Football Recap: Payson Starts Season with Victory Against Fountain Hills

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Previous Games

08/22/25 - Home	51-0 W
09/20/24 - Away	49-0 W
09/15/23 - Home	14-3 W
10/21/22 - Home	24-14 W
09/16/21 - Away	31-6 W
+ 5 more games

Payson gave their fans exactly what they wanted out of a home opener on Friday. They took their game with ease, bagging a 51-0 victory over the Fountain Hills Falcons. The win continues a trend for the Longhorns in their matchups with the Falcons: they've now won six in a row.

Payson had a senior duo take command as Nolan Keeney rushed for 31 yards and a pair of TDs and Marco Guereque picked up 59 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Special teams was a major factor in the game for Payson, racking up 17 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Guereque, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.

One reason for the win was Payson's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for 3.5 sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Brayden Lee, Cody Joslin, and Grady Bix, who each picked up one sack apiece. Payson got some further help from Jonny McAnerny: he forced one fumble and made eight total tackles (3.0 for loss) in addition to snagging an interception.

Coming up, Payson is taking a road trip to square off against Page at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Fountain Hills, they will look to take advantage of their home field for the first time this season as they take on Parker at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.