ALA-West Foothills earns special win at Paradise Honors

By Richard Smith
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An instant classic showdown between two 3A state title contenders in Surprise was determined by the forgotten phase of football - special teams.

ALA-West Foothills (5-1) squeaked past Paradise Honors (5-2) in a 49-48 onslaught of a game thanks to senior Tegan Kirkpatrick's block of a 20-yard field goal attempt with .6 of a second remaining.

"We had more preparation time this time and we didn't have so many little things that got in our way last year," Kirkpatrick said. "We bonded more and we're more ready this time. This is great."

Both teams scored seven touchdowns on this wild night.

Guardians senior kicker Sam Parks made all seven extra points while Paradise Honors had an extra point blocked and missed three of six two-point conversion attempts.

"We made some mental mistakes tonight that ended up costing us," Paradise Honors coach Josh Goodloe said. "We had penalties called before two two-point conversions that put us back at the 17. That's four points we left on the board. Even if we pick up one, we're up by a point at the end. We left two of those on the field on dumb, undisciplined penalties."

Another special teams play lit the fuse for the visiting Guardians, from three miles south in Waddell.

Paradise Honors took a 14-0 lead with 10:55 left in the second quarter after touchdown passes of 15 and 6 yards from senior quarterback Gage Baker to senior wide receiver/defensive back Coleman Burkhart.

ALA senior receiver/cornerback Jack Hayward returned the ensuing kickoff to his own 34, and as or just after he stepped out of bounds took a direct shot to his knee. Doctors will check for an ACL team Saturday, Hayward said postgame.

No flag was thrown and the Guardian sideline was livid.

"Not only did we lose him. That's our brother. We love him on the field and he always pushes us and uplifts us through everything. We love that guy," West Foothills senior receiver Dayton Foster said.

The visitors channeled their anger productively, and coach Chad Mitton switched formations from a spread to a split backfield look with some Wing-T concepts.

For the first time, Foster was in that backfield and he responded with the game of his life. On the first play after the kickoff Foster took a handoff, spun out of a tackle with a hand from a lineman, and raced 66 yards for a touchdown.

"I was running and they bounced off me so I said, 'I'm going to keep running. I'm not going to stop.' They held me down but my teammate Andrew (Ochoa) pushed me through and I kept running. The adrenaline kicked in," Foster said

Two more second quarter touchdowns followed as the Guardians' domination on the ground continues.

Senior workhorse Marquez Smith broke free for an easy 22-yard score to tie it at 14. Then Foster sprinted past the defense again for a 46-yard touchdown and 21-14 ALA-WF lead with 54.3 seconds left in the half.

"On defense, Jack is a kid that teeters between Division II and Division I (colleges)," Mitton said. "We had to keep playing. I had to get the ball in the hands of my best kids. I moved DayDay in the backfield with Marquez. I was hoping I'd catch lightning in a bottle tonight. "

Relying solely on the passing game, Baker and his fleet of receivers drove 80 yards in 52 seconds to score. The quarterback was 18-28 for 200 yards at halftime.

Baker hit senior receiver Isaiah Thomas for a 17-yard touchdown with 2.6 seconds left. But an excessive celebration penalty and a false start caused the Panthers to try for two from the Guardians' 22 and Baker scrambled for about half that.

The Guardians led 21-20 at the break.

"We felt pretty good going into the half," Goodloe said.

That was only the appetizer for an even wilder second half. Thomas returned the kickoff to open the third quarter 94 yards and Baker tossed a two-point conversion to senior tailback Logan Pruett to make it 28-21.

Again, the visitors did not panic. Smith carried six times on the next ALA drive for 56 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown run.

"We definitely ran some things in the first half to set up things in the second half," Mitton said. "Marquez ran hard tonight."

Baker used all five of his targets on a 74-yard scoring drive - Burkhart for 19, senior Josh Morales for six, then Thomas for six more on fourth and four.

Upon entering the red zone Baker and senior receiver Garrison Ast connected for 15. A 5-yard screen pass to Pruett put the Panthers up 34-28 and a two-point pass was stopped.

"After a messed up play we knew we had to keep it going. There's always a next play, and there's always a way to make up for it," junior defensive end J.J. Brutus said. 

Mitton called for a changeup, getting his son Hudson, a sophomore quarterback, more involved in his first action after missing three games with a broken knuckle.

Hudson Mitton tossed bubble screens for eight and three yards to senior receiver/defensive back Caden Callister. Then, back in the split backs, the Guardians ran a traditional play action fake and Callister got behind the secondary for a 42-yard touchdown and 35-34 lead.

"We were changing up our scheme a little bit because we knew what would be able to hurt them the most," Callister said. "The linebackers and safeties came up and I knew it was coming to me."

Paradise Honors senior receiver Isaiah Thomas returns a third quarter kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown, giving the Panthers a 40-35 lead over ALA-West Foothills Sept. 29 in Surprise. (Courtesy Picture Lady Photography/For West Valley Preps)

The lead lasted 13 seconds, as Thomas struck again. He muffed the ensuing kickoff but picked it up on the bounce and used the off kilter timing to his advantage, racing 81 yards for the touchdown.

As the quarter ended the Guardians patiently worked their way down the field again. Early in the fourth quarter Smith got five yards on fourth and 1 at the Panthers' 39.

Nearing the red zone, Mitton dropped back to pass and junior free safety Ayden Power read his eyes. Power made the pick at the 5 and got a convoy of blockers for a 95-yard return touchdown.

"That was huge to start the half," Goodloe said.

For most teams on most nights, that return and the follow up two-point pass from Baker to Morales for a 48-35 lead with 7:20 left, is a backbreaker.

It was not for ALA-West Foothills Friday.

A first down sack by senior defensive end Bode Joncas sent another charge through the home crowd. Two plays later, Foster silenced them again. He juked, then sprinted straight down the field from the slot, completing a 69-yard touchdown pass from Mitton.

"I hit him with a move and he bit. When I got open I looked and saw the ball coming. I caught it and it was just green grass," Foster said.

The Guardians forced two completions and a Baker punt. It was a shank and ALA took over at its 46.

After a 16-yard run by Foster, Smith handled the final 10 yards. His one-yard score and Parks' kick gave the visitors a 49-48 lead with 3:06 remaining.

"Coach (Matt) Silver made a great call (on the pass) to Day Day. Hudson stood in there and made a great pass and got us back in the ball game," Mitton said. "We knew we couldn't beat those guys if we didn't throw the ball a bit. We're always going to have a bit of Wing-T though, with my background."

Paradise Honors started at its 28 with 3:08 left in the game. Baker connected with Ast, Pruett and Burkhart to get two first downs.

Senior defensive end Dominic Morones stopped the momentum with a sack, but Morales got open on a crossing pattern for a 17-yard third down conversion.

Burkhart picked up eight more yards and Goodloe called time with 52.3 seconds left and second and 2 at the Guardians' 21. A hold moved the Panthers back but Baker to Burkhart was huge again for 20 and a first down at the 19 with 18.7 seconds remaining.

Morales caught a 10-yarder, and another seven-yard pass set up third and goal at the 2 with 7.9 seconds left. Goodloe called time.

The Panthers went with the screen to Pruett again but sophomore defensive back Izaiah Morales made a huge open field tackle between the 2 and 3. Paradise Honors just got a time out in with .6 of a second left.

"We were having trouble covering their back out of the backfield and Izaiah made a huge tackle. That was the game on the line," Mitton said. "When they rolled the kicker out I was surprised but I had watched her make a lot of field goals warming up."

Goodloe pondered his options. Junior girls soccer star Hayley Horner has split kickoff duties with sophomore Nathan Unser his season, and she made seven extra points in a 69-15 win at Show Low Sept. 15.

Her decisive field goal was from extra point distance but it didn't matter. The Guardians completely caved in the left side of the line and Kirkpatrick was close enough to block it with his body.

"We just figured it was a PAT shot from where we were. We decided to go for that. I could second guess and leave the offense out, but if we go for it and don't get it, people are going t say, 'Why didn't you kick it,' You'll get second guessed either way," Goodloe said. "I think this will drive the kids to even work harder now."

Mitton grew up watching his father, Bill, build a legacy at Trevor Browne. Bill Mitton won a big school division state title with the Bruins and led them to two more state finals.

He hasn't seen many nights like this. But he has seen enough to know there's a good chance these two teams meet up again late in the 3A playoffs.

"I watched my dad for 29 years and saw some great games. That ranks up there. Two teams that didn't want to use," Mitton said. "It's a 50-50 matchup and there's a very good chance we play them again. I think it will turn out really similar."

#WestValleyPreps #AZPreps365
3A Metro West Region
Final @AlaFoothills (5-1) 49@PHHS_Panthers (5-2) 48

Game of the Year? I think so. Paradise Honors drives 70 yards to the Guardians’ 2. 3rd and goal 7.9 seconds left. Screen stopped at 3. 0.6 seconds left. 20-yard FG blocked pic.twitter.com/OUOWi5UTbZ

— Richard Smith (@RsmithYWV) September 30, 2023

Richard Smith
Senior News Editor | Glendale & West Valley Preps

rsmith@iniusa.org

Richard Smith has been with Independent Newsmedia since 2016, and worked at a Sun City-based news outfit covering the Northwest Valley for 22 consecutive years.

An NAU alum and lifelong Arizona resident, Richard began as a copy editor and page designer at Surprise Today and the Daily News-Sun, then rekindled his love of sports writing by taking the reins on West Valley Preps in 2008.

For most of the mid-2010s he was the Surprise editor and West Valley Preps reporter. Now he’s the West Valley Preps Editor and Surprise Associate Editor.

As COVID restrictions slowly lift, Richard is cautiously optimistic he will visit book stores, football fields and gyms again this fall.