A Title Built on Toughness: DM Wins First State Championship

Desert Mountain finally got its moment, and it couldn't have come in a more fitting way. After spending the past two seasons battling in the Open Division — taking their lumps, leveling up, and learning what real championship football feels like — they got their chance in the 5A bracket, and refused to waste the opportunity. This was their first state title in school history, and they earned it the hard way: with toughness, patience, and a defense that refused to blink. It wasn't flashy, it wasn't easy, but it was the kind of win that tells you a program has grown up in all the right ways.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Desert Mountain's Stars</h2>    [player_tooltip player_id='739455' first='Ryan' last='McDonough'] was the game‑wrecker, plain and simple — the kind of defender who doesn't just show up on film, he takes over the entire rhythm of a championship game. He was everywhere: blowing up protections, triggering downhill with zero hesitation, and flying around with that violent, relentless style that translates no matter which side of the ball he's on. He ended up taking home the defensive MVP, and then still turned around and gave Desert Mountain a huge edge in field position with 114 kick‑return yards — including a big one that didn't even count. That's the part that separates him: he's not just a defensive problem, he's a tone‑setter and a momentum thief, the guy who drags a game in his direction with pure energy.     [player_tooltip player_id='1258544' first='Easton' last='Conner'] was the quiet thorn Canyon View could never quite pull out — the guy who kept poking holes in a really talented defense no matter how many bodies they rolled at him. CV has legit dudes at all three levels, and Conner still found ways to make his presence felt over and over again. He ran it 21 times for 86 yards, and none of it came easy — he was fighting through first contact, slipping out of would‑be tackles, and turning what looked like losses into two‑ or three‑yard wins that kept Desert Mountain on schedule. He converted the tough downs, protected the ball, and refused to let negative plays stack. That's why he mattered so much: he wasn't chasing explosives, he was controlling the game, play after play.     [player_tooltip player_id='884097' first='Grant' last='Garduno'] played with the kind of calm confidence you want from your quarterback in a championship game — never rushed, never rattled, and always ready to take the shot when it was there. He didn't need to throw it 40 times to leave fingerprints all over this one; he just needed to be sharp when Desert Mountain called his number, and he absolutely was. Garduno went 15‑of‑23 for 169 yards and both of DM's touchdowns, delivering the ball with rhythm and patience while keeping everything on schedule behind a run game that kept CV's defense honest. What stood out most was his timing: he trusted the design, trusted his guys, and when the window cracked open, he let it rip with real conviction. That's winning football.     [player_tooltip player_id='1326103' first='Kai' last='Tschen'] didn't need volume to change this game — he just needed one window, and he turned it into the play that cracked the whole thing open. His 49-yard touchdown in the second half didn't just flip the scoreboard, it flipped the temperature of the game. He finished with 54 yards on two catches, but the timing and magnitude of that one strike meant more than any box‑score padding ever could. Tschen punished the tiniest mistake in leverage, accelerated through the gap, and suddenly Desert Mountain had the breathing room they'd been grinding for all night. In a game where every yard felt contested and every drive required patience, Tschen was the spark that turned the pressure back on Canyon View and stretched the field in a way they couldn't recover from.     [player_tooltip player_id='1694945' first='Connor' last='Ring'] was the matchup problem that Canyon View never really solved — the guy who kept showing up in the backfield, squeezing space, and forcing everything to happen faster than CV wanted. Desert Mountain's defensive line as a whole made life hard, no question, but Ring was the one who felt like he was affecting nearly every snap, even when he wasn't the one finishing the play. He was constantly winning his leverage, collapsing pockets, and forcing CV's run game to start sideways instead of downhill. Every dropback felt rushed, and you could feel his presence in the way Canyon View had to shorten their reads just to survive.     [player_tooltip player_id='1212102' first='Hassan' last='Smith'] is the kind of defensive back who makes life miserable for receivers without ever needing a spotlight moment. His length jumps off the field — long frame, long arms, active hands — and he uses all of it to smother space and throw off timing. He mirrored routes cleanly, stayed patient through breaks, and gave his defensive line extra time to cause problems in the backfield. Smith played championship‑level football in this one: disciplined at the line, sticky underneath, and always in phase downfield. In a game where Desert Mountain's defense forced Canyon View into tight, uncomfortable windows all night, Smith's consistency and coverage control were a big part of why.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Jags Who Wouldn't Go Out Without A Fight</h2>    Canyon View's whole vibe offensively was [player_tooltip player_id='739479' first='Brady' last='Scott'] trying to squeeze water out of a rock — and for a while, he actually did it. Desert Mountain sat on tight windows all night, giving him almost nothing easy, but Scott kept stepping up and ripping throws into crowded space. He hit Brandon Catalan for a huge score in the second quarter and kept battling through a collapsing pocket, showing real toughness against a defense that brought pressure from every angle. The moment that shifted everything came right after CV pulled ahead by one score — he took a heavy shot, hit his head on the turf, stayed down, and you could tell immediately it shook him. Even then, he tried to gut it out, tried to stay in the fight with his team, and that says a lot about him. It was toughness in every direction: before the hit, after the hit, and even in the way he handled himself once it was clear he wasn't going to be able to finish the game.     [player_tooltip player_id='884795' first='Tiki' last='Teeples'] delivered one of the biggest defensive moments of the night, blowing up a 4th‑and‑1 in the second half by knifing through and dropping the runner for a loss — the kind of play that normally completely swings the energy in a championship game. He was disruptive all game long, showing that blend of power and quickness that made him such a problem all season, and this matchup was no different. Even as Canyon View's offense struggled to stay on the field, Teeples kept Desert Mountain from ever getting fully comfortable, forcing tough yards and making them earn every blade of grass. In a title game that turned into a defensive showcase on both sides, his stop stood out as one of the signature moments — a loud reminder of how much talent CV has up front and why this group should walk away with their heads high.     [player_tooltip player_id='884769' first='Keegan' last='McCarthy'] is a junior safety who plays like he's got a little linebacker in him — physical, fearless, and always willing to fly downhill when the defense needs bodies in the run fit. He helped bottle up the passing game early, using his size and closing speed to shrink windows and make Desert Mountain think twice about pushing the ball into the middle of the field. Even without a headline stat, he played winning football: steady tackling, clean angles, and the kind of presence that keeps a defense glued together when the game gets tight. His versatility really showed — big enough to thump, quick enough to cover, and confident enough to handle whatever the moment asked of him.     Senior linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1177564' first='Jackson' last='McCarthy'] brought his own brand of disruption, especially off the edge, where his length, quickness, and instincts made him a constant concern for Desert Mountain. He's a lean, fluid athlete who can hold up in coverage, but he's just as comfortable knifing into the backfield or chasing a play down from the backside. In a championship game where both defenses were trading punches and every yard mattered, Jackson's motor and versatility stood out — he was consistently around the ball, setting edges, cleaning up traffic, and keeping Canyon View in striking distance.

Desert Mountain finally got its moment, and it couldn't have come in a more fitting way. After spending the past two seasons battling in the Open Division — taking their lumps, leveling up, and learning what real championship football feels like — they got their chance in the 5A bracket, and refused to waste the opportunity. This was their first state title in school history, and they earned it the hard way: with toughness, patience, and a defense that refused to blink. It wasn't flashy, it wasn't easy, but it was the kind of win that tells you a program has grown up in all the right ways.