Red Mountain used a variety of weapons and a strong second half to upend upset-minded Brown Road rival Mountain View, 42-21, in a 6A East Valley Region game at Toro Stadium and Jesse Parker Field.

The victory puts a stranglehold on first-place in the region for Red Mountain (6-2, 3-0 region), who shouldn't have a problem winning its final two games after a bye this coming week. Mountain View desperately needed to win its final three games to have a shot at postseason. Those slim hopes have vanished as the Toros drop to 3-5.

Mountain View played Red Mountain to a 14-14 tie after one half and a fumble into the end zone by the Toros mid-second quarter might eventually have put the Toros on top and a possible lead at halftime.

Instead, Red Mountain came out in the second half and forced its first three-and-out on Mountain View's first possession after the break. A 65-yard drive touchdown drive by Red Mountain followed ignited by the running of Jarquell Gardner and George Ramirez. That duo teamed up to spell the Mountain Lions' first-half catalyst -- Deonce Elliott. Elliott rushed for 135 yards on eight carries in the first half and scored both Mountain Lions' TDs in the half. He came out of the game late in the second period as signs of a concussion were evident. Elliott didn't play the rest of the game.

Gardner rushed for 52 yards and two TDs in the second half. Ramirez added 30 yards rushing and the go-ahead-for-good-TD on a lunging 50-yard, catch-and-run from quarterback Darren Smith (15 of 23 passing for 219 yards) with 5:57 left in the third period. That gave Red Mountain a 28-21 lead. The Mountain LIons added two TDs in the final quarter - a Gardner short run and Smith's second TD pass of the game to wide out Jared Wilson with 6:21 to play to seal the victory.

"We struggled some the first half on both sides of the ball," Red Mountain coach Mike Peterson said. "The second half started clicking on both sides of the ball. Deonce got concussed after a late hit before the half. Gardner came on and gave us six or seven yards a pop and kept the running game working."

Mountain View quarterback Brandon Nunez was particularly sharp in the first half completing 16 of 17 passes for 154 yards. He finished 29 of 40 for 319 yards with two receivers hauling in most of the receptions. The biggest night went to junior wide out Cash Clark, who had 10 catches for 162 yards and two TDs. Another junior, Ethan Davidson, caught nine passes for 88 yards. The Toros turned the ball over three times -- all fumbles - with the second in the second quarter the most damaging.

Both teams are idle next week as is the rest of the 6A East Valley Region. When they resume play on Oct. 19, Red Mountain hosts Mesa and Mountain View visits Skyline.