In the fourth quarter, freshman quarterback Jack Johnson hooked up with senior Max Keckeis for a 70-yard completion, the longest play of the day from scrimmage, to give the Scorpions a first and goal on the 3-yard line.

Despite the Sedona Red Rock High football team’s deficit of 44-0 to 3A-West region foe South Pointe High at the time on Friday, Sept. 26, players on the sideline felt this would be a much-needed positive to a otherwise negative night.

By Brian Bergner Jr.

Larson Newspapers

In the fourth quarter, freshman quarterback Jack Johnson hooked up with senior Max Keckeis for a 70-yard completion, the longest play of the day from scrimmage, to give the Scorpions a first and goal on the 3-yard line.

Despite the Sedona Red Rock High football team’s deficit of 44-0 to 3A-West region foe South Pointe High at the time on Friday, Sept. 26, players on the sideline felt this would be a much-needed positive to a otherwise negative night.

With the small home town crowd actually chanting, “RUN THE BALL … RUN THE BALL,” Sedona head coach Rob Lezcano actually did, handing it off to junior Pedro Ortega Jr. for a 2-yard gain making it second and goal at the 1.

The next three plays summed up the entire season so far for the Scorpions, which ended in frustration with three incomplete passes from the 1-yard line as the Scorpions turned the ball over with just under two minutes remaining in the game and a big zero still on the scoreboard.

This was a common look to the Scorpion offense against South Pointe, who managed to go nowhere in the early stages of the game with one incomplete pass after another.

Sedona’s offense was on the field so long, one needed a stopwatch to time the seconds which ticked away like the game was a 100-meter dash competition.

During this 0-5 [0-2] start to the 2008 campaign, many are starting to wonder what is going wrong.

The Scorpions are bigger than last year, stronger than last year and certainly more talented than last year … without a doubt. The Scorpions supposedly also have a better head coach and staff to back him up.

All of the above pointed in the right direction to a better-prepared football team this season for the Scorpions and hopefully a much better record.

For now, those positives have not turned into wins in a town desperate for a good football team, and a good football program.

For now.

When asked what he thought about not getting the ball three times on the 1-yard line to try and give the Scorpions a score, senior tailback Travis Bernard had the answer.

“In certain situations we should run, but I respect coach Lezcano’s decisions. He tells us to pass, we pass,” Bernard said.

Bernard recorded eight carries on the night for 66 yards and five kickoff returns for 95 yards.

In the end, Sedona drops another game by more than six touchdowns, which has happened in four out of the five games this season.

Bad play and no wins certainly doesn’t fall entirely on the coaching staff.

Johnson, as a freshman quarterback, has looked good at times, but the pendulum frequently swings in the wrong direction for Johnson, which happens often when the player is only 14 years old.

Senior Sammy Holeyfield hasn’t been much better, completing only 40 percent of his passes and 10 interceptions to only two touchdown passes so far this season.

Against South Pointe, Johnson completed nine of 34 passes for 170 yards, including four interceptions in only his second start of his young career.

“We had many self inflicted turnovers against South Pointe. We put in a few packages for Jack [Johnson] and he made some bad reads,” Lezcano said.

Johnson and Holeyfield are not the only ones to blame. The defense hasn’t done their job either, so far this season, allowing 235 points to score, second to last only to Parker High’s 248 in the 3A-West region.

All is not lost, however. Johnson has shown the ability to learn quickly; receivers are improving dramatically; and the defense at times has stepped up with a few big stops.

Other good news for the Scorpions is Lezcano is getting major playing time for his young freshman and sophomores who are learning on the job.

“We are still learning. We are very young, and I know everyone wants to win now, but it’s not realistic. The best thing for us right now is to keep improving and get these kids quality football minutes,” Lezcano said.

Brian Bergner Jr. can be reached at 282-7795, ext. 131, or e-mail bbergner@larsonnewspapers.com.