test3

sunnyside_title

2004_news 2004_rosters 2004_scores 2004_stats

Red beats Blue in all-star game


Don Ketchum
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 8, 2004 01:58 PM

CASA GRANDE – After a sluggish effort for most of the first half, the Red squad put things together and gradually wore down the Blue 22-7, in the annual Arizona Coaches Association All-Star Football Game for Class 5A and 4A schools at Casa Grande High School on Friday night.

Made up mainly of players from the East Valley and southern Arizona, the Red made things happen with an aggressive defense and a workmanlike offensive effort led by quarterback Max Hall of 5A runner-up Mesa Mountain View.

The Red grabbed a 14-0 lead at halftime. The Blue pulled to within 14-7 with 10:26 left in the third and appeared headed for a tie, but a drive stalled at the Red 20 midway through the period.

The Red then went on a 79-yard, 10-play scoring drive to regain momentum with 3:22 left in the third. Tucson Sunnyside’s Zach Samarano scored his second touchdown of the night, charging up the middle for 3 yards. After a brilliant scramble, Hall found Desert Vista tight end Zach Miller for a two-point conversion pass.

As one might expect with only about a week’s worth of work, the early part of the game was sloppy on the part of both sides.

It did feature some heavy hitting, particularly on the part of the Red, which was led by Miller, also a linebacker, and Mesa Red Mountain defensive lineman Aaron Fernandez. Miller was named the game's MVP, was The Arizona Republic’s Big School Player of the Year and is headed to Arizona State.

The Red had a 53-yard touchdown pass from Hall to Tempe Marcos de Niza’s Cody Hale called back because of a holding call with 10:48 left in the first quarter.

Hale began to tip the scales in the Red’s favor with 6:40 left in the second quarter on a punt return of about 50 yards to the Blue 27.

Samarano put the Red on the board with a 1-yard dive with 3:12 left before halftime. The PAT was off-target.

A 35-yard pass from Hall to Miller, with a personal-foul penalty tacked on against the Blue, had the Red knocking on the door again with a little more than 2 minutes left in the half.

Hall found Mountain Pointe tight end Chris Richardson for a 3-yard scoring toss with 1:17 left. Samarano ran for the two-point conversion and a 14-0 lead.