Football Falls to Mountain View in Open, Will Host Red Mountain in 6A Bracket

No. 8 Brophy lost to No. 9 Mountain View, 48-34, in the AIA Open first-round game. The No. 3 Broncos will now take on No. 6 Red Mountain on Friday at 7 p.m. at Central HS in the AIA 6A Bracket. The winner will face No. 2 Pinnacle and No. 7 Mesa on Nov. 27 at the High Seed. 

Brophy was in the Open Division playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Mountain View built a 26-3 lead in the first half. But Brophy (7-4) fought back with a late touchdown reception by Donovan McNabb to cut the deficit to 26-10 at the break. 

Brophy opened the second half with a 35-yard field goal by Jack Carson, the senior's second of the game, and Brady Powell scored on a 22-yard pass from Noah Stewart to pull within a score at 26-20. After a stop, Brophy was driving to take the lead, but The Tores recorded an interception in the end zone. 

The teams exchanged touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Brophy pulled to 34-27 on a Ryder Noche touchdown, but Mountain View answered to go up by two touchdowns. After Powell’s second touchdown of the game, Brophy needed a stop to tie, but Toro quarterback Brayden Merwin broke loose for a 79-yard run to seal the win.

Stewart finished 34-for-45 with a career-best 322 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Karter Chamblin had a career-best 10 catches for 86 yards, and John Chrostowski had eight grabs for a career-best 93 yards. Ezra Benjamin recorded 11 tackles. 

Brophy’s 29 first downs set a school record. 

Playoff Tickets vs. Red Mountain: https://gofan.co/event/7046682?schoolId=AZ12767