PRESCOTT VALLEY — Dylan Callado had two scores, Gavin Moran crossed the goal line for the first time in his high school career as a tight end and No. 14-seeded Coconino shocked rival Bradshaw Mountain in a 31-14 upset victory on Friday night.

It is the third straight victory for the Panthers (8-4, 5-1 4A Grand Canyon) since their 28-21 loss in the Grand Canyon region title game against these very same No. 3-seeded Bears just three weeks ago.

“It gives us another chance at state. I’m just glad I’m part of Coconino. I’m thanking God every day for this team. I’m thanking my lineman, my family, but I’m feeling great about this win,” Callado said. “I’d rather take a playoff win then a league championship.”

Coconino also made some history Friday night. For the time in program history, the Panthers have won two playoff games in the same season.

“They didn’t give up on us being able to beat these guys. We talked about believing that we could do it. The kids played a great game,” Coconino head coach Gary Cook said. “I think the coaches had a great scheme. We held them to 14 points, and we had a lot of points on the board. So, all around it was a great night for us.”

HOW THEY SCORED

Up 3-0 with 1:52 to play in the first half, senior tight end Gavin Moran scored the first touchdown of his high school career on a 30-yard swing pass and he ran to daylight to make it 10-0 Panthers.

“It felt surreal. Like, the play happened, there was a gap and I saw green and I went,” Moran said with a big smile on his face, adding that this win over Bradshaw Mountain gives him “no better feeling.”

“Losing to them in season, and then coming through in the biggest game of the season, and I can’t wait to see who is coming up against us next,” Moran said.

In the second half, Bradshaw Mountain (8-3, 6-0 4A Grand Canyon) would answer on a 1-yard quarterback sneak play by Michael Sanford, making it 10-7 with 9:01 to play in the third quarter.

But the Panthers would answer right back as Callado scored a 2-yard touchdown on a pitch play to give his club a 17-7 lead.

“He’s a warrior,” Cook said about Callado.

In the fourth, Bradshaw Mountain was about to settle for a 35-yard field goal on fourth and six, but an offsides penalty made it fourth and one and Bears coach Bob Young signaled his team to go for it.

They never got a chance as someone from the Coconino sidelined sounded like the droped an “F bomb,” and a yellow flag went flying in the air for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Bradshaw Mountain took advantage, watching Jon’te Jones cross the goal line on a 3-yard score to make it 17-14 with 8:50 to play.

But with 3:15 to go, quarterback Jake Hanley on a fourth down and eight play found Austin Raths down the right sideline for a 33-yard touchdown pass to give the Panthers a 24-14 lead and they never looked back.

BETTER THAN A 14 SEED

With the two victories at state this season, teams can no longer sleep on this Coconino club. Despite their four losses this year, the Panthers have been competitive throughout, losing one-score games to Snowflake, St. Mary’s, Sunrise Mountain, and Bradshaw Mountain this season.

Snowflake is the No. 2 seed and won 10 games this year, defeating No. 15 Eastmark 35-0 on Friday night to advance to the Elite 8. St. Mary’s made the 4A state playoffs and beat Deer Valley 29-28 before losing to No. 1-ranked Arcadia 50-25 on Friday. And Sunrise Mountain finished 5-5 overall, missing the 5A state playoffs.

And let’s not forget their 35-22 victory over a more-than-solid Mohave club this season, which earned a No. 4 seed in the 4A state playoffs and just beat Northwest Christian 42-34.

UP NEXT

The Panthers now prepare for No. 6 Gila Ridge, which beat Estrella Foothills 42-14 on Friday night to advance. The Hawks (10-1, 4-0 4A Desert Southwest) have won 10 straight, but likely haven’t been challenged too often this season with a schedule that features teams like Kofa (63-6 win), Somerton (79-0 win), Yuma (56-0), and Cibola (45-0 win).

Those four clubs combined were 11-27.

But Gila Ridge did have solid victories against Northwest Christian (31-24), St. Mary’s (21-14), and Sierra Linda (33-18) this season, meaning next week’s quarterfinal matchup with the Panthers could be interesting.

Coconino will take the nearly five-hour bus trip to Yuma on Friday, Nov. 21. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Brian M. Bergner Jr. has covered professional, collegiate and high school sports for more than 20 years. Follow him on X at @AzPreps365Brian or on Facebook at @Five2MediaWorks. Have a story idea? Email Brian at bbergner@azpreps365.com.