Sunnyside overcomes 13-point deficit
Mountain Ridge kicker Locke makes state-record 63-yard field goal in loss
Adam Green
Special for the Republic
Aug. 31, 2007 11:52 PM

A record-setting performance from kicker Jeff Locke was not enough for Glendale Mountain Ridge, as it fell 21-20 to Tucson Sunnyside in Glendale on Friday night in a non-region game.

Locke set an AIA state record with a 63-yard field goal with 5:10 remaining in the first half, and he added another field goal later as Mountain Ridge took a 20-7 lead into halftime.

Locke broke Kyle Pooler's(Glendale Cactus) 1989 record of 62 yards.

The second half belonged to Tucson Sunnyside, however, as it gained 239 yards of offense in the half while the defense did not allow Mountain Ridge to score.

Jovan Stevenson led the way for Sunnyside by gaining 158 yards on the ground to go along with 83 yards receiving.

Runs of 75 and 79 yards set up a pair of touchdown runs by quarterback Jamie Valdez.

Sunnyside completed its comeback with 5:39 left in the fourth quarter when Valdez completed a pass to a wide-open Marc Villacana for a 20-yard score, and the extra point put Sunnyside (1-0) ahead 21-20.

Mountain Ridge's final drive ended when quarterback Kevin Yost was sacked on fourth down and seven with 3:50 left in the game and Sunnyside was able to run out the clock and never gave the ball back.

Mountain Ridge (0-1) was led on the ground by senior running back Giorgio Giurdanella, who gained 169 yards and scored two touchdowns on five catches to go along with 53 yards rushing.

Yost finished the game with 233 yards passing.

The game started off well for Mountain Ridge when Yost hit Giurdanella with a swing pass that he took 86 yards for the touchdown on the first play, and the two connected for a touchdown on a similar play in the second quarter.

Sunnyside's only score of the first half came courtesy of a six-yard bootleg by Valdez, which followed a 75-yard run by Stevenson in the second quarter.