HIGH SCHOOL

Desert Vista pulls upset of No. 3 Desert Ridge with late 4th-down TD pass

Richard Obert
azcentral sports
Desert Vista celebrates a game-winning touchdown catch by Jake White (#1) to beat Desert Ridge on Friday.

Quarterback Nick Thomas, appearing bottled up on fourth and 10 from his 28, escaped the pressure, got outside the pocket and fired the ball deep into the back of the end zone to a guy he trusts on every throw.

Jake White got behind his man and made the touchdown catch, giving host Phoenix Desert Vista a 20-17 6A Central Region football victory over No. 3 Desert Ridge (6-3, 2-2) on senior night Thursday.

The play, which came with 1:18 left, gave Desert Vista (5-4) its only lead of the game and showed that it can beat an elite team with its physical defense and patient offense combination.

"The pocket broke down, and I knew it was fourth down and we had to make a play," Thomas said. "I've seen this guy (White) in the end zone and I trust him any time I throw the ball to him."

Desert Ridge's coverage broke down as Thomas kept scrambling around.

"They were looking at me all night for the 9 route," White said. "It's fourth and 10 and kind of our last play. I had to go get it. We didn't even question if we could do it or not. It was a scramble drill. I went in the back of the end zone and it worked out for us."

Although Thomas was getting corralled by the likes of 6-foot-5 senior defensive end Jalen Harris in the second half, coach Dan Hinds never doubted his senior leader could make a play to win it.

"Nick's got great wheels," Hinds said. "He throws the ball well on the run. Jake White is a big, tall receiver. Nick put it in a good spot. Jake went up and got it."

Desert Vista (5-4, 3-1) trailed 17-7 after cornerback Alijah Gammage bit on C.J. Fowler's fake pump and Harris got behind him for a 65-yard scoring pass in the third quarter.

But Gammage, a transfer from Chandler Valley Christian who became eligible at midseason, came back to make two key interceptions to contribute to the win.

First, on a halfback pass, Gammage intercepted tailback Tyrese Allen's high, wobbly pass in the end zone in front of Harris and returned it to his 14.

That led to an 86-yard scoring drive that was capped by Thomas' 14-yard pass to Keishaud White. The extra-point try was botched and Desert Vista cut it to 17-13 with 4:41 left.

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Desert Ridge, which lost its second game in a row, went for it in a fourth-and-2 at midfield with 2:23 left.

Donjae Logan, who had success a couple of times on the fly sweep, was stopped a yard short on another attempt at the play, setting up Desert Vista's winning drive.

"The one (fly sweep) before, we had a really big gain on that," Desert Ridge coach Jeremy Hathcock said. "I told C.J., 'If you like it, run it, If you don't, call a timeout.' 'He liked it. Upstairs was telling me, it's huge, run it. But the kid just didn't bury his head for a yard."

Desert Vista burned all of its timeouts during that Desert Ridge drive, but the short field was enough for Thomas to make a play at the end.

Gammage intercepted Fowler in the final minute to seal it.

"After I bit on that hitch, I told myself it wasn't going to happen again," Gammage said.

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him at twitter.com/azc_obert.Listen to Richard Obert with Dan Manucci on the Which Wich Arizona High School Football Preview Show on Friday night 6-7 on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060.