Lucca Giurlani
ASU Student Journalist

Mountain View defense comes up big in win over Chaparral

October 1, 2022 by Lucca Giurlani, Arizona State University


The Toros celebrating after a dramatic comeback win. (Lucca Giurlani/AZPreps365)

Lucca Giurlani is an Arizona State Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Mountain View High for AZPreps365.

Mountain View showed up in full force Friday night, rallying in the second half to defeat Chaparral 29-26.

The Toros improved to 2-4.

The offensive connection between quarterback Jack Germaine and senior receiver Zach Gaumont made a difference in the second half. Gaumont showed off his track speed and posted back-to-back touchdown catches in the fourth quarter, giving the Toros the lead.

But it was the defense that helped keep Mountain View in position to win. Senior defensive back Joseph Dawson all but ended the game when he made an incredible play to catch up to a Firebirds receiver on his way to the end zone and punch the ball loose.

This not only prevented the Toros from going down with a couple minutes to play, it also gave them the ability to control the game and run the clock down. 

“Amazing,” said Dawson, describing the crucial play. “I was so grateful that I got it out … punched it out and we got the ball back.” 

This fumble wasn’t the first play the defense made, forcing two other fumbles and shutting down the Firebirds in the second half. Coach Joe Germaine elaborated on the importance the defense played.

“That last one was what won the game,'' he said. "… Forcing those turnovers like we had was the difference maker in the game.”

The defense was stifling. Even though the Toros allowed 20 points in the first half, most of that was due to the offense not moving the ball well. 

After halftime, the defense kept pushing, forcing a fumble and two straight 3-and-outs. The Toros allowed only one second-half touchdown, which came on a difficult pass made through contact during a blitz.

“We brought the pressure. Didn't let up and came out on top,” said sophomore linebacker Jackson Bogle, who was in the opposing quarterback’s face a lot through blitzing.

The Mountain View defense leaned on blitzing, continuously forcing the ball out of the Chaparral quarterback’s hands since he was such a factor against them with his legs.

“Contain that quarterback, he's running it down our throats,” Bogle said of the team's haltime adjustment.

The Toros trailed 20-7 at the half, and worse, it had a chance to only leave the half in a better spot. After a key stop on what should have been Chaparral’s final drive of the half, a punt was coughed up by the Toros, allowing Chaparral ample time from the 20-yard line to add to its lead, which it did with a TD. 

Coach Germaine refused to let that half influence his team's demeanor. 

“I was happy with how we played the whole game tonight,” said Germaine. “The easy thing to have done at halftime, 1-3, down 20-7, was to kind of fold our tent, and they did just the opposite.”