaina. “It’s something I joked around with coach for a while, since my sophomore year. It just feels amazing to be able to do it finally on senior night.”

Bourgade Catholic (4-5) defeated Cortez (0-8) 36-0 in its final home game of the season this Friday, celebrating their seniors in style by shutting out the Colts. The Golden Eagles are a young team with only four seniors on their roster: offensive and defensive lineman Jayce Chavez, kicker, wide receiver and safety Blake Hull, punter and linebacker Peter Laborin, and the previously mentioned Viscaina. The four seniors all acted as captains for tonight's game, walking out in front of the home crowd for the final time. 

“Having a bunch of guys just come together,” said Viscaina, “being friends, playing football together, there’s nothing better. There’s nothing like it. There’s nothing compared to it. It’s the greatest feeling in the world. That’s what I’m gonna miss the most.”

The Golden Eagles got the scoring started early. After a Cortez fumble on the third offensive play of the game, the Golden Eagles got the ball at the Colts’ 18-yard line. Two plays later running back Manuel Vasquez ran it in from 18 yards out, springing a delayed counter to the left side of the field and not looking back. The sophomore was a part of a two-headed ground attack along with junior David Espinoza that tore through the Cortez defense. The two combined for 169 yards on just 16 carries, with Vasquez doing the most damage in the first half and Espinoza taking over in the second.

David Espinoza runs the ball for Bourgade Catholic (John Busker/AZPreps365)

“We wanted to run the ball,” said head coach Marcel Lopez. “We have two young running backs that like to run the ball and they run pretty well. We said we wanted to be able to run all night, and for the most part I think we did a pretty good job.”

The Golden Eagles were committed to the ground game, but quarterback Jimmy Hill still threw two touchdown passes, including one on a 38-yard Hail Mary pass to end the first half. After Cortez had failed to run the clock out before turning it over on downs on their own half of the field, the Golden Eagles had :01 and 38 yards to go to try and steal a touchdown. With all kinds of time in the pocket, Hill threw downfield, a pass intended for wide receiver Gabriel Laborin.

Hill's pass was tipped away by a Cortez defender at the three. Bourgade wide receiver Randy Perez was ready for the deflection and gathered in the ball in the end zone for his second catch and second touchdown of the game. That put the Golden Eagles up 21-0 as both teams jogged off the field.

“I had a feeling it was gonna bounce off someone,” said Perez, “so I was just ready to catch it and score. I was prepared for that. I saw it coming.”

Perez’s first score came earlier in the second quarter. With 3:40 left in the half, the Golden Eagles had the ball at the Colts’ 19 yard-line. Just like the Hail Mary pass, Hill had plenty of time in the pocket. He rolled to his right and saw that the coverage had broken down on the right sideline, leaving Perez wide open. Hill found Perez at the 10 and Perez did the rest, scampering in untouched for the score. Perez said he wanted to get the win for his senior teammates on their night.

“I love it,” said Perez, “being able to represent them as a team, just get the win for them, a much-needed win. I’m happy. 

After a failed two-point attempt on the Viscaina touchdown run, the Golden Eagles next score would come in a rather unconventional way. A miscommunication on a handoff led to Cortez recovering a Golden Eagle fumble at their own eight yard-line. But Bourgade pushed them back to the two before the Colts were forced to punt on fourth down.

However, the snap sailed over the head of the punter and out of the back of the end zone, resulting in a safety. That made the score 29-0 in favor of the Golden Eagles. On their next possession, after a 17-yard run by Espinoza set up Bourgade at the Cortez five, Blake Hull would get in on the scoring. Hull received a pitch from Hill and galloped in from five yards out, putting the Colts ahead, 36-0;

“We have a young group of guys that are getting better every week,” said Lopez. “We wanted to send our seniors off right. We wanted them to walk off this field for the last time on a Friday night, have some fun, and have some good memories.”

Bourgade Catholic will finish its season Friday, October 29, as they travel to Paradise Honors High School to take on the Panthers.