It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Mesa Ridge had no problem doing just that on Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 34-31 victory over the Monarch Coyotes. The win was nothing new for the Grizzlies as they're now sitting on three straight.
Mesa Ridge's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Bryce Riehl, who threw for 319 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 13.9 yards per attempt. Riehl is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as he's now passed for four or more in the last three games he's played. Kobe Dooley was Riehl's top target, picking up 191 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Mesa Ridge didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Jaxon Auger and Anthony Smith.
Malakhi Payne and Riley Montemayor certainly did their best on Friday to avoid the loss. Payne rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown, while Montemayor threw for 148 yards and two touchdowns.
Mesa Ridge has been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 8-3 record this season. As for Monarch, they moved to 9-3 with that defeat, which also ended their six-game winning streak.
As of now, neither Mesa Ridge nor Monarch have any future games scheduled.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
