Call it the Saturday hangover. Given what transpired at Phoenix College on Friday night, consider yourself forgiven for having cobwebs.
–It’s not only clear Brophy and Chandler can play with Hamilton, but it’s also clear there are four teams in 5A-I who’ve separated themselves from the pack: The aforementioned three plus Phoenix Mountain Pointe.
Brophy coach Scooter Molander talked at length during the week about competing, staying relaxed when things are good or bad for the full 48 minutes, and, regardless of the final score, taking away a knowledge or belief they’re capable of beating the Huskies come playoff time should their paths cross again.
Done and done on all three accounts. It’s much easier for the Broncos to say those things because outside a huge collapse against upcoming Phoenix Desert Vista and Yuma, the Broncos will have at least one home game to open the playoffs. Anything beyond that is too far away and unpredictable in power points and not worth the speculation.
–Brophy’s tackling in the first half was awful, especially considering the Broncos are viewed as one of the better tackling teams in 5A. Some of that was trying to bring down Hamilton’s Zach Bauman, who’s low to the ground and so powerful below the waist because his legs never stop. Part of that was the Huskies running attack via option, Wing-T and QB keepers had Brophy scrambling and guessing all the first half. Part of that was Brophy’s defense being on the field for about 80 percent of the first half. Part of that was just bad tackling.
–Mistakes by both teams (Brophy in first half, Hamilton in second half) pretty much negated each other out. Brophy threw three interceptions and muffed a punt fair catch. The Huskies fumbled a snap and committed seven penalties in the second half, two of those penalties took away long gains on offense while a third moved Brophy near the goal line where it scored the team’s first touchdown.
Some Huskies were pretty incredulous about the officiating, so the AIA might be getting another tape, not that it’s going to change any outcomes. It didn’t in the Brophy-Centennial game.
–Besides Bauman’s eight-yard run on 3rd-and-1 which ran the clock out, the Huskies other huge play was a 27-yard end around near midfield by backup QB Kyren Poe on 2nd-and-8 with 2 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
Hamilton had run successfully all night behind right tackle Christian Westerman (as it usually does). When the Huskies would run outside, they saw Brophy defenders trying to slice through the gaps on the backside trying to chase the play out wide.
So needing a first down and to kill more clock, the Huskies went to a bread-and-butter running plays on the right side and again got Brophy flying toward the ball, only Poe came back against the grain, took the flip and ran down the left side.
Gutsy call given the situation.
“It’s the kind of play where if it works you look great, and if it doesn’t you’re up all night going, ‘Why the hell did we run that play?’” Hamilton coach Steve Belles said.
–Brophy’s Max Leonesio gained 35 yards rushing from two Statue of Liberty plays. He gained 40 yards from the other 15 carries.
–Hamilton is now 4-2 against Brophy going back to the 2005 state championship classic, but both of Brophy’s wins against the Huskies came in the playoffs.
