| Written by Brian Bergner Jr. |
| Thursday, 13 October 2011 00:00 |
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The Scorpions ended their two-game losing streak Friday, Oct. 7, with a solid 42-16 victory on the road over Hopi High School.
Senior tailback Ashor Samano broke free on the second play from scrimmage for a 76-yard run, setting up junior teammate Keenan Crans for a touchdown from the 1-yard line. On the extra point attempt, Crans was the holder and on a high snap from the center, Crans ran it in for the two-point conversion, giving Sedona an 8-0 lead. On Sedona’s ensuing possession, senior quarterback Jack Johnson hooked up with junior wide receiver T.J. Ryan for an 80-yard touchdown strike. The score put the Scorpions up 15-0 after only four total plays on offense, and they never looked back. “Offensively, they [Hopi] played defense precisely as we practiced all week,” second-year Sedona Head Coach Rick Walsworth said. Samano, Crans and Johnson each had 100 yards rushing or more against Hopi, with the Scorpions totaling over 500 yards of offense Friday night. Ryan had three catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns. With the victory, Sedona improves its record to 3-4 overall this season. At 3-4, the Scorpions sit at No. 17 in the Division V Arizona Interscholastic Association power point polls, which were released Monday, Oct. 10. State Playoff Picture For the Scorpions to have a chance at getting into the Division V state playoffs when they begin in November, Sedona would need to win two of its remaining three games on the regular season schedule, if not all three. “We control our own destiny at this point, which is all anyone can ask at this point in the season,” Walsworth said. Sedona returns home Friday, Oct. 14, and welcomes Chino Valley High School. The Cougars are 2-5 overall this season and are ranked No. 22 in Division IV. Chino Valley had lost four straight contests before earning a 41-21 win over Flagstaff High School on Friday, Oct. 7. Chino Valley’s only other win of the season came against Williams High School on Sept. 2, defeating the Vikings, 34-12. Sedona is scheduled to travel to Williams on Friday, Oct. 21, and finish the regular season schedule at home Friday, Oct. 28, against Pinon High School. Williams dropped to 4-3 this season with a 41-6 loss to River Valley High School on Friday, Oct. 7. The Vikings are ranked directly behind Sedona in Division V at No. 18. As for Pinon, the Eagles are ranked No. 16 in Division V and improved to 5-2 this season with a 30-8 victory over Greyhills Academy High School this past Friday. Even if the Scorpions win three straight games and go 6-4, Sedona will more than likely earn a 16, 15 or maybe a 14 seed in the state playoffs and play a top seed. Northwest Christian High School currently sits at No. 1 in the polls with a 7-0 record while Yuma Catholic High School is No. 2 at 6-1. Camp Verde High School is 6-1 and No. 3, Thatcher High School in No. 4 at 7-0 and Wilcox High School wraps up the top five at 6-1. If Sedona goes 2-1 in its last three games, the Scorpions will more than likely need help to qualify for the Division V state playoffs at 5-5. Kickoff for the Chino Valley game this Friday is set for 7 p.m. |



A three-plus-hour bus ride home Friday night was certainly easier to take for the Sedona Red Rock High School football team, which took it to the Bruins from the beginning.