Taylor Gautney is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Brophy High School for AZPreps365.com

On pink-out night, the weather cleared just in time for kickoff, and Brophy College Preparatory leaned on a lockdown defense and the return of its star receiver to pull away late against Red Mountain under the lights. 

The Broncos bounced back from a road loss to Hamilton, defeating Red Mountain 27-10 in their 7 p.m. kickoff at Central High School on Friday, Sept. 26. The win improved Brophy’s record to 3-2.

Senior wide receiver Daylen Sharper, a Stanford University commit who led the team in receiving yards and touchdowns last year, returned from injury and wasted no time making an impact, recording three catches on the Broncos’ first two offensive drives. 

                                  Daylen Sharper walking out of the locker room after halftime. 

“These guys have just been encouraging me all the way there, letting me know to trust it and that they have my back,” Sharper said after the game. “I’m just very grateful to be back on the field with my brothers, and I love these guys.”

After a first-half 13-0 shutout, Red Mountain showed life with big chunk plays and a balanced rushing attack, highlighted by a 62-yard run by sophomore Darius Courts that threatened to cut into Brophy’s lead.

Senior quarterback Case Vanden Bosch kept the offense moving, showing his ability to both run and pass. He spread the ball to multiple targets for significant gains, repeatedly connecting with Sharper for first downs. 

“I have so much trust in Daylen,” Vanden Bosch said after the game. "He's such a central part of our team. Having him back just brings everyone together.”

Head Coach Jason Jewell set the tone early with aggressive playcalling, opting to go for the first down on fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line in the second quarter.

“I wanted to try to set the tone and make a statement early on,” Jewell said after the game. “We got lucky, but like I tell my boys, you create your own luck.”

After surrendering 70 points to Hamilton last week, the Brophy defense looked revitalized at home. The Broncos swarmed the ball, forcing two turnovers and shutting down Red Mountain multiple key drives. 

Twice in the first half, Brophy’s defense held strong deep in its own territory, forcing turnovers on downs to preserve the shutout. 

“It was huge by the defense at the end of the first half to come up with those two stops,” Jewell said. “It changed the outlook of the football game.”

One defensive leader, junior Ryder Noche, forced both turnovers with his lockdown coverage, coming up with two huge interceptions, one in the second quarter and the fourth.

“It all started this week at practice, just coming in with a different mindset,” Noche said. “Knowing that it’s on us and we gotta be those dawgs.”

With momentum on its side, Brophy looks to build a win streak next week as it hosts Shadow Ridge High School.

“We come for it all,” Vanden Bosch said. “This shows where we’re ranked now. Brophy is a team to be feared. We get better every week.”