It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but the Desert Edge Scorpions had no problem doing just that on Thursday. They took their match at home with ease, bagging a 58-14 victory over Buena. The result was nothing new for Desert Edge, who have now won six games by 23 points or more so far this season.
Desert Edge was led to victory by Markhi Mckinnon and Hezekiah Millender. Mckinnon rushed for 102 yards and three touchdowns on only six carries, while Millender threw for 258 yards and four touchdowns while completing 81.8% of his passes. Another player making a difference was Jaqua Anderson, who picked up 112 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
The team's defense also helped out by holding Buena to a paltry 230 yards. A big part of that defensive dominance came down to Desert Edge's ability to keep the quarterback under pressure: the team laid the passer out four times before it was all said and done. Leading the way was Deshawn Warner and his two sacks.
Desert Edge has yet to lose a contest at home this season, leaving them with a 9-2 record. It's not like the team was facing easy opposition over that stretch either, as it included 9-2 Higley and 9-2 Central (their opponents had an average overall winning percentage of 57.3% over those games). As for Buena, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-4 record this season.
Desert Edge will play host again and welcome Notre Dame Prep, where kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on November 17th. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Arizona (Notre Dame Prep is ranked 27th, while Desert Edge is ranked 15th). Buena does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
