Desert View Pulls Away From Maricopa for 46-6 Victory

Desert View used a 30-point second quarter and a strong defensive performance to defeat Maricopa 46-6 Friday night in a 5A Southern boys varsity football matchup at Maricopa High School.

The teams played through a scoreless opening quarter after Desert View kicked off to Maricopa to begin the game. Neither side reached the end zone, sending the game into the second quarter tied 0-0.

Desert View broke through in the second quarter when quarterback Andrew Godoy connected with Anthony Rodarte for a 14-yard touchdown pass. Desmond Dowayee followed with a successful two-point rush, giving Desert View an 8-0 advantage.

Godoy went back to the air for Desert View's next score, completing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Robert Medrano. The ensuing two-point conversion failed, leaving the score at 14-0.

Desert View continued to build its lead on the ground. Julio Carreon scored on a 3-yard rushing touchdown and then carried the ball across the goal line for the two-point conversion, extending the advantage to 22-0.

The Desert View defense then added points of its own. Dowayee intercepted a Maricopa pass and returned it 85 yards for a pick-six. Godoy connected with Cristian Salgado on the two-point conversion, sending Desert View into halftime with a 30-0 lead.

Desert View picked up where it left off in the third quarter. Godoy found Rodarte for their second touchdown connection of the night, this time on a 54-yard pass. A successful two-point rush by No. 5 pushed the lead to 38-0.

The scoring continued early in the fourth quarter when Godoy completed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Donald Birdow. Godoy then found Rodarte for the two-point conversion, giving Desert View a 46-0 advantage.

Maricopa got on the scoreboard late in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Dathen Ruiz connected with Fabian Marrufo for an 18-yard touchdown pass. The extra-point attempt was unsuccessful, bringing the final score to 46-6.

Godoy accounted for four passing touchdowns in the victory, connecting twice with Rodarte and once each with Medrano and Birdow. Desert View also received touchdowns from Carreon on the ground and Dowayee on his 85-yard interception return.

After the game, Desert View's coaching staff pointed to the defense as the team's strongest area of the night.

“I'd say mostly defense,” the coach said when asked what was working for the team. “Offense, we were kind of sloppy. So right now the defense is flowing, and as long as that's flowing, we always got a shot.”

Desert View's defense kept Maricopa scoreless through the first three quarters while the offense turned a scoreless opening period into a commanding lead, finishing the night with a 46-6 victory.