Jack Kartsonis is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Mesa High School for AZPreps.365.com

The Mesa football team dropped its third game in a row Friday, losing 38-24 to Desert Ridge High School in a game characterized by unforced errors.

Between an interception, a fumble, a turnover on downs, and a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown, Mesa turned the ball over four times. Additionally, the Jackrabbits accounted for six penalties, four of which negated first-down conversions on offense.

“We don't have discipline, and it starts at practice,” senior starting quarterback Adrik Reed said. “We don't practice our movements right in practice. Not everybody's locked in, and not everybody wants it. That's where it starts.”

Of all of Mesa’s mishaps on Friday, the most consequential might have come at the end of the second quarter. A 39-yard field-goal attempt was blocked and returned 74 yards for a touchdown by Desert Ridge. The play marked a 10-point swing, as Mesa entered the half up 17-14. Had the field goal been made, Mesa would have entered the half up 20-7.

The Jackrabbits’ offensive effort was led by two players -- senior Griffen Yamamoto in the receiving game and Reed in the running game. Of the offense’s 338 total yards, 227 came from Yamamoto’s receiving and Reed’s rushing.

Yamamoto caught 12 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns, while Reed rushed for 89 yards on 16 carries.

“If I don't see something open, I'll move around and try to make a play,” Reed said. “I feel like I'm pretty good at that.”

Reed completed 16 passes for 183 yards but noted that he didn’t have his best game as a passer.

“I played mediocre,” Reed said. “There were some plays I could have made that I should have made. When I made plays, they were good plays. I just couldn't execute every single opportunity. That’s on me.”

Defensively, Mesa struggled against the Desert Ridge offense. The Jackrabbits allowed 417 total yards and gave up nine plays of 15 yards or more.

“We need more people to help step up,” junior linebacker Ezekiel Estep said. “We can't just have four or five on defense stepping up. We need all 11 to do their jobs.”

The standout on Desert Ridge’s offense was senior quarterback Andre Gonzales, who threw for 259 yards and three touchdowns on 18 completions.

“He's a great player,” Reed said. “He's super smart. He understands where to throw the ball. He has a good arm, good accuracy. He's a very great quarterback. We just couldn't contain him tonight.”

Additionally, senior Michael Alvarado showed out for Desert Ridge. Doubling as a wide receiver and a running back, he accounted for 115 all-purpose yards on 15 touches. Desert Ridge rushed for a total 158 yards against Mesa.

The nail in the coffin for the Mesa defense came at the end of the fourth quarter. With just over 2 minutes left in the game, Mesa gave up a 25-yard touchdown catch over the top on third and 8.

“Defensively we just couldn't do our jobs," Estep said. "We let up a go ball when we were playing cover four on that last touchdown. Those mistakes can’t happen.”

After the loss, the Jackrabbits are now 3-6 on the season as they look toward facing Westwood High School at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8. It is the team’s last game of the season.

“We got to win our last game, go to beat Westwood,” head coach Chad DeGrenier said. “That's all you got now, so we just have to come through and come to play four quarters of football.”