Gridiron Five: Tolleson regroups to rally and hangs on for victory

The Tolleson Union football team took charge in the third quarter.

The Wolverines scored 25 unanswered points and then had to survive a late comeback attempt for a 32-27 5A non-region road win at Paradise Valley on Friday night.

“I would say it’s a good win because we’re showing we’re battle-tested and we’re coming together,” Tolleson head coach Francisco Rangel said.  “We’re learning our playing style.  At the end of the day, this is a team we’re excited about.”

The Wolverines (2-0, #24 in 5A) trailed 14-7 at the half.  Tolleson struggled to get its offense going in the opening 24 minutes (69 total yards and zero points).  A touchdown pass from Kai Andersen to Oakley Perez with just 11 seconds remaining in the second quarter gave the Trojans the advantage heading into a longer-than-normal halftime due to Homecoming activities.

Paradise Valley (1-1, #25 in 5A) ran just six offensive plays in the third quarter.  The Trojans had a pair of defensive scores, the second of which (a 95-yard interception return by Layton Boyle) coming with five minutes remaining.  PVHS got the ball back down by 11, but there was just over a minute remaining.  The Trojans scored again to close to the final margin of five, but there was only nine seconds left on the clock.

5 players that stood out

Tolleson DT Mario Becerra

Becerra is a senior playing his third year on varsity for the Wolverines.  He is an emotional leader with his passion for the game.  Becerra got his third sack of the season in the first quarter to force a Trojan punt.  Playing in the middle of the D-line, he was key in stopping the run game, which the Wolverines did.  Paradise Valley had just 2 rushing yards in the first half and ended the night with 8 for the game (on 16 rushing plays).  Becerra is also a multi-sport athlete that threw the shot put and discus last spring during the track and field season.

Tolleson ATH Jimmy Guzman

Putting the “ATH” designation on the MaxPreps roster for Guzman (pictured at the top of the article) was the right call because the 6-1, 205-pounder made plays on both sides of the ball.  Guzman scored the game’s first points with a 25-yard interception return in the second quarter.  That was from the linebacker spot on a play where he tipped it up in the air and grabbed it before it came back down.  It was on offense that he really wore the Trojans down as he was a workhorse taking 29 carries for 185 yards and a pair of touchdowns.  The workload was a little bit of a surprise as he had just 10 rushing attempts in the Wolverines’ opener (a 32-8 win over Agua Fria) on a night where they scored four of their five touchdowns through the air.  Guzman said he was following lineman Joshua Martinez, a sophomore, who he has known since middle school.

Tolleson WR Quentin Gavin

Gavin was a big part of the passing game for the Wolverines.  He was the receiver on five of the team’s nine completions (66 yards).  A week ago, Gavin had a pair of touchdowns.  He didn’t get in the end zone Friday, but did have a 37-yard reception.  The senior is one of the team’s captains and even stepped in to play defense on the Trojan’s intital possession (had a pair of tackles).  Gavin is grateful for Coach Rangel, who also serves as the defensive coordinator.  Finally, he’s on the field during special teams as the punt returner.

Paradise Valley S Ethan Nancarrow

In a defensive first half, the senior made a pair of big plays.  First, he intercepted a pass and brought it back 35 yards to knot the game up at 7 in the second quarter.  Later, he recovered a fumble to give the Trojans the ball in Tolleson territory.  The interception was Nancarrow’s second of the year and he was Paradise Valley’s leading tackler in the team’s Week 1 win (35-0 over North).

Paradise Valley WR Oakley Perez

The 5-8, 160-pound senior receiver got the Trojans going early with 20 yards of receiving on the team’s first two pass attempts.  He later added a touchdown reception right before the half from Kai Andersen (who came in to replace starter Aarush Behera in the second quarter).  It looks like Paradise Valley was utilizing the versatile player more in the passing game on Friday (no catches in Game 1).  He can also play running back and linebacker.

5 (non-scoring) plays that made a difference

• Early in a scoreless second quarter, Tolleson had the first opportunity to get points, but a pass on fourth-and-10 from the Trojan 28-yard line was broken up in the end zone.
• Trailing 7-0, Paradise Valley crossed into Tolleson territory for the first time midway through the second quarter.  However, on fourth-and-nine from the 37-yard line, a pass fell incomplete.
• Trailing 14-7 at the half, Tolleson kick returner Ishmael Bangura brought the kickoff back to the Paradise Valley 33-yard-line.  This tipped the field towards the Wolverines for the next two possessions.  Tolleson reached the 2-yard line, but was stopped on downs.  Paradise Valley took over from there, but went three-and-out and had to punt from its own end zone.  Tolleson began its next drive on the PVHS 30-yard line.
• In that third quarter possession, the Wolverines had a fourth-and-four from the 24-yard line.  A four-yard completion from Aaron Arriaga to Quentin Gavin moved the chains on a drive that eventually produced a touchdown.
• Trailing 14-13 late in the third quarter, Jimmy Guzman busted loose for a 50-yard run and was knocked out of bounds at the 1-yard line.  One play later, the Wolverines cashed that in for a lead they would not relinquish.

5 key stats

• In a game with 59 points, you wouldn’t expect to call it a defensive one, but that total was inflated with four touchdowns in the game scored by the defenses – two on each side, all on interception returns.
• Paradise Valley was limited to just two first downs in the second half.
• Tolleson had the solid advantage in the trenches as it outrushed PV, 248-8.
• Guzman (who scored three touchdowns) rushed for 185 yards on 29 carries.  Paradise Valley only had 16 carries as a team.
• Paradise Valley made a QB change in the second quarter and Kai Andersen completed 10 passes and had a couple for touchdowns.  Andersen, a junior, began his career at Pinnacle and had to sit the first half of the 2025 season for the Trojans.

Wolverines 32, Trojans 27

TUHS. . . . . 0   7  12  13 – 32
PVHS. . . . . 0  14  0   13 – 27

First Quarter

No Scoring

Second Quarter

TOL: Jimmy Guzman 25 yard interception return (Alex Benson kick), 10:05, 7-0
PV: Ethan Nancarrow 35 yard interception return (Issac Blanco kick), 5:37, 7-7
PV: Oakley Perez 9 yard pass from Kai Andersen (Blanco kick), 0:11, 7-14

Third Quarter

TOL: Guzman 1 yard run (kick failed), 3:48, 13-14
TOL: Bobby Garcia 1 yard run (pass failed), 0:01, 19-14

Fourth Quarter

TOL: Adan Vazquez 35 yard interception return (kick failed), 11:51, 25-14
TOL: Guzman 5 yard run (Juan Barrett Alvarez kick), 7:18, 32-14
PV: Layton Boyle 95 yard interception return (Blanco kick), 4:40, 32-21
PV: Boyle 7 yard pass from Andersen (pass failed), 0:09, 32-27

Team Statistics

First Downs – TOL: 13, PV: 9.  Rushes-Yards – TOL: 39-248, PV: 16-8.  Comp-Att-Int – TOL: 9-18-2, PV: 16-34-2.  Passing Yards – TOL: 100, PV: 129.  Total Yards – TOL: 348, PV: 137.  Fumbles Lost – TOL: 2, PV: 0.  Penalties-Yards – TOL: 6-50, PV: 6-57.

Individual Leaders

Passing – TOL: Arriaga 9-18-2, 100 yards, PV: Andersen 10-21-1, 87 yards, Behera 6-13-1, 42 yards.
Rushing – TOL: Guzman 29-185, Garcia 6-54, PV: Hogan 10-9, Andersen 3-8.
Receiving – TOL: Gavin 5-66, Ortega 2-19, PV: Perez 4-39, Villa 2-32.

5 people I talked to after the game

Tolleson ATH Jimmy Guzman on whether he prefers to score on a pick-six or a rushing TD: “I really feel better with a defensive touchdown.  That’s one of my favorite things I’ve done.  The tip drill in the air and took it back to the crib.”

Paradise Valley Head Coach Jacob Brown: “We’ve got to come out better (for the second half).  I think we got a little complacent coming out of halftime with the lead.  I think we made some mental mistakes that we don’t make.  We’ve just got to clean up some stuff in practice and get ready for Kellis next week.”

Tolleson DT Mario Becerra on the defense’s game plan versus the run: “We just had to set the tone.  It was a group effort.  I’m real proud of my team.”

Tolleson WR Quentin Gavin on taking momentum in the third quarter: “At halftime, Coach talked about leaders stepping up and becoming a team.  (Being) less worried about how we look individually and coming out as a team.”

Tolleson Head Coach Francisco Rangel on how his team dealt with adversity in the first half: “They responded like Wolverines.  We have a lot of guys stepping up in leadership roles.  They’re our guys that know what it takes to win.  All four of my captains (Quentin Gavin, Adan Vazquez, Manny Gomezllanos, and Vic Juarez) made a huge play tonight.  Those four guys are a staple of what I want our program to look like.”

Next week

Tolleson (2-0) welcomes West Point (0-2) next Friday in a non-region tilt for its home opener.  The Dragons have been outscored 118-6 in their two games.  It may be early in the season, but these are must-win games for the Wolverines if they have plans on reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2013.  It’s important to stack these non-region wins because in the second half of the year, Millennium, Desert Edge, and Canyon View all loom.  Last year, TUHS finished 6-4 and was the #25 team in a conference where the top 24 get that 11th game.

Paradise Valley (1-1) returns to action next Friday for a non-region road game in Peoria against Kellis (1-1).  It will be the first home game of the year for the Cougars, who were blown out 42-7 at Peoria High on Friday night.  We’ll see what the matchup looks like to determine the quarterback for the Trojans.  Aarush Behera threw five touchdowns in Paradise Valley’s opener.  Kai Andersen had more success in his time on the field against the Wolverines.  Brown said there is not necessarily a QB battle, but the personnel on the defense will dictate which quarterback plays.