Jackson Manchego

This Thursday the Junior Varsity football teams from Desert Ridge High School and Red Mountain High School played at Red Mountain High School. Coming into this game the Mountain Lions from Red Mountain High School were undefeated with a record of 6-0. The Desert Ridge Jaguars were 4-2. Coming into this game we all knew that it would be a tough battle. Red mountain and desert ridge were starting to become a large rivalry in the east valley for football. Even on the JV teams the tension was high coming into this game. The Mountain Lions had beaten the Jaguars seven years straight all in very close matchups.

This year it would be different. The Jaguars offense moved the ball effectively on their first drive but had to settle for a field goal attempt that sailed wide right. Two plays later the Jaguars defense decided it was their turn to shine. They forced their first of six turnovers, a fumble deep in Red Mountain territory. The offense came onto the field and promptly ran the ball for seven consecutive plays and capped the drive off with a two-yard pass on the eighth play of the drive to go up 7-0. On the next offensive drive for the Mountain Lions it was much of the same. A diving interception by linebacker Andrew Hagan set up the Jaguars once again in Red Mountain territory to give the Jaguars a short field, which they turned into another score to go up 14-0. The Jaguars never relinquished their lead as the game was finalized by another interception from Hagan which he took 50 yards to house to seal the game and make the score 37-21. The Jaguars won a hard fought battle to not only end the losing streak against the Mountain Lions, but to also snap the 15 game win streak for the Mountain Lions.