Division III Championship: Saguaro 45, Williams Field 21

Saturday, Nov. 29: Sun Devil Stadium

Quinn Gardner raised the ball high over his head. The senior cornerback had just given Gilbert Williams Field excellent field position and momentum after Scottsdale Saguaro's Christian Kirk fumbled after a 10-yard gain.

Saguaro had taken a 21-7 lead with 4:40 left in the first half on a 45-yard touchdown pass from Kare' Lyles to Robert Branch but Williams Field cut into the lead three minutes later after Fabian Ortiz scored from seven yards out to make it 21-14 with 1:48 left.

Then came the fumble.

Kirk was visibly upset and for good reason. A sure selection as the Arizona Player of the Year, Kirk could do it all - 103 TDs, 2,675 rushing yards and 3,942 yards receiving to go along with 11 interceptions in his career.  The one thing he is not used to is giving the ball away.

"I'm not sure how mad I was but everyone could see it," said Kirk. "I had to get the ball back."

He would.

Braedyn Bushman cashed in on the turnover with a 30-yard run to tie the game up 21-21 with 1:09 left in the half. Suddenly, Williams Field had a chance. Then came the hurdle.

Kirk took the ensuing kickoff from his own 2-yard line. He had the sideline but he saw something up the middle, something the rest of us would try to avoid - tacklers. He went for it.

Kirk hurdled a tackler and spun his way to an open field. In all, it took 14 seconds but, by the time he was finished some 98 yards later, the score was Saguaro 28, Williams Field 21.

The game featured several blows and momentum shifts and Williams Field landed the first punch. Lyles turned to throw a lateral to his right on Saguaro's first possession but he didn't count on Javonni Allen.

The senior safety stepped into the lane and coasted 45-yards to put Williams Field up 7-0 with 6:06 left in the first quarter but Kirk tied it up 7-7 on a 6-yard dash in the final moments of the quarter.

Williams Field benefited from a "running-into-the-kicker" penalty and a defensive holding call on their next drive to set up a 36-yard field goal attempt but Kirk came through again.

He deflected the kick and Byron Murphy recovered the ball and returned it to midfield. Lyles would hit Murphy on a 49-yard pass two plays later and Saguaro was up 14-7.

Williams Field never gave up. Against all odds, the Black Hawks got up and got back in the game.

"The kids just had it in their minds that they were going to stand tall and leave everything on the field," explained head coach Steve Campbell. "They learned an important message on what it takes to become men and it means a lot considering no one gave them a chance."

Saguaro had taken it to Williams Field during the regular season and came away with a 42-7 victory in October. Even so, the Black Hawks had earned a No. 2 seed for another shot at the top-rated Sabercats, this time with everything on the line.

Down only 28-21, Williams Field had a shot at another turnover after Lyles fumbled moments into the second half but the ball was kicked around and Murphy fell on it to preserve the possession. The wasted opportunity led to another TD run by Kirk to put the Sabercats up 35-21.

Matthew Rosedale connected on a 32-yard field goal later in the third to make it 38-21 and Williams Field slowly saw the game slipping away.

Kirk scored his 103rd career TD on a 55-yard dash with 5:55 left in the game for the 45-21 margin of victory. He passed his friend and former Saguaro standout D.J. Foster for the career TD record.

"Foster told me to be better than he was," said Kirk. "That has been my goal this year."

Kirk has led Saguaro to back-to-back championships with 27 straight wins thrown in but now the waiting game begins. He has narrowed his collegiate choices to six schools with ASU being one of the them.

The big decision will take place on Dec. 17.

 

Saguaro Championships

2014 (D-III: Jason Mohns)

2013 (D-III: Jason Mohns)

2011 (D-III: John Sanders)

2010 (4A-I: John Sanders)

2008 (4A-I: John Sanders)

2007 (4A-I: John Sanders)

2006 (4A-I: Mike Reardon)

1995 (4A: Tim Beck)

1978 (5A Runner-up: Bob Keller)