Rachel Masson is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Camelback High School for AZPreps365.com

Cesar Chavez won 8-6 in a defense-driven game at Camelback on Friday night.

After a scoreless first half, both the Spartans and Champions defensive units continued to play hard, only allowing one touchdown each, as both team’s offenses had trouble advancing the ball.

Both the Champions’ senior quarterback Tyree Calderon and the Spartans’ senior quarterback Rocco Mortensen only had three completions each in the first quarter. Mortensen had 20 rushing yards in the first while Calderon called mostly passing plays.

“We knew it was going to be a long night,” Cesar Chavez coach William Burwell said. “We knew it was going to be a long game. So, we were just gonna keep pushing, and hoping we come up with something.”

The second quarter was the same as neither team was able to get far enough past the other’s defense to score. The Champions’ defense was able to read the Spartans’ offense and stop them from scoring.

“I thought they did a good job identifying who our playmakers were,” said Jamar Pinnock, Camelback linebacker coach and co-defensive coordinator. “Jaylen Gillis (senior wide receiver), they had double coverage on him all night.”

During the third quarter, the Champions’ offense caught fire. Senior running back Deven Highsmith was able to break through the Spartans defense and score the lone touchdown for the Champions with 7:38 left in the third quarter.

“Honestly, I was surprised,” Highsmith said. “I knew they were going low, so I just had to get high and make a play.”

After a successful two-point conversion from junior running back Myles Johnson, the Champions led the Spartans 8-0.

The Spartans tried to keep up with the Champions, but Mortensen again threw only three completions. The Spartans’ offense visibly grew frustrated with themselves.

However, the Spartans defense was able to keep the Champions from scoring again.

“[The defense] did a great job,” Pinnock said. “They fought tonight. The defense did what they could.”

The fourth quarter was filled with more strong defensive efforts from both sides as the Spartans held the Champions scoreless in the fourth, and the Champions had two sacks against Mortensen.

However, late in the fourth, junior defensive back Luis Juarez had an interception, which brought some energy to the Spartans.

The Spartans were able to score a touchdown with 27 seconds left in the game on a 5-yard pass from Mortensen to senior running back Tali Maafu.

The touchdown wasn’t enough to help the Spartans as the two-point conversion failed.

The Spartans look to improve as they’ve struggled the past two weeks producing on the offensive side. Last week they lost, 54-0, at Desert Edge.

“We gotta put points on the board,” Pinnock said. “We got a lot of talent. We just gotta put it together. We just gotta get better. Defense gotta keep playing the way they’re playing, and offense knows what they have to do. We just gotta get it all together.”

Camelback (1-3, 1-2) will host Arcadia on Friday at 7 p.m. Cesar Chavez (3-1, 0-1) will travel to Mountain Pointe on Thursday at 7 p.m.