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Senior QB Sammy Olivas
controlled the pace of the game and was responsible for
all three of his team's touchdowns through the air, as he
connected once with Patrick Medina and twice with Alex
Leon. |
Sunnyside 'D' paces win over Mountain Ridge
Nick Nogami
Special for The Republic
Sept. 2, 2006 12:00 AM
In a game pitting two potential noisemakers in their
respective regions, Tucson Sunnyside's defense set the tone
early, and the team never looked back as it walked away from
Glendale Mountain Ridge with a 19-3 victory.
This game marked the first step in a journey that the
Sunnyside coaches and players hope will result in the season
for which they aspire.
"Our goal is to go 14-0 this year, and this was a great start
for us," Sunnyside coach Glenn Posey said.
"All the kids played great, and it felt good to beat these
guys after they came down to Tucson and beat us last year."
Sunnyside's defense held Mountain Ridge - a team that returns
24 players from last season's 5A Northwest Region runner-up -
to 42 yards of total offense.
Without an exceptional return by Mountain Ridge's Jonathan Ott
on Sunnyside's first kickoff, it might have been a shutout.
Sunnyside struck first in this one, with quarterback Sammy
Olivas connecting with wideout Patrick Medina about halfway
through the first quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, Ott returned the ball back to
Sunnyside's 1-yard line - which is where the Sunnyside defense
set the tone for the evening.
Mountain Ridge took eight plays - a pass-interference call
giving it additional downs - to have the ball moved back to
the 13-yard line, courtesy of one of 10 sacks that the
Sunnyside defense produced on the evening. The series ended in
Mountain Ridge's lone field goal.
Although Sunnyside's defense dictated the tone for much of
this game, the offense also contributed.
Olivas controlled the pace of the game and was responsible for
all three of his team's touchdowns through the air, as he
connected once with Medina and twice with Alex Leon.
On the ground, Javon Stevenson rushed for 155 yards and played
a pivotal role in Sunnyside's domination in the
time-of-possession battle.
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