Mesquite fans are used to going to the wire when watching the Wildcats play in postseason the past two years. It was no different in the 4A championship game Friday night against Cactus.

Ty Thompson engineered two fourth-quarter touchdown drives to rally Mesquite to a state title repeat with a 39-38 victory over Cactus at Highland High School. Mesquite (10-1) entered the final quarter trailing 38-24. It's the second year in a row Cactus fell to Mesquite. Last year's game saw seven lead changed before Mesquite prevailed, 28-27, via a late scoring drive and two-point conversion stop to snatch victory from defeat. Cactus finished 2020 8-3 with its only losses to 5A champ Sunrise Mountain, Open Division competitor Desert Edge and Mesquite. 

Mesquite has played seven playoff games the last two years and five have gone down to the final possession with the Wildcats scoring to win or the defense making a stop to preserve a lead. 

Thompson, a senior and University of Oregon commit, wrapped up an illustrious career passing for 335 yards, rushing for another 112 and having a hand in five of the Wildcats' six touchdowns. Four of the scores were through the air (three to Eric Lira) and two were short runs. Mesquite won the game marching 88 yards in 11 plays with Thompson capping the drive with a 2-yard toss to Lira with 17 seconds left that pulled the Wildcats within 38-37. Lira caught six passes on the game-winning drive and Thompson ran the ball the other plays save one.

Coach Scott Hare was all in on going for two and the win. After trading timeouts, Mesquite settled for Thompson to roll to his right and throw back to the left to the blanketed Lira, who outfought defenders for the catch and winning two points.

"We try to stay the course the whole game no matter what," Hare said. "We were able to weather the storm in the second quarter into the third. It was fitting we had the chance at the end for two points."

Thompson had two superb games against Cactus. In last year's semifinal win, he passed for 345 yards and rushed for 49. Was even better this night as Mesquite made plays when it had to and the defense tightened in the final quarter to force a pair of Cactus punts and no first downs in the final 12 minutes.

Mesquite quarterback Ty Thompson wrapped up his career in style on Friday in the 4A title game. (AzPreps365 photo/Seth Polansky)

Lira, a senior who transferred from Central High at the beginning of the year when Metro schools were shut down, had a monster game catching 16 passes for 260 yards and the three scores. It was a monster season as well for Lira as he passed the 1,000-yard mark in receiving with 15 TD receptions. 

"I'm happy for all our guys," Hare said. "Really happy for Eric. He got the opportunity to play this year, and it was a really cool thing to watch him play and help us get where we got to." 

The game featured huge scoring sprees by both teams. Cactus opened the scoring with a 50-yard swing pass from quarterback Will Galvan to receiver Joseph Lagafuaina. Mesquite responded with 18 points in a three-minute span later in the quarter for an 18-6 lead. Thompson opened the three-TD barrage with his first connection to Lira. The Wildcats' defense and special teams helped bring about the next two TDs with Andrew Morris making a strip of Cactus' Aki Pulu and fumble recovery. Morris picked up the fumble and returned it 50 yards to make it 12-6. Another fumble on the ensuing kickoff return by  Cactus' Justin Holmes was recovered by Mesquite (Lira). The ball was jarred loose by Cameron Clinton setting up the Wildcats at the Cactus 40 that led to the last of the trio of opening-period scores.

Cactus, howerve, rebounded in an even bigger way. The Cobras reeled off 26 points in the second quarter - 18 in succession - to forge a 32-24 lead at halftime. Cactus focused on its running attack entirely in the second period and the third and took a 38-24 lead to the final quarter. Cobras' sophomore running back Damian Jiles kicked into gear in the middle periods and finished the game with 127 yards on 22 carries and three touchdowns. Backfield mate Pulu chipped in to the 227-yard rushing night Cactus produced and scored Cobras final TD with 7:09 left in the third quarter.

The future is bright for Cactus, which is 26-10 (8-4, 10-3, 8-3) in coach Joseph Ortiz's three-year tenure. The Cobras return a bunch of this year's starters next year on both sides of the ball. Ortiz loses eight seniors.

"We stalled on offense in the fourth quarter," Ortiz said. "They loaded the box and we missed some blocks. They have one of the best quarterbacks in the country. ... 

"I'm just super proud of our kids. We play a lot of juniors and sophomores and couldn't be more proud. They came within a point of winning a state championship. Cactus isn't going anywhere."