Williams Field's trump card is its defense and for the most part that unit keyed the Blackhawks' 27-22 victory over Casteel on Friday night in the 5A San Tan Region opener for both teams at Williams Field.

A couple little things became huge in the final period as a pair of roughing-the-passer calls kept Casteel on the field longer and in both cases helped lead to fourth-quarter touchdowns that closed a 27-9 margin to 27-22 with 3:36 to play.

"Defense played well, but we were on the field a lot in the second half," Williams Field coach Steve Campbell said. "We got worn down. A few things we have to clean up. Roughing the passer penalties, and special teams."

Williams Field now has won five games in a row since dropping its season opener at Norco, CA. Casteel was on a four-game winning streak since it lost to 5A defending champ Centennial in its opener. Had it not been for the defensive penalties in the final period and a dropped pass for a third-down conversion for Williams Field's offense, Casteel would not have been a possession away from having a shot at victory at the end. Casteel (4-2) can't be too dismayed as its losses to Centennial, the best 5A team on the west side and to Williams Field, which has ruled the east side more often than not of late.

Back to what the WF defense did positively to contribute to its win. Two first-quarter interceptions of Casteel quarterback Gunner Cruz turned into 13 points. The Blackhaws sacked Cruz five times for the game and pressured him on several more occassions.

Williams Field defensive back Scotter Brown notched the first pick and took it back 50 yards for a touchdown with two minutes gone in the game. Casteel answered with an 80-yard drive capped by Cruz's 8-yard TD pass to Zach Nelson. The extra point was blocked keeping Williams Field on top, 7-6. 

Pick No. 2 came in the final minute of the first quarter with Jadon Pearson setting up Williams Field at the Casteel 15. Power back Jaden Thompson scoerd the first of his three TDs (all on short runs) to push the lead to 13-6 at the quarter.

Pressure applied by Williams Field's defensive line had Cruz unsteady in the pocket much of the night. That led to Casteel going for more short, quick passes. It gradually was effective, but what Williams Field hoped would happen.

"They started going sideline to sideline," Campbell said. "Our goal was to keep everything in front of us, and we did a good job of it."

Willliams Field tallied the only other TD of the first half marching 92 yards in eight plays to improve its lead to 20-6. Quarterback Zack Shepherd completed 3 of 4 passes in the drive for 85 yards. Thompson bulled in from the 1 for the score.Casteel was able to add  a 33-yard field goal by Derek Auclair in the final seconds of the first half to make it 20-9 WF at intermission.

The third quarter belonged to  Williams Field as it held Casteel to zero yards and turned back a Colts' scoring chance provided by Jaren Rucker's interception that put the ball at the WF 30. A 40-yard drive  -- all on the ground by Kendrix Lurry and Jaden Thompson -- pushed the lead to 27-9 as the third period ended.

Casteel took full advantage of the fourth-quarter roughing penalties. After the first that prevented a three-and-out, the Colts drove 80 yards in 17 plays. Casen Simonton's 3-yard run cut the deficit to 27-15. 

With about five minutes left Casteel's drive to Williams Field's 39 was about to fizzle, but the second roughing penatly kept it alive. Facing a fourth-and-27 at WF's 42, a little luck went the Colts' way. Nelson took a pitch from Cruz and completed a Hail Mary to Colin Gapen, who was blanketed at the goaline by two defenders. The ball was tipped and landed sofly in Gapen's arms and Casteel was still in it at 27-22.

Cruz finished 28 of 43 for 226 yards. After rushing for only 29 yards in the first half, Williams Field, tallied 117 in the second half. The Blackhawks ground game ran out the final 3:36 collecting two first downs with Lurry doing the work.