Conner Palluck is an ASU Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication student assigned to cover La Joya Community High School for AZPreps365.

After back-to-back one score losses the La Joya Lobos looked to get into the win column for the first time this year playing at Deer Valley High School.  

Unfortunately for the Lobos, the Skyhawk defense had other ideas holding the Lobos to just 100 yards of total offense as the Skyhawks came out on top 7-0.

Before the game Lobo head coach Adam Beene said that their team is riddled with injuries currently.

He continued to say that they currently have nine players out with injuries, including six starters. He did not think that would hinder their chances, though as he said that he felt good about his team going into the game. 

The game began with the Lobos receiving the opening kickoff after Deer Valley won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. The La Joya offense started at its own 35-yard line and would rely on the run game on this drive which pushed them just past midfield where they would have a fourth-and-1 play that would be stopped for a turnover on downs. 

This gave the ball over to the Skyhawks who took a shot on their first play where quarterback Dylan English pitched it to the backup quarterback Tyler Lebaron who missed an open receiver downfield. The Skyhawk drive would eventually move inside the 15-yard line where the Lobo defense would hold and force a field goal attempt that the kicker Dylan English would hook wide left. 

After this there were punts back and forth between the two teams leading into the second quarter where the Skyhawks were threatening to score but English would fumble the ball on a run and it would be picked up by a Lobo player. The Lobos would take over at their own 39-yard line, but could not capitalize on the turnover and would fail on yet another fourth down try and give the ball back to the Skyhawks. 

This failed fourth down would prove to be a costly one as the Skyhawks started with good field position at their own 35-yard line and drove down the field as English would complete a 13-yard pass for a touchdown to wide receiver Brody Keith in the back of the endzone with only 8 seconds left before the half. 

To begin the second half the Lobos were kicking off to the Skyhawks, but pulled off some trickery of their own and attempted and recovered an onside kick.

“We knew we were gonna take some chances in the kicking game, but we did make that decision at halftime to go ahead and come out with an onside kick,” Beane said.

After Lobo starting quarterback Aaron Winfield couldn’t get the offense going, Beane decided to put sophomore backup Jared Molina into the game. Unfortunately though, the story continued to be the same as after getting great field position after the onside kick, the Lobos would run four plays before being stopped on fourth down once again. 

Then the story of the second half was the Deer Valley rushing attack on offense, as running back Marcus Johnson would rush for 99 yards in the game, and pass rush on defense, as Winfield and Monlia went a combined 4 for 10 for 20 yards for the Lobos. 

The Lobos would have opportunities to score as they backed up the Skyhawks deep in their own territory and forced a punt which would be partially deflected.

While the deflected ball was rolling down the field the Skyhawk sideline reacted as though it hit a Lobo player which would make it a live ball, but when a Skyhawk picked it up the officials ruled that it did not touch a Lobo and the ball was downed. This gave the Lobos the ball at the Deer Valley 42-yard line, but once again the Lobos would be stuffed on a fourth down play, giving the ball back to the Skyhawks. 

Then in the fourth quarter the Lobos only had the ball once, but they did start at the Skyhawk 44-yard line. On fourth and long the pass rush got through the Lobo O-line immediately and Molina was sacked for yet another turnover on downs. After this the Skyhawks would run out the remaining 3:38 left on the clock and take home the win. 

After the game the Lobos’ offensive line coach Ivan Vazquez addressed his unit's struggles.

 “We gotta protect our backside mostly, that’s where all our problems came from,” he said. “We gotta finish better. We have good drives, we just gotta finish them.” 

Next week La Joya (0-4) will play at Paradise Valley High School (0-4) and Deer Valley (2-2) will play at Mingus High School (2-2).

Lobos running back Jacob Rivera said the formula to getting the first win is simple.

“We just gotta do better,” he said.