Alex Hernandez is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Desert Edge High School for AZPreps365.com

GOODYEAR — Four interceptions and a stifling defense powered Desert Edge to a shutout victory over La Joya Community High School.

The Scorpions opened the game with a methodical drive, taking nearly 10 minutes off the clock. Facing third down from the Lobos' 11-yard line, quarterback Andrea Garcia found wide receiver Sophia Tanski in the end zone to give her team a 7-0 lead.

The scoring would halt from there for the rest of the half, as both teams came up with big defensive stops.

Senior center and linebacker Dezirae Torres said the offense looked sluggish in the first half, and knew they needed to pick things up to secure the win.

“I think it was kind of just a slap in the face, like we needed to play up to a better level that we know we can play up to,” Torres said. “We played halfway there, I feel like we could have played to another extended level, but we still got the win.”

The offense turned it around in the second half, while the defense continued to dominate, as the Scorpions defeated the Lobos 28-0.

Grace Bryant was one of three players to record an interception in the victory over La Joya Community. She reflected on the thrill of creating a defensive takeaway and how crucial those moments are for giving the offense more chances to score.

“It’s massive. It feels like as soon as you see the ball coming, your heart starts to pound,” Bryant said. “As soon as you get in front of the ball and you realize you caught it, it’s like, oh, it’s go time.”

Garcia also had two interceptions to go along with four touchdowns on offense, three through the air and one on the ground. As a quarterback, Garcia knows the importance of giving the offense more opportunities to put points on the board.

“It definitely motivates me more because I’m a quarterback,” Garcia said. “But I think just overall, it sets a positive tone, especially in sluggish moments in the first half.”

Head coach Sean Ellicott was pleased with the defensive performance his team put on. 

“You just want things to go well for your kids, you care about your kids,” Ellicott said. “You’ve put time into a scheme, you’ve coached them up on it, it always feels good when it’s successful."

Before the game against La Joya Community, the Scorpions were coming off back-to-back losses against Arizona College Prep and Verrado. 

Ellicott said that preparation in all phases of the game was critical in practice to prevent a third consecutive loss.

“Just execution on both sides of the ball, just execute, execute, execute,” Ellicott said. “You can’t win games, even if you’re so talented, if you don’t pull flags or catch footballs, you’re not going to win.”

Torres said how big this win was for Desert Edge in hopes of getting back on track and stringing together multiple wins in a row.

“It’s honestly a big win because we just want to get our momentum back and get back to winning every game,” Torres said.

Ellicott echoed Torres’ message, and he believes his team has what it takes to make a postseason run.

“We’re definitely going to keep pushing, and we’re ready for the playoffs,” Ellicott said. “We’re definitely one of those top 15 to 16 teams in 5A, so it just helps us establish that identity to keep pushing forward.”