Ganado pulls away late to defeat Piñon, stays undefeated

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

BURNSIDE, Ariz.

Two of the last remaining unbeaten teams in the 3A and 2A North divisions squared off Friday night, with the Ganado Hornets defending their home field and pulling away late for a 28-16 victory over the Piñon Eagles. With the win, Ganado remains the lone undefeated team on the Arizona side of the Navajo Nation football competition.

Piñon entered the matchup on a tear, outscoring Greyhills, Hopi and Window Rock by a combined 156-8. Ganado came in with momentum as well, fresh off a narrow 13-12 win over Tuba City.

Ganado junior quarterback Jayden Curtis had an impressive night, throwing four touchdown passes — three to sophomore receiver Tyre Nichols and one to senior Kohl Curley — to keep the Hornets’ record perfect. Piñon, typically one of the more disciplined teams in 2A, gave up four turnovers, three fumbles and an interception, and those mistakes ultimately proved costly.

Despite the loss, Piñon senior running back JoBryant Charley carried the Eagles offense, scoring two rushing touchdowns and adding both two-point conversions.

The Eagles opened the game with a promising drive, moving inside the red zone before coughing up the ball. Ganado junior linebacker Brandon Allen recovered the fumble at the Hornets’ 14-yard line. Ganado ripped off a long run down to the Piñon 15 but failed to convert on fourth-and-13, giving the Eagles new life. The momentum was short-lived as Piñon fumbled again this time recovered by senior Quincy Peshtony at the Piñon 31.

Two plays later, Curtis dropped a 28-yard strike to Nichols for the game’s first score with 2:07 left in the quarter. Ganado led 7-0 after sophomore kicker Noah “Never Miss” Nelson’s extra point.

Piñon opened the second quarter with a clock-chewing drive capped by Charley’s one-yard touchdown run. Charley added the two-point conversion to put Piñon ahead 8-7 with seven minutes left in the half.

Ganado answered with a drive of its own. Curtis hit Nichols for a 37-yard gain down to the Piñon 21, setting up Nichols’ second touchdown catch of the night on a crossing route to the corner. The Hornets took a 14-8 lead with 3:42 left in the half.

Piñon tried to respond before halftime, but quarterback Josh Manuelito was intercepted by senior safety Julian Smith, the Eagles’ third turnover of the half, preserving Ganado’s lead going into the break.

Piñon seized momentum early in the third quarter, forcing a turnover on downs and driving deep into Ganado territory. Charley capped the series with a two-yard score, adding the conversion to put Piñon ahead 16-14 with 3:22 left in the quarter.

The lead didn’t last long. Curtis scrambled to find a wide-open Peshtony on the next possession, bringing the Hornets inside the 10. Moments later, Nichols hauled in his third touchdown grab of the night, flipping the score back to Ganado 21-16 heading into the final frame.

On the ensuing kickoff, Piñon’s Lando Jones fumbled, and senior Jeronen Nargo fell on it, setting up a short field. Curtis took advantage, finding Curley on a perfectly placed 22-yard strike to the right corner of the end zone for the game’s final score, extending Ganado’s lead to 28-16 to close out the game.

“This was a tough game, but we got the win,” Ganado head coach Kevin Watchman said. “The team is coming together compared to last year. Last year we didn’t play disciplined football, but we’ve been playing basic, fundamental football. We got the win without two of our key players, and that shows we’ve turned our program around.”

Watchman also highlighted the passing attack: “Nichols is a key guy — he’s tall, fast and has great hands. We trusted him to get us our scores.”

Looking ahead, he added, “We start regional play at Page next week. They’re a tough team, but we schedule these kinds of games to get ready for (region) play. We know Piñon is tough and they have a really good coach. We know that beating a quality team like Piñon helps us prepare.”

Piñon head coach Steve Saban was candid about his team’s performance. “First, we can’t be turning the ball over that much if we’re going to win. Secondly, we can’t leave receivers open like that for scores — that’s how you beat yourself. We’re a much better team than what we showed tonight. On the first two drives we could have been up by two scores, but we couldn’t hold onto the ball. If we play our style, we win nine out of ten.”

Saban said the schedule is designed to prepare Piñon for a tough 2A North slate. “We like to schedule these bigger schools early because we know little Piñon can play with the big boys. Our division is no joke — Holbrook, Tuba City, Alchesay — they all have twice the enrollment we do. We’ve got to be ready.”

Piñon (3-1) will host 3A North rival Chinle (2-2) on Sept. 19, while Ganado (4-0) travels to Page (2-2) on Sept. 18 to open 3A North play.

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