Canyon Del Oro Shuts Out Vista Grande 27-0 on the Road

Canyon Del Oro used timely defensive plays, a pair of field goals and an explosive third-quarter touchdown to defeat Vista Grande 27-0 Friday night in a 5A Sonoran varsity football matchup at Vista Grande High School.

Vista Grande had an opportunity to strike first in the opening quarter, but a field-goal attempt from the Canyon Del Oro 20-yard line missed with 9:24 remaining.

The Dorados eventually broke the scoreless tie late in the first quarter. Canyon Del Oro connected on a passing touchdown from the Vista Grande 35-yard line, and the extra point gave CDO a 7-0 advantage with 29.5 seconds remaining.

The game shifted again just seconds later.

Canyon Del Oro's defense intercepted a Vista Grande pass and returned it for a touchdown from the Vista Grande 30-yard line. The extra point was good, extending the Dorados' advantage to 14-0 with 19.6 seconds left in the opening quarter.

CDO continued adding to its lead in the second quarter, this time through its kicking game. An 18-yard field goal with 4:08 remaining pushed the advantage to 17-0.

The Dorados added another field goal as time expired in the first half, connecting from 20 yards to take a 20-0 lead into halftime.

Vista Grande's defense continued battling despite the deficit. Following the game, Vista Grande No. 12 Kyle Burrola said communication and recognizing Canyon Del Oro's pre-snap movement helped the defense anticipate plays.

“I think what worked really well for us was reading the offense and recognizing their motions before the play,” Burrola said. “Our defense does a great job communicating and seeing things develop ahead of time.”

Burrola said Vista Grande entered the game focused on stopping Canyon Del Oro's rushing attack by filling the box and forcing CDO to throw. He also credited Elijah with his coverage of Canyon Del Oro's No. 11 receiver while the safeties helped support the run defense.

Canyon Del Oro, however, found another big play through the air in the third quarter.

The Dorados connected with No. 11 for a passing touchdown from their own 33-yard line. The extra point was good, increasing Canyon Del Oro's lead to 27-0.

Neither team added another score, allowing Canyon Del Oro to finish the road victory with a shutout.

Canyon Del Oro No. 31 Brody Elicio said the Dorados' offensive approach centered around physical football and establishing their rushing attack.

“Honestly just playing smash mouth football and pounding the rock up the middle was working for us,” Elicio said.

For Elicio, the first-quarter interception return for a touchdown was the moment Canyon Del Oro seized control.

“Absolutely, once our defense scored that pick six we could feel the game shift,” Elicio said.

He said the victory sends a clear message about Canyon Del Oro's commitment to its running game and credited the intensity of the team's practices for helping the Dorados execute on both sides of the ball.

For Vista Grande, Burrola said the focus now turns toward responding after a 3-0 start has been followed by three consecutive losses.

“It starts with our offense bringing good energy into practice and setting the tone from the beginning of the week,” Burrola said.

Burrola said Vista Grande must correct its mistakes, execute assignments and capitalize on opportunities while matching the energy its defense has brought.

“If we can put it all together and play complementary football, I think we can get back on track and get a W,” Burrola said.