Last-minute defensive stand seals Rams’ victory over Tempe

The final game of the season went down to the final play for the Maricopa High School football team. Clinging to a 19-18 lead over Tempe during a tense final minute, the visiting Rams stopped the Buffaloes a yard from the end zone to preserve the one-point victory.

“That’s our kids figuring out how to win, and hard work paying off,” Maricopa coach Cory Nenaber said.

The decisive sequence culminated with a 29-yard field goal attempt by Tempe on fourth-and-goal from the 12. The kick by the Buffaloes barely got off the ground and was ruled to have been blocked by Maricopa. As the ball rolled toward the end zone, a Tempe player picked it up and ran toward the goal line. K.J. Diehl made a saving tackle for the Rams, taking down the ball-carrier at the 1-yard line with 23 seconds left.

“Maybe the best play I’ve ever seen a high school kid make is Number 6 (Diehl) stopping that guy at the 1-foot line,” Nenaber said. “The best play I’ve seen in high school football – heads-up, gutsy, and by himself to make that right there is just phenomenal. The kid ran up the middle, and K.J. tracked it down and pulled him down on the 1-foot line. It was just a phenomenal individual effort by him.”

Regaining possession just a few feet from their own end zone, the Rams had to execute an offensive play with the goal of avoiding a safety. Diehl gained a yard on a quarterback sneak to run out the clock, and the Rams (4-6 overall, 2-5 in the Class 4A-II East Sky Region) subsequently celebrated their second consecutive victory.

“I’m so happy for those seniors who have given us everything we’ve asked them to do this year,” Nenaber said.

The Rams scored the decisive points on a 4-yard touchdown run by Randel Barber and the ensuing extra-point kick by Armando Cano with 10:56 remaining.

Tempe (0-10, 0-7) would get three offensive possessions over the final 10:56, punting on the first, turning the ball over on downs from the Maricopa 40 on the second, and driving to the Maricopa 12 before missing the 29-yard field goal on the third.

Jose Flores completed 12 of 31 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns for Tempe. He also rushed for a touchdown and caught a 45-yard pass from DeQuan Hughes.

Meanwhile, Maricopa amassed 308 yards rushing on 52 attempts. Diehl led the Rams with 104 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Barber finished with 76 yards on 17 attempts, while Brian Nechamkin carried the ball 12 times for 68 yards.

Maricopa grabbed an early 7-0 lead on a 1-yard run by Diehl, but Tempe answered with a 1-yard scoring run by Flores and a 21-yard pass to the end zone from Flores to Kevin Barnett. The Rams pulled within 12-9 when a punt snap by Tempe sailed out of the end zone for a safety with 48 seconds left in the second quarter.

Barnett (who finished with five receptions for 106 yards) caught a 29-yard touchdown pass from Flores to increase Tempe’s advantage to 18-9 with 9:52 left in the third quarter. Armando Cano kicked a 30-yard field goal for Maricopa late in the third. The Rams then drove 64 yards to pull ahead to stay on their next possession, taking a 19-18 lead on Barber’s 4-yard run and Cano’s extra point.