Snowflake won their fourth game in a row on Friday night, with a 37-26 home-field win over 18th-ranked Poston Butte. That victory pushed their record to 4-2 and will help improve their power ranking standings. The Lobos entered the game ranked 22nd in the 4A rankings and need to climb into the top 16 in the final rankings in order to reach the 4A playoffs. Snowflake still has four games remaining on their schedule, with two of those four opponents currently ranked above them in the power point rankings.
Friday night’s game saw the Lobos cap a five-play 65-yard scoring drive on their first possession. Karter Raban’s 27-yard run gave Snowflake the early 6-0 lead with a missed PAT.
Kanton Turley scored on a nine-yard run extending the lead to 13-0, with Sam Brown’s PAT kick late in the first quarter.
The Broncos got on the board three minutes into the second period on a 23-yard rushing score. They tacked on a two-point conversion to pull within five at 8-13.
Snowflake answered with Brown’s 27-yard field goal with four minutes left in the half, making the score 16-8.
Poston Butte then picked off a Brennan Bryant pass that set up a 65-yard scoring strike just before the end of the half. The two-point conversion run failed, leaving Snowflake with a 16-14 halftime lead.
Poston Butte had the first possession in the second half and marched right down the field taking the lead on a five-yard run. The conversion run failed, but the Broncos led 20-26 midway through the third period.
With the two teams trading punts through the third period, the Lobos finally retook the lead early in the fourth period on a six-yard touchdown pass from Bryant to Raban. Brown’s PAT made the score 23-20 in favor of the Lobos.
The Lobo defense stiffened, getting the ball back to their offense who quickly scored on a Kanton Turley short run extending Snowflake’s lead to 30-20. Each team tacked on one final score in the fourth, leaving Snowflake with a 37-26 home-field win.
Bryant completed nine of 17 passes for 196 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. Payton Papa had four receptions for 120 yards with a score. Ezra Baum had two catches for 25 yards. Turley had one for 31 yards. Colton Tidwell caught one 14-yard pass, and Raban had one six-yard catch for a score.
Turley eclipsed the century mark on the ground with 126 yards and two scores on 20 rushes. Raban carried 12 times for 41 yards and a score. Bryant had three rushes for 24 yards.
Gavin Hall led the defense with 12 tackles. Jo Jo Lerman added 11. Andrew Bentley, Brent White and Gunner Greer each had nine tackles, and Ryker Brimhall finished with eight.
This week the Lobos welcome in 11th-ranked Marcos de Niza. The Padres are 4-2 on the season coming off a 51-37 win over Apache Junction last week.
