Rams score 4 TDs in 4th quarter, start season 2-0

Despite a shaky start trying to defend the pass, the Maricopa High School football team came back against Paradise Valley for a 48-33 win in the Rams’ home opener Friday.

Maricopa scored four touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Trojans in what was a hard-fought game. The offense relied heavily on an energized running game. Sophomore Jathan Washington carried the ball 10 times, totaling 130 yards and three touchdowns.

He also threw for two touchdowns in play-action as the offense kept Paradise Valley guessing. They were his only two passes of the game, both to senior Kenny Oliver.

For the first time in his career, junior Devin Parady started at quarterback, still filling in for injured Zach Bachelder. Parady completed 13 of 20 passes for 124 yards.

“To be thrown in the fire like that in a varsity game, I thought he did really well,” head coach Chris McDonald said. “I can’t really ask for more from a kid that’s thrown in a position like that. So I’m proud of him.”

The Trojans scored on their first two possessions on long passes. In the opening possession, the Rams’ defensive back fell down.

“In the second one, our safety got caught looking in the back field,” McDonald said. “We corrected it. Both guys got back in. Both guys delivered later on in the game.”

Junior Cameron Sanders did much of the short-yardage grunt work, carrying the ball 11 times for 44 yards and scoring the lead touchdown. The Rams scored again at the top of the second quarter on a muffed snap that saw Washington recover the ball and pass it to Oliver for a 62-yard touchdown catch.

That tied the game at 14, but Paradise Valley scored on its next possession, another pass with 10:20 on the clock.

Washington scored from the 11 with 2:49 left to tie the score at 21 at halftime.

The Trojans had the only touchdown of the third quarter, but Oliver blocked the point-after attempt. That allowed the Rams to take the lead after their next touchdown to open the fourth quarter, a 71-yard run by junior Kemo Akins. Senior Sam Aviles proved to be the superior kicker in the game, and his PAT put Maricopa up 28-27.

After Maricopa’s second score of the quarter, another run by Washington followed by an Aviles PAT, the Trojans returned the kickoff for a touchdown. They failed, however, at a 2-point conversion in an attempt to tie the score.

Maricopa ran off with the game from that point. The Rams had 481 total yards, 248 of them rushing. Oliver had 131 yards receiving on five receptions. Aviles was 6-for-7 in point-after attempts.

Next up for Maricopa is Tucson Desert View (1-0). McDonald said he and his coaches have had little chance to look at the Jaguars yet. The game starts at 7 p.m. at Ram Stadium.

MHS Football vs Paradise Valley

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