By Don Ketchum

FLAGSTAFF – The view from the top is amazing. It can take your breath away.

Football players from Phoenix Northwest Christian found that to be the case on Saturday (Nov. 27) after they held on for a 30-27 victory over Yuma Catholic in the Class 2A championship game at Northern Arizona University’s Walkup Skydome.

“The elevation (about 7,000) feet is killing me, but the adrenalin is pumping,’’ said Northwest Christian running back Casey Jahn.

It’s no wonder Jahn was breathing heavily. He rushed for 259 yards and a touchdown on 38 carries. Only a junior, he finished the season with 2,589 yards and 32 touchdowns.

Jahn and the top-seeded Crusaders weren’t quite sure what to think when the season began. The team had a new head coach (Dave Inness) who was defense-oriented.

“At the beginning of the season, I didn’t think that (the team would challenge for the state title), but we improved every week and gained confidence,’’ said Jahn (pronounced yawn).

Jahn’s 36-yard touchdown run with 2:51 left in the third quarter was the only second-half score for Northwest Christian (12-1). The Crusaders needed it.

Second-seeded Yuma Catholic (12-2), which lost twice to Northwest Christian this season, scored a touchdown on a 69-yard run by Chris Hill with 1:07 left in the third, a 32-yard pass from Tommy Pistone to Jake Montchal with 9:29 left in the game, and a 7-yard run by Pistone with 2:31 left.

Jahn, who lost a fumble to set up one of those scores, did his best to help Northwest Christian to maintain possession in the final moments, but Yuma Catholic got the ball back with 1:22 left. A desperation pass by Pistone on fourth down fell incomplete with 10.9 seconds left and Northwest Christian’s fans began to celebrate.

“I was definitely holding onto that ball,’’ Jahn said of the Crusaders’ last possession.

The teams, who combined for 716 yards of offense, both are young and will have many players coming back next season. Many of the men who block for Jahn will return, for which he is grateful.

“They gave us a huge push, especially the last few weeks,’’ Jahn said.

One of those who won’t be back is two-way lineman Travis Linser, a senior.

Inness said Linser is as good as any lineman he has coached in his 20-plus years on the sidelines, and that includes many Class 5A players.

“He can play anywhere (in college),’’ Inness said.

Linser admitted he was having trouble breathing as early as the first quarter, but kept going.

“We knew they (Yuma Catholic) are a great team, and we had to make the (defensive) stops,’’ Linser said.

Asked if he was nervous, Inness said, “I haven’t slept since Game 4 (fourth game of the season). I’ve had migraines. I just told the players, “I’ll take the pressure and you can worry about playing.’ ’’

Northwest Christian was helped early in the game by coming up with three interceptions. It led 16-0 and then 23-6 at the half.

“Jumping on them early was the key for us,’’ Inness said.

Yuma Catholic coach Rhett Stallworth felt good about his team’s chances entering the game.

“They were huffing and puffing and we felt like we could wear them out,’’ he said.

It was no secret, he said, what Northwest Christian was going to do – give the ball to Jahn.

“I would do the same thing,’’ he said.

Inness said he was ready for his team to celebrate.

“In January, we’ll come back and start working toward trying to do this again,’’ he said.

Jahn will be ready.

“I hope we get another chance,’’ he said. “It will be hard to do, but we can do it if we can continue to improve.’’