Bradshaw Mountain weathers comeback, upsets Peoria

Peoria pulled off one of the most stirring comebacks in its storied football history Friday night, erasing a 14-point halftime deficit and pulling ahead by a touchdown in the first eight minutes and 20 seconds of the third quarter.

It wasn't enough.

No. 12 seed Bradshaw Mountain (6-5) regrouped, tying the game with 34.7 seconds left in the quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Bears took advantage of Peoria's mistakes and junior kicker Andy Rosas drilled a 41-yard field goal with 5:42 remaining.

Then, Bradshaw Mountain's defense shut down No. 5 seed Peoria (8-3) twice and left the Valley with a 31-28 win. The Bears will play at Vail Cienega (10-1) in the Class 4A-I quarterfinals next week.

"We've played two really good weeks of football," Bradshaw Mountain coach Chuck Apap said. "First against Agua Fria, because our backs have been to the wall. We don't beat Agua Fria, we're not in (the playoffs). This is like our second round, is how we approached it."

After Rosas' field goal, Peoria was shut down in three plays, with the defense getting excellent penetration and dropping senior tailback A.J. Taylor for a three-yard loss on third-and-one at the Peoria 29. Peoria punted, and a personal foul on the Panthers coverage team set up Bradshaw Mountain at the Peoria 31.

The Bears ran a play, after which the head linesman heard something he didn't like. He called a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Peoria bench, giving Bradshaw Mountain a fresh set of downs at the Peoria 14 and a chance to kill more clock - with less than three minutes left.

"He called it on the bench. He said we said something and said we said something else - but we didn't. He misinterpreted it," Clapp said. "I said, 'Are you sure you want to make this call right now and kind of determine the game.' He just didn't want to hear it. We were just asking about a call."

Peoria stopped sophomore quarterback Tyler Audsley on fourth down at the 7. With only 1:25 left, Peoria starting quarterback Caleb Gillispie took his first snap of the night.

Gillispie injured his ankle in the season finale against Raymond S. Kellis, and was only in to hold on point after trys. But with the team needing to gain at least 70 yards, the junior with the big arm tried to save the season.

Unfotunately, the injury robbed Gillispie of the ability to step into his throws. He missed two passes, and on third down senior wide receiver K.J. Bowen dropped a shotgun snap. On fourth down, Audsley picked off Gillispie's heave down the middle to end the game.

"He just couldn't push off his ankle," Clapp said. "And our backup who played tonight (Nick Salute) is our third-string quarterback. The other one got really sick and couldn't play. I thought (Salute) did a great job considering everything."

Salute, a sophomore and starter for the junior varsity, managed the offense well, but his inexperience showed in the fourth quarter.

With the game tied and Peoria facing a first-and-20 play after a hold, junior Kevin Wallace intercepted Salute's pass at midfield. Peoria's stopped the Bears and Rosas' 42-yard attempt sailed to the right.

Peoria took over at the 20, but two plays later Salute fumbled the snap. Again the Panther defense held, but this time Rosas' kick (the game winner) was true.

Bradshaw Mountain appeared to be on the verge of collapse with 3:40 remaining in the third quarter, having given up 21 unanswered points and having watched senior Chase Sullins drop his third straight kickoff (the Bears recovered all three fumbles).

"I knew we were capable of (the big comeback)," Clapp said. "It's just hard to sustain that."

Instead the visitors went back to what worked so well in the first half - Football 101. Senior fullback Michael Eikenberry rumbled straight up the middle for 11. Audsley faked a draw and motored around the corner for 16.

On it went like a broken record, Eikenberry up the gut for 11, Eikenberry up the gut for 16, Audsley around the corner for 16. Finally, on the seventh play of the 82-yard drive, Eikenberry punched it in from a yard out to tie the game at 28.

"I just told them, you guys know (how you play)," Apap said. "I said 'big deal, let's get back.' We can score. We know our offense can pound the ball in."

This drive ended Peoria's third-quarter surge, the likes of which even Clapp - in his 24th season at Peoria - said he's seen only once or twice. From the start of the second half, the Panthers played with maximum efficiency and intensity.

Taylor received the second-half kickoff and ran a reverse with Bowen at the 1. The sprinter raced 61 yards to set up the offense. A few plays later, Taylor took a draw, made one cut and sliced through the defense for a 26-yard score.

Bradshaw continued to drop the ball, as Audsley fumbled after gaining seven yards on third down. Junior safety Lavante Lewis recovered at the Bears' 10. Taylor gained nine yards, then scored on the next play to tie the game at 21 - barely three minutes into the quarter.

The Bears moved the ball, but were stopped on third-and-one. Peoria began its next possession on its 29.

Seconds later, the Panthers were in the lead. Bowen took Salute's pitch and outran the defense for a 71-yard touchdown.

"That's the thing I'll remember about our kids. They came out and played hard. We scored two quick ones and took the lead," Clapp said. "They could have quit. They didn't."

It was a complete turnaround from the first half, when Bradshaw Mountain simply overpowered Peoria. No team - not Cactus, not Scottsdale Saguaro - physically dominated the usually stout Peoria defense like the visitors from Prescott Valley.

The Bears shook off an inauspicious start. Eikenberry lost a fumble on the second play. Then Salute hit senior tight end Joseph Tanis for a 26-yard touchdown. Tanis fumbled just after crossing the goal line, as the officials determined.

Bradshaw Mountain came back, relying its big offensive line and three money plays - Eikenberry rumbling up the middle, Audsley faking and getting the corner, and junior John Kelley lining up in the slot and running a reverse.

Each member of this trio scored a first-half touchdown, and the Bears rolled up 162 rushing yards on 22 first-half carries. The final score, on a stretch by Audsley from a yard out, gave the visitors a 21-7 advantage 28 seconds before halftime.

"The defense played probably their worst game of the year, but some of that has to do with Bradshaw Mountain, who played pretty well," Clapp said.

It was a complete reversal from the teams' regular-season meeting, when Peoria jumped ahead 21-7 at the half and won 35-22.

"We had 270 plays broken down," Apap said. "We know what they do. They know what we did and it was just a matter of going after them."

Eikenberry finished with 143 yards on 22 carries. Audsley added 130 yards on 15 carries (not counting yardage lost on sacks). For Peoria, Taylor was the focus, rushing 17 times for 101 yards. Bowen, buoyed by his long touchdown, dashed for 102 yards on eight attempts.

It was a stunning end for a Peoria team that spent all year exceeding expectations - except for their own. Clapp said he thoroughly enjoyed and will miss the class of 2010.

"Nobody ever thought they would do anything. We had, what, 19 new faces and I think our kids did a pretty good job," Clapp said. "I'm proud of them. They didn't listen to all of their doubters or people that said they couldn't do things."