In a 5A non-region game, Verrado found itself trailing just three minutes into its contest against Ironwood. The Eagles had just gone on an impressive 74-yard drive to take a 7-0 advantage.
No worries though, that’s because the Viper offense hadn’t taken the field yet. When it did, it was impossible to stop. Verrado’s starters were in the game for seven possessions and scored a perfect seven touchdowns, which led to a 49-13 rout over Ironwood at home in Buckeye.
“You like having the touchdowns,” Verrado head coach Brett Davis said. “Some execution things we need to clean up before we get to the meat of our schedule. You love the win and the big plays. We’ve got a lot of speed.”
After the touchdown on its initial series, Ironwood (1-2, #41 in 5A) was unable to score again until the fourth quarter. The Eagles started sophomore Nathan Shea at quarterback for the first time as last week’s starter was knocked out of the game. IHS was also missing it’s leading rusher, Ramsey Pyne. Both players are expected to return for the Eagles next week.
Verrado (2-1, #20 in 5A) operates out of the 44 Shoot, a wide-open variation of the Run and Shoot spread offense. On some plays as many as five receivers ran routes with no backs to space out defenders. Vipers junior quarterback Chase Valdez perfectly executed the game plan, taking his team on drives that ended with the fight song being played and the kicker trotting on the field to boot an extra point.
5 players that stood out
Verrado RB Jesse Abundes
Yes, the Vipers throw the ball about two-thirds of the time, but the run game is key to keeping defenses honest and picking up yards on third-and-short plays to keep the chains moving. The 5-10, 170-pound senior gets six to nine carries a game and makes the most of them as he’s averaging over 9 yards per attempt. Abundes ran for 73 yards on nine carries. He’s also used in the passing game and hauled in a 35-yard reception to the 1-yard line. Fittingly, he got the handoff on the next snap and punched it in for the score.
Verrado OT Cyrus Padilla
The Vipers have played three games and haven’t allowed a sack in any of them. The 6-3, 295-pound Padilla is versatile and can play on the interior of the line, but was mainly used at tackle. He piled up 26 pancake blocks as a junior and probably utilizes some techniques he picked up as a state qualifier in wrestling (heavyweight). Padilla has eight college offers, including Division I ones from Drake (Iowa) and San Diego. He’ll have no trouble qualifying for college as he carries a lofty 4.81 GPA.
Verrado QB Chase Valdez
The junior signal caller (pictured at the top of the article) has the keys to the offense and has completed 69 passes over the first three games. A trio of touchdown passes Friday night gives him 12 for the season against just two interceptions. Valdez (6-0, 170) is able to see the field well and spreads the ball out (nine different receivers made catches against Ironwood) to all of his teammates running routes. Football isn’t his only sport either. Valdez played centerfield on the varsity baseball team last spring and batted .343.
Verrado WR Eli Mock
Mock is in his second year as a starter and was an All-5A Desert West Region Honorable Mention last season. He can play either in the slot or outside and is a sure-handed receiver. Valdez found him a few times in the second half, when he had three receptions for 34 yards and scored a touchdown. The 5-10, 170-pounder totes a 4.33 GPA and has received college attention with a few Division III and NAIA offers.
Verrado DB Jaden King
The Verrado secondary didn’t allow big plays (only 2 plays of 10+ yards for Ironwood in the game). The senior King (5-11, 180) was a part of that. He plays with a confidence that turned into focus after the initial Ironwood possession. While the offense gets plenty of headlines, the Verrado defense has been up to the task the past two games, allowing just 19 total points. If the Vipers are going to stay in games against the top of the region (Desert Edge, Canyon View, and Millennium), the defense will need to make stops, even if the games turn into shootouts. King did get an interception in the game, but it was erased due to a (questionable) pass interference penalty.
5 (non-scoring) plays that made a difference
- A 52-yard run from wide receiver Elijah Jones put Ironwood in the red zone in the first quarter. The Eagles cashed that in for the game’s first touchdown.
- Trailing 7-0 in the first quarter, Verrado lined up to go for it on fourth-and-five from the Ironwood 39-yard line. We’ll never know if that play would have worked, or if Ironwood could have seized early momentum, because the Eagles jumped offside and awarded the Vipers with a first down. Verrado went on to score on that drive to knot the game at 7.
- After Verrado tied the game 7-7, the Viper offense got it right back due to a fumble on the ensuing kickoff. Verrado had a short field from the IHS 36-yard line and scored the go-ahead touchdown just four plays later.
- Trailing 14-7, but still very much in the game, Ironwood went for it on fourth-and-nine from the VHS 31-yard line. A sack (12 yards) ended the possession and gave the Vipers the ball back.
- When it rains it pours. Trailing 28-7, Ironwood fumbled on the first play of its possession and gave Verrado the ball at the Ironwood 39-yard line. As it did on each of the three Eagle turnovers, Verrado turned it into a touchdown.
5 key stats
- Despite the lopsided score, Ironwood actually outgained the Vipers in yards during the first quarter thanks to a pair of long drives. The Eagles had 105 (81 rushing) and Verrado had 90 (76 passing).
- In the second quarter, Verrado continued its scoring pace and forced turnovers. For that period, the Vipers held a 145-3 advantage in total yards and put the game away by halftime.
- After gaining eight first downs in the first half, Ironwood only had two in the second half.
- It was a relatively clean game with just 10 total penalties called (five on each side).
- While Verrado is known as a passing team, four of its seven touchdowns came via the run.
Vipers 49, Eagles 13
IHS. . . . . 7 0 0 6 – 13
VHS. . . . . 14 21 14 0 – 49
First Quarter
IRON: Rostin Manzo 5 yard run (Eli Lanning kick), 9:02, 0-7
VERR: Trey Oliver 1 yard run (Alexander Gutierrez kick), 5:26, 7-7
VERR: Jesse Abundes 1 yard run (Gutierrez kick), 5:05, 14-7
Second Quarter
VERR: Ryker Kehler 17 yard pass from Chase Valdez (Gutierrez kick), 9:18, 21-7
VERR: Oliver 1 yard run (Gutierrez kick), 5:05, 28-7
VERR: Linkin Waldeck 22 yard pass from Valdez (Gutierrez kick), 2:51, 35-7
Third Quarter
VERR: Eli Mock 21 yard pass from Valdez (Gutierrez kick), 8:08, 42-7
VERR: Eduardo Pereda 5 yard run (Gutierrez kick), 1:20, 49-7
Fourth Quarter
IRON: Hudson Johannsen 25 yard pass from Nathan Shea (run failed), 7:10, 49-13
Team Statistics
First Downs – IRON: 10, VERR: 12. Rushes-Yards – IRON: 25-92, VERR: 18-114. Comp-Att-Int – IRON: 8-13-1, VERR: 19-33-0. Passing Yards – IRON: 56, VERR: 231. Total Yards – IRON: 148, VERR: 345. Fumbles Lost – IRON: 2, VERR: 0. Penalties-Yards: IRON: 5-35, VERR: 5-50.
Individual Statistics
Passing – IRON: Shea 8-13-1, 56 yards, VERR: Valdez 19-33-0, 231 yards.
Rushing – IRON: Jones 1-52, Manzo 11-32, VERR: Abundes 9-73, Oliver 6-27.
Receiving – IRON: Johannsen 1-25, Jones 2-14, VERR: Park 3-39, Mock 3-34.
5 people I talked to after the game
Verrado QB Chase Valdez on what his main priority is in this offense: “I try to get as many completions as possible and try to move downfield. Here and there, take the shots, when they’re available.”
Ironwood Head Coach Tony Stillings on what he has learned about his team in the first three weeks: “We’re a team that doesn’t quit. We’re a team that fights. When we execute, we’re darn tough. But, we’ve got to clean up some mistakes.”
Verrado OL Cyrus Padilla on the winning formula for this team: “Trusting our playmakers and trusting in ourselves. We were running the ball a lot today and we were definitely moving that rock. Also, letting our quarterback make the right reads.”
Verrado DB Jaden King on the play of the defense the past two games: “When the offense scores, we’re all hyped up and ready to get the ball right back to them.”
Verrado Head Coach Brett Davis on the support of the local community: “They always come out here. It’s a passionate community for the program. They always support. It’s been awesome.”
Next week
Ironwood (1-2) is on the road again for a Thursday game next week against Kellis. The two schools are both in the Peoria District and the game is becoming a little bit of a rivalry. It helps that many of the players on both teams know one another and that the schools are just eight miles apart. Kellis (2-1) has doubled its win total from last year after shutting out Paradise Valley (39-0) on Friday night. Last season, the Cougars won 47-35 in what turned out to be their only victory (Ironwood also finished 1-9 in 2025).
Verrado (2-1) will have its longest road trip of the season next Friday when the Vipers go to Yuma Catholic. The plan is to leave campus at around 2 p.m., get something to eat in Yuma, and then head to the stadium for the 7 p.m. kickoff. Yuma Catholic (1-2) lost a tough 39-38 game at Marana on Friday night where the Shamrocks led by six with Marana facing a fourth down. The Tigers completed the six-yard pass and kicked the PAT with just 11 seconds remaining for the win. Last year, the Vipers dominated this matchup, winning 35-0 in Buckeye.
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