Cactus Shadows dropped down to 3-3 on Friday, ending the team's three-game streak of wins. They had to suffer through a 49-20 loss at the hands of the Desert Mountain Wolves. The Falcons were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 42-14.
Zach Spielman
| 10/03/25 @ Desert Mountain | 90 |
| 09/05/25 vs ALA - Gilbert North | 67 |
| 09/19/25 @ Camelback | 53 |
| 09/26/25 vs Paradise Valley | 39 |
| 09/12/25 @ Eastmark | 12 |
When it comes to explaining why Cactus Shadows lost, don't look at Donivan Dixon. Despite the final result, he rushed for 113 yards and three TDs on only ten carries, and also threw for 211 yards on only 16 passes. A healthy portion of Dixon's aerial production (90 yards to be exact) went to Zach Spielman.
As for Desert Mountain, the win (which was their fourth in a row) raised their record to 5-1. Considering they have won four contests by more than 28 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Desert Mountain was led to victory by Grant Garduno and Easton Conner. Garduno threw for 243 yards and four touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes, while Conner gained 126 total yards and two touchdowns. Those four passing touchdowns gave Garduno a new career-high. Kai Hasenyager was Garduno's top target, picking up 43 receiving yards and a pair of scores.
Looking ahead, Cactus Shadows will look to defend their home field on Friday against Horizon at 7:00 p.m. The Huskies' defense has only allowed 14.8 points per game this season, so the Falcons' offense will have their work cut out for them. As for Desert Mountain, they will venture away from home to square off against Ironwood Ridge at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Wolves will be up against the Nighthawks' rather soft defense (which has allowed 31.17 points per matchup), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
