Scorpions beat Cowboys despite turnovers2 min read

By
Jeff Bear
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While some may consider a turnover to be a sweet pastry treat, to football coaches turnovers aren’t sweet at all, and they’re anything but a treat.

In Sedona Red Rock High School’s 15-13 win over Camp Verde on Friday, Sept. 21, both head football coaches — Scorpion coach Rick Walsworth and Cowboy coach Steve Darby — had to swallow more than their share of turnovers, and it’s almost certain that neither much cared for the taste.

The Scorpions fumbled three times and threw an interception against the Cowboys, who also had four turnovers. But Sedona managed to come away with a 15-13 win after a special teams error by Camp Verde gave them the lead in the fourth quarter.

After fighting to a 13-13 draw with the Cowboys through 3 1/2 quarters, a 15-play, 67-yard Scorpions drive ground to a halt at the three-yard-line of Camp Verde where the Cowboys took over on downs.

But the Scorpions’ defense kept the Cowboys pinned back, and on fourth and two Camp Verde lined up to punt from its own 11-yard-line.

The long snap sailed out of punter Tyler Dickey’s reach, and although Dickey recovered the ball and punted it, several Scorpions players had swarmed in to block the kick, and it landed out of the back of the end zone for a safety, giving the Scorpions a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

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The game started out as a defensive struggle between the two cross-valley rivals.

After exchanging punts, the Cowboys drove to the Scorpions’ one-yard line before being turned away on fourth down by a tough Sedona defense that made Camp Verde work for every yard throughout the game.

“Coach [Mel] Harms had a good game plan on them,” Walsworth said. “He spends tons of time breaking film down and getting tendencies.

“It’s just a matter of getting kids to execute, and he did a great job getting the defense prepared all week.”

For the full story, please see the Wednesday, Oct. 2, issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.

Jeff Bear

Jeff Bear began his journalism career in 2003 as a graphic designer and sports reporter at the Weekly Register Call in Central City, Colorado. In 2007 he began working at the Canyon Courier in Evergreen, Colorado, as a graphic designer, but soon transferred into the editorial department where he worked as a copy editor and sport reporter under Editor Doug Bell. After a stint as a graphic designer at American Classifieds in 2009-10, Bear began working in 2011 as a copy editor at the Arizona Daily Sun, in Flagstaff. While at the Daily Sun, Bear was tapped by the late Randy Wilson to report on local sports including Northern Arizona University and Olympic medalists training in Flagstaff for the 2012 Olympics. In 2013 Bear began working at the Red Rock News in Sedona, Arizona, where he was an assistant editor and sports editor. Bear has two daughters, Angela and Jessica, with his wife Nina. He is a singer and guitarist, an avid cyclist and hiker, and enjoys camping with family and friends.

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Jeff Bear
Jeff Bear began his journalism career in 2003 as a graphic designer and sports reporter at the Weekly Register Call in Central City, Colorado. In 2007 he began working at the Canyon Courier in Evergreen, Colorado, as a graphic designer, but soon transferred into the editorial department where he worked as a copy editor and sport reporter under Editor Doug Bell. After a stint as a graphic designer at American Classifieds in 2009-10, Bear began working in 2011 as a copy editor at the Arizona Daily Sun, in Flagstaff. While at the Daily Sun, Bear was tapped by the late Randy Wilson to report on local sports including Northern Arizona University and Olympic medalists training in Flagstaff for the 2012 Olympics. In 2013 Bear began working at the Red Rock News in Sedona, Arizona, where he was an assistant editor and sports editor. Bear has two daughters, Angela and Jessica, with his wife Nina. He is a singer and guitarist, an avid cyclist and hiker, and enjoys camping with family and friends.