Wranglers move into championship game with 28-23 win

After stumbling out of the gate and falling behind by 10 points early, Wickenburg High School's unbeaten and second-ranked (3A) football team settled down and eventually upset unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Seton Catholic Friday night in the state semifinals, 28-23.

The Wranglers, who now have the most victories in one season in the school's history with its current 13-0 record, will face defending state champion Coolidge in the 3A title game Friday (Nov. 24) at McClintock High School in Tempe (7 p.m. kickoff).

Ironically, the championship game will be a rematch of the last year's state semifinal contest between Wickenburg and Coolidge, which won 27-20 en route to its title.

And the team Wickenburg defeated Friday night was the only team to knock off the defending champs this season, 32-20, in the fifth week of the regular season. Coolidge advanced to its second consecutive championship game by defeating Winslow, 28-24, in the other semifinal contest Friday night at Mesa Community College.

The night looked bleak for the Wranglers in the first five minutes.

First, Seton took the opening kickoff 68 yards in nine plays to score the game's first touchdown with less than four minutes taken off the game clock. Then, Wickenburg fumble away the ball on its first possession ... and Seton eventually converted the mistake into a 35-yard field goal.

Before Wickenburg could even get one play in the books, it was behind 10-0.

Then the Wranglers settled down. Behind the running of senior fullback Scott McKeever, senior halfback Jeff Alder and the passing combination of junior quarterback Drew Vaughan to senior wide receiver Tyler Murphy, the Wranglers churned up about five minutes on the game clock and marched 70 yards 10 plays to cut the margin to 10-7 - with Alder going into the end zone from nine yards out.

Seton answered immediately with a 91-yard drive in eight plays to pull out to a 17-7 advantage. And then the Wranglers counterpunched with a 67-yard drive in 13 plays to reach the half only three points down, 17-14. McKeever's one-yard plunge capped that final first-half TD drive.

The second half belonged to the Wranglers.

They scored on their first possession on a two-yard run by McKeever that capped an 80-yard drive in 11 plays to take a 21-17 lead.

Then while the defense forced Seton to punt on its next two possessions, Wickenburg's offense came back the deciding touchdown on its first possession of the fourth quarter. McKeever's six-yard run capped a 91-yard drive in 10 plays that ate up more than four minutes of game time.

Seton started another potential scoring drive with about four minutes remaining - starting at its own 30 yard line. But 11 plays later (with slightly more than two minutes remaining in the game), McKeever recovered a Seton fumble.

The Wranglers tried to chew up the remaining time but was forced to punt ... and Seton scored on a 45-yard pass play with only two seconds remaining in the game.

(Watch this Web site for updates of this Friday's championship game and pick up a copy of the printed version of The Wickenburg Sun Wednesday for more details of the Seton game).

Playoff Semifinals at Mesa Community College

Friday (Nov. 17)

Wickenburg 28, Seton Catholic 23

Coolidge 28, Winslow 24

Championship game

McClintock High/Tempe/7 p.m.

Wickenburg (13-0) vs. Coolidge (11-1)

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