Cactus Shadows runs over Tucson foe in first round

CAVE CREEK – Cactus Shadows’ Wing-T offense proved to be a nightmare for Tucson Canyon del Oro’s defense on Friday night, as the Falcons rushed for 345 total yards in their 49-0 victory in the first round of the 5A playoffs. 

The mismatch between these teams was apparent from the very beginning, as Cactus Shadows rushed for 72 yards on six plays on their first drive of the game, including a nine-yard touchdown run from senior running back Collin Peters. 

The Falcons did not throw their first pass until halfway through the second quarter, after running the ball on 24 straight plays and building a 21-0 lead. 

Dorados coach Scott McKee was quick to compliment the opposing coaches on the way they executed against his defense. 

“I thought Coach (Steve) Belles, their offensive coordinator, did a phenomenal job,” McKee said. “They were able to do a multitude of things. He’s one of the best play callers around. He was able to put a good plan together and it fit his personnel great.” 

This win advances #10 seed Cactus Shadows (5-6) to the next round of the 5A playoff bracket. They’ll head to Goodyear next Friday night to take on #7 Millennium (9-1) with a trip to the quarterfinals on the line. 

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Cactus Shadows’ rushing performance was that it was spearheaded by two of its less-utilized offensive weapons. 

Sophomore quarterback Evan McGowan orchestrated the attack from under center. He entered the game with only 38 rushing yards on five carries and zero pass attempts this season. 

He finished with 149 yards on nine carries, including an eight-yard touchdown in the first quarter and a 53-yard keeper up the middle in the second. 

Despite his inexperience, Falcons coach Chris Dixon knew Friday was the right time to get McGowan some meaningful playing time. 

“He’s young. We wanted him to grow in this game,” Dixon said. “We wanted to see what he could do, and he showed what he can do. He’s got some things to improve on, but for his first game getting a significant amount of playing time, I thought he did well.” 

The other offensive star for Dixon’s squad was senior captain Gunner Perry., who has been a force on defense for the Falcons all year. Perry hasn't had many opportunities to showcase his running ability, compiling just 76 yards on 21 carries. 

His abilities as a runner were on full display Friday. Perry finished the game with 113 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. 

“It felt good,” Perry said. “Earlier in the year, I was dealing with some little injuries so my time on offense was limited. It felt really good to be out there at full strength and show what I can do on both sides of the ball.” 

Cactus Shadows’ dominant performance continued on the defensive side. The Falcons held CDO to just 64 total yards of offense, forced two turnovers and forced seven punts.

Dorados’ senior quarterback Peyton Strang stood in the pocket all night and faced the Falcons’ pressure but was never able to find a rhythm, finishing with just 15 yards on 3 of 15 passing. 

Despite the lopsided loss, McKee is encouraged by the season his team put together and optimistic about the future of his program.

“Last year, we got moved into 5A, and we weren't a very good football team,” he said. “We still have a long way to go, but we took a big step forward by getting in the playoffs. I'm very proud of our senior class for getting us back here.”

This gives us a piece that we can go back and look at, make sure we have things the way we want them and continue to grow from it,” McKee added. 

This victory marks a major milestone for Cactus Shadows, winning playoff games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in twenty years.

For right now, however, the Falcons are focused on the second round.  

“Each week, we're getting closer as a squad,” Perry said. “We need to keep the intensity up in practice and make sure everyone's healthy. That will give us our best chance of defeating a really good Millennium team and keeping this little Cinderella story alive.”

Editor's note: Scott Blanchette is a student at the Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University.