Not that one wouldn't expect Daniel Bridge-Gadd to perform well in a big game, but the Paradise Valley quarterback outdid himself on Thursday night.

Bridge-Gadd threw five touchdown passes and turned in a career-best game in total offense to pace host Paradise Valley to a 33-21 victory over Desert Edge in the much-anticipated skirmish of the No. 1 and 2 teams in Division III.

 

Paradise Valley (3-0) will likely be the new No. 1 in D-III next week with Desert Edge, most folks preseason No. 1, taking a bit of a backseat after this loss. Bridge-Gadd, now in his third season as PV's starting quarterback, passed for 340 yards and rushed for another 129 in a superb effort. PV dropped from D-II this season to D-III while Desert Edge (1-1) has been pretty much the consensus favorite in the division.

 

Bridge-Gadd capped his huge night with a 60-yard (catch and run) TD toss to AJ Smith with 3:48 to play to give PV a two-touchdown cushion. It came  less than a minute after Desert Edge scored on a 25-yard TD run by Desert Edge backup quarterback Alias Sturges to pull the Scoprions within 26-21 with 4:44 left.  Sturges was filling in for Desert Edge standout QB Tehran Thomas, who missed the game with a foot injury. Sturges scored two TDs for Desert Edge.

 

Bridge-Gadd spread the ball pretty evenly among five targers -- Smith (2 TDs), Jacob Brown (2 TDs), Jim Dragon, Jordan Delaney and Jared Beamon. The game was a defensive struggle of sorts in the opening half with PV taking a 6-0 lead to intermission thanks to the first Bridge-Gadd-to-Smith score

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Desert Edge was plagued by four turnovers, several penalties that extended PV drives and a couple of bad snaps from center on crucial plays. That and the prowess of Bridge-Gadd was the difference in what may not be the only time the teams play this season.

 

Running back Rocky Perez rushed for 134 yards to pace Desert Edge's ground game, which had trouble in the red zone much of the night.