Three seconds was the total amount of time Surprise Willow Canyon (3-2) had held  the lead in Week 4 against Phoenix Sunnyslope (2-2). That’s all they needed as a field goal attempt  from junior Josh Stangler secured a 10-9 win for the visitors as they spoiled Sunnyslope’s homecoming Friday night. 

Willow Canyon recovered a fumble late in the fourth quarter and it proved to be too much for the Sunnyslope defense. Willow Canyon was able to drive down the field and then secure the win.

Standout performer

Willow Canyon’s Josh Stangler: With the game on the line, the junior turned in a clutch performance, hitting a field goal from 21 yards out to give his team the win.

More standouts

Sunnyslope senior Trenton McGill: He came into Week 4 action with 110 yards on 14 carries this season. McGill put up the first points of the night when he found the end zone on a 17-yard run, early in the second quarter.

Willow Canyon junior quarterback Brendan Haynes: Haynes took a beating from the Sunnyslope defense all night, but his 11-yard connection to junior Zack Enhelder during the third quarter, set the table for his team’s game-winning field goal in the closing seconds of the game. 

Star watch

Willow Canyon senior running back Dominic Cardoza: He entered into Week 4 with 87 carries on 561 yards this season. Cardoza had some nice runs but the Sunnyslope defense was able to bottle him up for the most part and kept him out of the end zone. 

Quotes of the game

“A lot was going through my mind while I was trying to get set up, but I had to calm it down. I didn’t need to think too hard, I knew everybody else was going to do their job, I did my job and we pulled it out.” – Stangler on what was going through his mind before the game-winning field goal.

“They kept us in the game. We were on the field a little too long in that second half. We started getting tired.  We started missing some tackles. We were having problems getting some pressure on that quarterback with the four-man front so we kept having to blitz.” – Sunnyslope coach Damon Pieri on his teams defensive play.

Stat of the game

In its three victories this season, Willow Canyon has held its opponents to an average of 7.7 points-per-game.

Up next

Sunnyslope will play the second of three straight home games when they host Scottsdale Chaparral next Friday. Willow Canyon will host Surprise Valley Vista next week.