The Sedona Jr. High football team continues to search for answers as they dropped their fourth contest in a row, this time to Granite Mountain over the weekend by the final score of 32-0.
The biggest reason for Sedona’s early 0-4 record may be the fact that 11 of the 17 players on Sedona’s team also play on the Majors football team for the Red Rock Youth Football program.
On Saturday, Sept. 20, the Majors played a game against the Prescott Badgers and lost 19-16.
By Brian Bergner Jr.
The Sedona Jr. High football team continues to search for answers as they dropped their fourth contest in a row, this time to Granite Mountain over the weekend by the final score of 32-0.
The biggest reason for Sedona’s early 0-4 record may be the fact that 11 of the 17 players on Sedona’s team also play on the Majors football team for the Red Rock Youth Football program.
On Saturday, Sept. 20, the Majors played a game against the Prescott Badgers and lost 19-16.
The same 11 players who played every down of that game played in the 6 p.m. game against Granite Mountain.
“I don’t think we’ll be doing this any longer. It’s just too tough for these kids to be able to compete twice in a day,” Sedona head coach Scott Gilbert said.
Gilbert is looking to cancel most of the Major’s schedule of games as of today and just have the players concentrate on the Jr. High football schedule.
Running back Rawlin Carpenter scored two touchdowns in the game against the Badgers on Saturday morning, both of the 40-plus yard variety.
Fullback Keenan Crans punched it over the goal line twice for two successful two- point conversions giving Sedona the lead at 16-12.
The Badgers, toward the end of the scrimmage, found a way to punch it in themselves and kick the extra point to end it, 19-16.
This was the first time Sedona had actually scored a touchdown on an opponent this season.
“We’ve really made great strides. You can’t expect these kids to be great football players overnight. It takes time,” Gilbert said.
Later that night under the lights at Sedona Red Rock High, the same 11 players bravely came suited up and ready to play with their six other teammates, who are too big to play at the Majors level.
Sedona found themselves down 8-0 early when the Granite Mountain Grizzlies just kept handing it off to their 250-pound running back for the score.
The Grizzlies found their way into the end zone twice more in the first half, and it was 24-0 before Sedona could even take a gander at the scoreboard.
On offense for Sedona, quarterback Ryan Ramirez completed two of eight passes for six yards.
Two of the remaining six passes found themselves in the hands of the Grizzlies.
“Ryan [Ramirez] gets better and better every day. He will be a good player one day,” Gilbert said.
As for the completions, Carpenter caught a swing pass for no yards, and tight end Mason Aronson caught the other for a gain of six yards.
In the ground game, Crans pounded his way for 26 yards on seven carries and Carpenter ran six times for 21 yards.
Gilbert’s most valuable player of the game, however, came on the defensive side of the ball as Ramirez recorded 12.5 tackles, the most by one player in one game in the history of the program.
The 10 solo tackles and five assists also set the record.
“We moved Ryan [Ramirez] to outside linebacker and he really shined in the game against the Grizzlies,” Gilbert said.
In the second half, Sedona’s defense stepped up and only allowed one touchdown in the third quarter as Granite Mountain finished it off with a 32-0 final.
Next up for the Jr. High team will be another home game against the Cottonwood Middle School Lobos on Thursday, Sept. 25.
Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Brian Bergner Jr. can be reached at 282-7795, ext. 131, or e-mail bbergner@larsonnewspapers.com
