Season recap: Desert Ridge
High-powered ground game earns Jaguars another deep playoff run
WEEKLY BLOG: 2/19/12
Once upon a time, the Desert Ridge Jaguars were the whipping boys of the Fiesta Region.
The east Mesa school opened in 2002 and wins were rare in the early seasons. The Jags were 3-18 over the '04 and '05 campaigns.
Jeremy Hathcock took over in 2006 and led DRHS to playoff appearances in each of the next four seasons with a dynamic, high-flying aerial offense.
The past two years have seen the bar raised even higher - to title contenders.
After winning the East Valley Region in 2010, Desert Ridge had a thrilling playoff run that ended with a 21-13 loss to Hamilton in the Class 5A-I championship game.
That brought something new for the 2011 season that the Jaguars had never experienced before. Expectations.
The team didn't feel burdened by any additional weight out of the gate as DRHS sprinted out to a 3-0 mark outscoring Gilbert, Mountain View, and Highland by a combined 134-13.
A week 4 rematch with Hamilton was arguably the most anticipated game in September. But, the Huskies' defense suffocated Desert Ridge holding the hosts to just 160 yards of total offense in a 28-6 victory.
There was no letdown the following week as the Jaguars came out on top 54-7 to win the Battle of Crismon Road against rival Skyline. But, Red Mountain kept the Desert Ridge offense on the sidelines for much of the second half in a come-from-behind 20-13 victory knocking the Jags to 4-2.
The month of October showed that DRHS was no one-hit wonder as the offense cranked it into another gear and the Jaguars finished with four straight wins. Desert Ridge lit up the scoreboard during the streak with three 60-point nights and averaged 56 points a game for the month.
After an easy win over Boulder Creek in the first round that saw Desert Ridge up 42-0 at halftime, a rematch with Red Mountain loomed in the quarterfinals.
Jordan Becerra scored all four touchdowns for the Jaguars as the team jumped out to a 28-7 lead before holding off a late rally by the Mountain Lions. Red Mountain climbed to within 28-22 and had the ball with two minutes left before coming up short.
With the revenge-victory over Red Mountain in hand, the following week brought another crack at Hamilton, this time in the Division I semifinals.
In the game at Chandler High, the Jaguars held a 7-3 lead until late in the first half. A touchdown late in the second quarter gave Hamilton the lead, and the momentum. Quarterback Blake Kemp threw four scoring passes in a 31-21 victory for the Huskies. Desert Ridge had its chances during the night, but couldn't overcome a second-half interception and blocked field goal attempt.
The offensive attack was keyed by quarterback Parker Rasmussen, running back Joey Counts, and wide receiver/running back Becerra. The trio is known as the three-headed monster, a term of affection for Desert Ridge fans, a term that brought nightmares to opposing defenses.
Running the read-option, any of the three were threats to take off with the football. Using deception, the Jaguars made it hard for their foes to figure out who had the ball after the snap. As a result, DRHS rushed for nearly 4,000 yards as a team. Counts, Becerra, and Rasmussen combined to score 47 touchdowns in '11.
Rasmussen got the team off to a rousing start with four TD passing in the opener against Gilbert and then had four TD rushing a couple weeks later against Highland. For the year, he had 14 touchdown passes and 2,084 combined rushing/passing yards. The senior will be a preferred walk-on at Arizona State this fall.
Counts rushed for 1,719 yards and 22 touchdowns despite missing the first two games of the season due to injury. He had a remarkable night against North Canyon in October. Running out of the Triple I-formation from the shotgun, his first carry of the night went for a 77-yard touchdown. On the team's next possession, Counts' second carry went for a 56-yard score. He ended up with five touchdowns and what was a then-state record 411 yards rushing (on just 19 carries) in the Jaguars' 63-14 victory. Counts signed a letter of intent to play for Montana earlier this month. The Grizzlies won the Big Sky Conference title in 2011 and have won or shared the conference championship 16 times in the past 19 seasons.
Becerra, who played quarterback in the 2010 playoff run, was at receiver to begin the season. He caught four touchdown passes and was used once again in the backfield. He added 16 more touchdowns on the ground and also played defensive back on the other side of the ball. Becerra, an excellent student, will play for Harvard. The Crimson are the defending Ivy League champions and went 9-1 this past season.
Alex Barrett anchored the defensive line for the Jaguars. He had 8-1/2 sacks and forced two fumbles. Barrett signed a letter of intent to San Diego State. The Aztecs played in the New Orleans Bowl this past December.
With the loss of these talented seniors, Hathcock will have some retooling to do. Fortunately, he returns a pair of offensive linemen in Nick Allen (6-4, 280) and Josh Scow (6-5, 250).
The Jaguars have gained a transfer student in J.J. Husar, who was formerly at Basha. A running back with the Bears, Husar scored 14 touchdowns and had 785 rushing yards last season in a year that ended with an appearance in the semifinals. Husar is expected to see time as a slot receiver and at defensive back in addition to RB.
The ability of Hathcock to tailor the offense to make the pieces fit lends trust to think that Desert Ridge shouldn't slide too much. The 2007 Jaguar team passed for over 3,600 yards. The 2008 team had a night that saw Kevin Pantastico pass for 600 yards. Each of the past two DRHS squads has rushed for more than 3,000 yards on the year. So, we'll have to see what the offensive mastermind will come up with for 2012.
PHOTO CAPTION: Desert Ridge cheerleaders lead the fans and student section in support for the Jaguars. They have had plenty to be excited about as DRHS has a 10-2 home record over the past two seasons. The 2012 campaign will begin at home this August with a game against Gilbert.
A great fundraising idea for your booster club:
Yes, that's right. My friend Mike over at Liberty Mutual will donate 10 bucks to your organization if you have him give you an insurance quote. Shoot him an e-mail at Mike.Denney@libertymutual.com and he'll give you some rates. Are you paying too much now?
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GRIDIRON ARIZONA POWER POINTS - 2011
(NOTE: These are not the official AIA ones)
| School | Record | Win Pts | Total Pts | AIA Games | Power Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Hamilton | 10-0 | 500 | 463.9 | 10 | 46.3930 |
| 2. | Brophy | 10-0 | 500 | 453.2 | 10 | 45.3248 |
| 3. | Desert Vista | 9-1 | 445 | 413.3 | 10 | 41.3300 |
| 4. | Desert Ridge | 8-2 | 400 | 403.2 | 10 | 40.3177 |
| 5. | Red Mountain | 8-2 | 400 | 389.0 | 10 | 38.9012 |
| 6. | Pinnacle | 8-2 | 400 | 387.8 | 10 | 38.7767 |
| 7. | Basha | 7-3 | 350 | 384.4 | 10 | 38.4431 |
| 8. | Westview | 8-2 | 400 | 380.6 | 10 | 38.0606 |
| 9. | Chandler | 7-3 | 350 | 373.5 | 10 | 37.3536 |
| 10. | Tucson | 7-3 | 350 | 370.0 | 10 | 36.9985 |
| 11. | Cibola | 8-2 | 400 | 364.2 | 10 | 36.4247 |
| 12. | Sunnyside | 7-3 | 350 | 360.5 | 10 | 36.0540 |
| 13. | Boulder Creek | 6-4 | 300 | 355.3 | 10 | 35.5272 |
| 14. | North Canyon | 6-4 | 300 | 351.8 | 10 | 35.1783 |
| 15. | Mountain Pointe | 6-4 | 300 | 350.0 | 10 | 35.0018 |
| 16. | Valley Vista | 7-3 | 345 | 337.9 | 10 | 33.7946 |
| Corona del Sol | 5-5 | 250 | 334.8 | 10 | 33.4845 | |
| St. Mary's | 5-5 | 250 | 326.0 | 10 | 32.6027 | |
| Gilbert | 5-5 | 250 | 325.7 | 10 | 32.5713 | |
| Mesquite | 3-7 | 150 | 311.4 | 10 | 31.1408 | |
| Alhambra | 6-4 | 295 | 305.2 | 10 | 30.5152 | |
| Desert Mountain | 4-6 | 200 | 296.7 | 10 | 29.6725 | |
| Tolleson | 5-5 | 250 | 292.9 | 10 | 29.2946 | |
| Mountain Ridge | 3-7 | 150 | 292.7 | 10 | 29.2653 | |
| Highland | 4-6 | 200 | 292.6 | 10 | 29.2617 | |
| O'Connor | 3-7 | 150 | 291.1 | 10 | 29.1130 | |
| Mesa Mountain View | 4-6 | 200 | 285.4 | 10 | 28.5440 | |
| Dobson | 3-7 | 150 | 267.6 | 10 | 26.7633 | |
| Mesa | 3-7 | 150 | 264.8 | 10 | 26.4842 | |
| Yuma | 3-7 | 150 | 263.4 | 10 | 26.3389 | |
| North | 4-6 | 200 | 263.4 | 10 | 26.3387 | |
| Buena | 3-7 | 150 | 256.5 | 10 | 25.6465 | |
| Central | 3-7 | 150 | 247.1 | 10 | 24.7076 | |
| Kofa | 2-8 | 100 | 244.1 | 10 | 24.4124 | |
| Carl Hayden | 3-7 | 150 | 238.9 | 10 | 23.8912 | |
| Skyline | 3-7 | 150 | 237.5 | 10 | 23.7473 | |
| Maryvale | 1-10 | 50 | 250.5 | 11 | 22.7772 | |
| Westwood | 1-9 | 50 | 224.9 | 10 | 22.4897 | |
| San Luis | 0-10 | 0 | 187.0 | 10 | 18.6955 | |
| Trevor Browne | 0-10 | 0 | 166.1 | 10 | 16.6082 | |
The AIA includes opponent's opponent's victory points in the power point calculations. The Gridiron Arizona mathematical model has made slight modifications to the formula. The official AIA power points determine the 16 teams that qualify for postseason play. This chart should prove to be very close to that of the AIA version. How close? Last season, my margin of error was 0.02 and all 16 of the Gridiron Arizona Power Point numbers matched the official AIA ones.
AIA FINAL RANKINGS:
1. Hamilton
2. Brophy
3. Desert Vista
4. Desert Ridge
5. Red Mountain
6. Pinnacle
7. Basha
8. Westview
9. Chandler
10. Tucson
11. Cibola
12. Sunnyside
13. Boulder Creek
14. North Canyon
15. Mountain Pointe
16. Valley Vista
Closest battle was for #5 where Red Mountain passed Pinnacle by 0.13 with the Pioneers' loss to Brophy. My margin of error was 0.02, so all 16 of the Gridiron Arizona Power Point numbers matched the official AIA ones!
| School | Record | Win Pts | Total Pts | AIA Games | Power Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Chaparral | 10-1 | 510 | 460.4 | 10 | 46.0395 |
| 2. | Cienega | 10-0 | 510 | 444.6 | 10 | 44.4550 |
| 3. | Salpointe | 9-1 | 455 | 442.5 | 10 | 44.2530 |
| 4. | Deer Valley | 9-1 | 455 | 433.4 | 10 | 43.3400 |
| 5. | Centennial | 9-1 | 455 | 430.2 | 10 | 43.0185 |
| 6. | Ironwood Ridge | 8-2 | 405 | 413.5 | 10 | 41.3460 |
| 7. | Marcos de Niza | 8-2 | 405 | 406.1 | 10 | 40.6055 |
| 8. | Perry | 8-2 | 405 | 398.8 | 10 | 39.8752 |
| 9. | Lake Havasu | 9-1 | 470 | 395.0 | 10 | 39.4968 |
| 10. | Canyon del Oro | 7-3 | 355 | 386.8 | 10 | 38.6835 |
| 11. | Apollo | 8-2 | 400 | 385.1 | 10 | 38.5090 |
| 12. | Willow Canyon | 7-3 | 355 | 377.6 | 10 | 37.7565 |
| 13. | Ironwood | 7-3 | 360 | 371.4 | 10 | 37.1438 |
| 14. | Notre Dame | 6-4 | 305 | 358.1 | 10 | 35.8145 |
| 15. | Sahuaro | 7-3 | 360 | 357.5 | 10 | 35.7485 |
| 16. | Gila Ridge | 7-3 | 380 | 356.3 | 10 | 35.6322 |
| Catalina Foothills | 5-5 | 250 | 355.2 | 10 | 35.5155 | |
| Millennium | 6-4 | 305 | 349.2 | 10 | 34.9215 | |
| Flowing Wells | 6-4 | 300 | 341.8 | 10 | 34.1750 | |
| Cesar Chavez | 7-3 | 350 | 339.9 | 10 | 33.9895 | |
| Fairfax | 7-3 | 360 | 337.9 | 10 | 33.7887 | |
| Horizon | 5-5 | 250 | 328.2 | 10 | 32.8150 | |
| Bradshaw Mountain | 6-4 | 290 | 315.2 | 10 | 31.5185 | |
| Camelback | 5-5 | 260 | 305.7 | 10 | 30.5683 | |
| Marana Mountain View | 4-6 | 200 | 304.3 | 10 | 30.4335 | |
| Kellis | 4-6 | 205 | 300.2 | 10 | 30.0172 | |
| Rincon | 4-6 | 200 | 284.3 | 10 | 28.4330 | |
| Shadow Mountain | 4-6 | 200 | 280.0 | 10 | 28.0040 | |
| Pueblo | 3-7 | 150 | 278.7 | 10 | 27.8690 | |
| McClintock | 3-7 | 150 | 278.5 | 10 | 27.8515 | |
| Prescott | 4-6 | 200 | 274.4 | 10 | 27.4435 | |
| Cactus Shadows | 3-7 | 150 | 271.7 | 10 | 27.1720 | |
| Santa Rita | 3-6 | 155 | 240.6 | 9 | 26.7378 | |
| Sunnyslope | 3-7 | 150 | 265.0 | 10 | 26.5020 | |
| Goldwater | 2-8 | 100 | 235.0 | 10 | 23.4985 | |
| Independence | 1-9 | 50 | 225.3 | 10 | 22.5330 | |
| Cholla | 1-9 | 50 | 220.1 | 10 | 22.0145 | |
| Marana | 0-10 | 0 | 210.9 | 10 | 21.0930 | |
| Kingman | 1-9 | 50 | 209.2 | 10 | 20.9215 | |
| La Joya | 0-10 | 0 | 200.8 | 10 | 20.0757 | |
| Desert View | 0-10 | 0 | 197.2 | 10 | 19.7165 | |
| South Mountain | 0-10 | 0 | 191.6 | 10 | 19.1595 | |
The AIA includes opponent's opponent's victory points in the power point calculations. The Gridiron Arizona mathematical model has made slight modifications to the formula. The official AIA power points determine the 16 teams that qualify for postseason play. This chart should prove to be very close to that of the AIA version. How close? Last season, my margin of error was 0.02 and once again, all 16 of the Gridiron Arizona Power Point numbers matched the official AIA ones.
AIA FINAL RANKINGS:
1. Chaparral
2. Cienega
3. Salpointe
4. Deer Valley
5. Centennial
6. Ironwood Ridge
7. Marcos de Niza
8. Perry
9. Lake Havasu
10. Canyon del Oro
11. Apollo
12. Willow Canyon
13. Ironwood
14. Notre Dame
15. Sahuaro
16. Gila Ridge
Closest battle was for #14 where Notre Dame got by Sahuaro by 0.07 with their win at Horizon. My margin of error was 0.02, so once again all 16 of the Gridiron Arizona Power Point numbers matched the official AIA ones! As an added bonus, my brackets were up at 11:35 pm (30+ minutes before the television show unveiled the brackets).
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