Desert Edge has endured a year of heartbreak and turbulence going back to last season's wild 5A state championship loss to Higley.
Tonight it has a chance to prove its resilience against Cactus at Mountain America Stadium. Kickoff is 8pm.

Last year's 5A title contest was a masterpiece. Arguably the  most dramatic, exciting and controversial championship game in Arizona prep history, regardless of classification. If not for a holding call that negated a Desert Edge two-point conversion, the game could've found its way to Hollywood.

The Scorpions staged the most improbable comeback against seemingly impossible odds. They lost 16 players who were ejected after a late second quarter melee, most of them for leaving their sideline. That group included a handful of the Desert Edge nucleus and team leaders, leaving the Scorpions severely short-handed going into the second half.

With freshmen and junior varsity players all over the field, Desert Edge struggled and fell behind Higley 35-14 in the late third quarter.

But that's when Desert Edge engineered a furious and miraculous comeback. The game appeared headed to overtime as the Scorpions scored in the final seconds, making the score 42-41. They went for two points instead of kicking, and appeared to have won the championship on a DeShawn Warner run.  

The celebration commenced...but there was a flag in the backfield.

Holding. Desert Edge.

Backed up to the 15-yard line, the Scorpions pass attempt failed, and a legendary comeback turned into gutwrenching heartbreak.

 

Spring (Heart) Break for Desert Edge

Not a few months after the title game loss, the Desert Edge program faced more turbulance. The Scorpions learned they were facing probation and a potential ban from the 2024 postseason.

The reason? Co-head coach Mark Carter replied to a social media post in which a parent asked advice about potential schools that would good for their son to transfer to. Carter suggested Desert Edge in a reply, and things began to unravel.

The comment on the post turned out to be a recruiting violation with the Agua Fria Union High School District. This meant Carter would need to step away from the team for a year in an effort to prevent the football program from probation, and a subsequent postseason ban. Marcus Carter's twin brother Mark, a co-head coach was allowed to remain as ther head cosach. But Mark decided to stick with his brother and eventually resigned.

Assistant coach Henri Macarthur was promoted to head coach. However, collateral  damage took its toll. The program lost players, and the emotional weight of events created uncertainty for the program. 
After a week four thumping from Higley left the Scorpions 1-3 start to this 2024 season, Desert Edge was an afterthought.

But much like last year's championship game, the '24 Scorpions kept fighting. Now they're back at Mountain America Stadium tonight with another shot at the 5A championship trophy. it's almost more improbable than their comeback one year ago this week.

Macarthur has been a mainstay for several years with Desert Edge, overseeing the defense. But he had no idea he'd be in this position leading the program under such uncertainty.

"This type of stuff has been out of my wheelhouse up until this year," Macarthur said at media day. "Our kids and boosters have obviously been through alot. It's been an adjustment for me. But I feel like I was swell prepared by the Carter brothers and under other coaches before them. It's a been a challenge but I've enjoyed it."

Sophomore Blake Roskopf has stepped in at quarterback this season, guiding Desert Edge to the title game with nearly 2,000 passing yards and 17 touchdowns. David Cabrera leads the receiving corps with 624 receiving yards. Sophomore Zerek Sidney leads the team in touchdowns with 11 on 44 receptions and 550 yards.

Defense still wins championships

It shouldn't be surprising that No. 7 Desert Edge (9-4) has reached the championship game with a stingy defense under Macarthur. Since the 39-14 loss to Higley, no team has scored more than 17 points against the Scorpions. Those 17 were scored by Verrado in a week 10 loss. The Scorpions made up for it with a 27-14 victory over Verrado in last week's semifinal win.

Perhaps its most important defensive performance came during a 21-6 victory over bitter rival and tonight's opponent, the Cactus Cobras (10-3). Cactus has scored 38 or more points in 10 of its 13 games behind quarterback Antonio Casias, who's thrown for nearly 3,000 yards and 28 touchdowns.

Cactus junior QB Antoion Casias is looking to redeem a six-point outing against Desert Edge durinjg the regular season. (Kevin French/MaxPreps).

 

Tonight is a different game though, and on a bigger stage. It's always difficult to beat a good team twice, and that's Desert Edge's challenge tonight. Cactus has also stepped up defensively, allowing only 19 points in its first two playoff wins. The 38-35 win over ALA Gilbert last week was a different story, but the Cobras came up with timely plays and turnovers.

"We gave up some points laset week to ALA, but we forced some turnovers and came up with the stop in the end," Juju Stubblefield said of the Cobras victory. "They were working down the field on us, and there was a lot of nerves. But my D-line and linebackers made some plays."

The biggest play came on a fourth down when Gabriel Sotelo intercepted a pass to seal the win and send Cactus to its 10th title game. The Cobras have a shot at revenge against Desert Edge, and a third state championship.

Cactus head coach Brian Belles is in third year at the helm, but is a seasoned veteran with the proud Cobra program.