The lead was too big when it wasn’t and the game was over when it wasn’t. Down 35-14 with 11:13 left in the fourth quarter, Yuma Catholic came within a few seconds of possible overtime on a night of improbable comebacks in the 4A and 5A state championship games held back-to-back Friday night at ASU.

Higley led Desert Edge 42-13 with several minutes left in the third quarter in the 5A nightcap but it came down to a holding call to deny the Scorpions a two-point conversion, and a crazy 43-42 win, and the Higley Knights held on for a 42-41 victory on the game’s final play. The Shamrocks did all they could in the first game to match that intensity but two incomplete passes from the Dorado 15 in the final seconds gave Canyon del Oro a 35-27 victory and the 4A state championship trophy, the fourth in program history.

The 4A championship was also a coming out party of sorts for Canyon del Oro senior running back/linebacker Kayden Luke who finished the night with 217 yards rushing on 231 carries (7.0) with two touchdowns and three assisted tackles. He finished his senior season with a state-leading 2,303 yards yet his leadership on a team that finished 14-0 went seemingly unnoticed until recruits from all the major colleges in Arizona witnessed his exploits firsthand on Friday.

Luke was explosive right away by dominating the Dorado’s first drive with 78 yards on eight carries, capped off with a 5-yard scoring run to give Canyon del Oro a 7-0 lead with 4:28 left in the first. Yuma Catholic standout Ford Tayt finished with 41 yards on 15 carries (2.7) and 19 of those yards came in response to the score by the Dorados and his 3-yard run tied the game at 7-7 with 23 seconds left in the quarter.

Though some predicted the Shamrocks might take control of the championship game early, that never materialized and an 80-yard dash from Chase Laux with 11:47 left in the first half put an end to what looked to be a huge defensive stand deep in Dorado territory. Instead, Canyon del Oro led 14-7.

A punt from the Shamrocks led to another Dorado scoring drive with Luke gaining 59 yards on five carries, with a 11-yard score, to put Canyon del Oro up 21-7 with 2:39 left. Nash Ott finished 21-40 for 295 yards and he came alive in in the final moments of the half with a 35-yard pass to Hunter Hancock with 1:13 left to cut the Dorado lead down to 21-14. That drive was an omen of what was to come.

The Shamrocks had an opportunity to take charge in the third quarter after the Dorados were forced to punt to open the half but the Shamrocks also found themselves in a punting situation, only to have the ball deflect off of a Canyon del Oro player to give Yuma Catholic new life at midfield. That second chance was negated on a 15-yard sack from Grant Young and the Shamrocks were forced to punt again, which gave momentum right back to the Dorados.

The next drive from Canyon del Oro was a team effort with Luke, Vijay King, Laux, Tristen McClelland taking turn rushing the ball with Laux capping it all off on Laux scoring from five yards out on fourth down on a halfback reverse in the backfield to avoid the Shamrock pursuit. Canyon del Oro led 28-14 with 8 seconds left in the third at that point after the drive that took up almost eight minutes.

Hancock set the Shamrocks up in good position on a 34-yard kick return but a couple of first-down passes from Ott was followed by a 50-yard interception return from Young to put the Dorados up 35-14 with 11:13 left in the game but it wasn’t over.

Hancock came up with a 59-yard kick return which gave the Shamrocks a short field and Ford punched the ball in from up close with 8:15 left to cut the lead down to 35-21. The Shamrocks followed that with a recovered on-side kick to create another short field and a 41-yard pass from Ott to Sir Stokes led to a 20-yard pass to Hancock and Ford scored again to cut the lead down to 35-27 on a missed extra point with 6:10 left.

The Dorados responded by driving down to the Yuma Catholic 21 but a fumble on a fourth-and-3 situation put the Shamrocks back in business with3:25 left and that their own 22. Ott hit Darryl Coleman for 11 yards and he rushed for 10 two plays later. Ott gained four more yards and he hit Coleman for 17 on a fourth-and-6 situation to keep the drive alive. Another Coleman catch put the ball at the Dorado 36 and Ott found Hancock for five yards on another fourth down play. A completion to Stokes one play later put the ball at the 15 with 16 seconds left but a broken up completion in the end zone and an overthrow on another fourth down gave the Dorados the ball back with two seconds left and the 35-27 victory.

“Even though we weren’t clean there at the end, we kept our composure and it showed,” Peace said about the last moments with Yuma Catholic driving. “Being in those tough situations, we were able to be there in the end.”

Yuma Catholic head coach Rhett Stallworth finished the year 13-1 and this was his eighth championship appearance since 2010, having won state titles in 2011, 2013 and 2014. He has taken the Shamrocks from a dominating “small school” program to a state power in the upper division after moving up to the 4A Conference last year after several years at the 2A and 3A level. The Shamrocks spent most of the second half of the season ranked No. 1 in the 4A Conference and he returns Ott but he loses Ford and Stokes, with a crew of receivers ready to step in. Still the 14 seniors he will lose does not compare with the 29 Peace will say goodbye to.

Peace will lose McCelland at QB and his top five rushers including Luke and his top seven receivers. Six of his top defenders will graduate but he returns junior standout Evan Greer. Peace has been here before, having lost Ka’Deem Carey after his first two seasons at Canyon del Oro. Peace started out his career with another 14-0 season in 2009 to give him his first state championship. He took second pace in 2010 and this was his second title and the fourth for the Dorados dating back to 1976. Bob Smith won back-to-back titles in 1976 and 1977 with the Dorados. Pat Nugent led the program to a runner-up finish in 2007.

Yuma Catholic. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365)

 

THE STATS

 

THE LEGENDS

The 1973 Coconino team beat Flowing Wells 14-3 to win the 4A state title. Bill Epperson’s squad went 8-2-1 that year. Larry Hart coached the Caballeros. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365)

The 1998 Sabino team, coached by Jeff Scurran, beat Agua Fria 27-9. Mickey Bell was the coach. The Sabercats went 12-1-1.

 

THE VIDEOS