Mountain View made its case for Open division worthiness Friday night. 
The Toros, propelled by a Hail Mary touchdown just before halftime, used a balanced offense and explosive second half to take down rival Red Mountain, 43-38 in a 6A non-region showdown at a packed Toro Stadium. 
The win sends Mountain View into the postseason with a 9-1 record and an outside chance at an Open playoff spot. 
Red Mountain stumbles into the playoffs on a three game losing skid after starting the season 7-0.
The Mountain Lions entered Friday's game at No. 9 in the power rankings, while the Toros were further down at 12. 
The brackets will be released Saturday morning, and the eight team Open division will draw most of the attention, not only to see who qualifies, but to so see who doesnt.

After Friday night's win, Mountain View coach Andy Litten made a strong case for his Toro squad.

"We think we’re an Open team,” Mountain View head coach Andy Litten said. “We’ve said that from the get-go… I don’t know how a 6A team that’s beaten all 6A teams, went to California, beat a good California team, and whose only loss is to Liberty could not get in. I knew that we could play with anybody. Red Mountain is as good as anybody. That was an Open-caliber football game. I think that shows we’re an Open-caliber team."

How it Happened

Mountain View quarterback Brady Goodman showed why he will be a top Arizona prospect next season, if not already. The 6-4, 210 pound junior threw for 182 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for 50 yards and another score. Goodman went blow for blow with Red Mountain senior Simon Lopez, who also threw four touchdowns along with 282 yards, and nearly orchestrated a fourth quarter comeback.
 

The Toro offense was efficient and balanced, with Reese Bodily rushing for 130 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown in the third quarter. 
Mikey Sumko and Porter Wilhelm caught touchdowns from Goodman. Talan Arnett was on the receiving end of the other two, the biggest of which was a 51-yard Hail Mary right before halftime. It gave Mountain View a 22-21 lead, and more importantly created a significant swing in momentum, which the Toros desperately needed.

Trailing 21-14 didn't look bad on the scoreboard, but Lopez and the Red Mountain offense were operating without flaw in the first half. Mountain View had struck first with a first quarter drive ending with a three-yard Goodman to Sumko touchdown.

But the Mountain Lions struck right back when Lopez hit Bode Wagner with a 36-yard touchdown strike near the end of the first quarter to tie the score at 7. Lopez engineered two more scoring drives before halftime, both ending in short touchdown passes to Andrew Schmier and later to Jameson Wade.
With 27 seconds until halftime, Red Mountain led 21-14 and the game was turning into a shootout favoring the Mountain Lions.

18 seconds later, the course of the game took a change.

The Toros had the ball at its own 51-yard line with nine seconds until the half. Goodman rolled out to his left before heaving the ball towards the endzone. A host of players went up for the ball, which was deflected into the hands of Arnett. Touchdown Toros.

The Mountain View sideline erupted, and after a two-point conversion run by Beckham Barney, the Toros charged towards their locker room with a 22-21 lead.

Early in the third quarter, Goodman was intercepted by Tyreke Cornett in Mountain View territory. If not for Goodman chasing Cornett down from behind, the seond half would've started with a pick-six. Instead, the Toros came up with the biggest defensive stop of its season. Even though Red Mountain's Michael Singh connected on a 31-yard field goal for a 24-22 lead, that defensive stop was a win for the Toros.

Three and Out 

After Singh's field goal, the Toros took over the game on both sides of the ball, scoring touchdowns on its next three posessions while forcing the Lions to punt on their next three. 

The Toros took control of the game on the ground, with Bodily anard d Beckham Barney chewing up yardage and wearing down Red Mountain's defense. In the lasr five minutes of the third quarter, Wilhelm caught 5-yard touchdown pass before Bodily's touchdown run. 

Arnett added 19-yard touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter, and Mountain View led 43-24 with 10 minutes to play. 

There was no quit in Lopez, who led Red Mountain on two late bscoring drives, but the Toros were able to run out the clock.

"This win means alot," senior Beckham Barney said afterward. "Like I said before, we'd been thinking about this game all year. I'm grateful for the Hail Mary at the end of the first half becuase it have us a huge boost and belief."

Players of the Game

The quarterbacks. Goodman and Lopez combined for 10 touchdowns. Goodman made a touchdown saving tackle after throwing and inteception, while Lopez demonstrated his character and skill late in the game and trailing by 21. The senior put together an impressive 79-yard drive before throwing a perfect 75-yard scoring pass to Karendus Poe that brought Red Mountain within five points late in the game.

Mountain View receiver Talan Arnett finished the game with 115 yards and seven receptions. His 'Hail Mary' reception at the end of the first half was a game changer.Even Red Mountain coach Kyle Enders admitted that play turned the tide of the game.

 

Up Next

For playoff bracket info : https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/azpreps365/evt366c6d9453