Scouts capitalize on Chinle miscues to stay undefeated

FORT DEFIANCE

The defensive unit of the Window Rock football team played fast and aggressive.

That combination affected the play of Chinle last Friday night as the Wildcats were looking for the first win of the season.

Chinle, however, had four costly turnovers to start the first half. The Wildcats had three fumbles and an interception as Window Rock (4-0) opened a 20-0 cushion and never looked back in a lightning delayed game that took nearly 3.5 hours to complete.

“We always try to capitalize on turnovers, and we try not to squander those opportunities,” Window Rock coach Wilbur Begay Jr. said following his team’s 48-18 win.

“We tried to score points off those opportunities,” he said, “and the kids know when to take advantage of those momentum swings.”

That early momentum swing put 2A Chinle in a big hole, and it took them nearly a quarter-and-half to get on the scoreboard with senior quarterback Zack Toadlena running the final 27 yards of a 59-yard drive.

That score cut Window Rock’s lead down to 20-6 with 5:14 to go before the half.

Chinle coach Pita Olomua said the turnovers hurt their chances to establish their running game.

“We made some good drives, but we made too many mistakes,” Olomua said. “That’s too many (turnovers) but the kids are still learning. Plus, unfortunately we didn’t have any summer workouts going on.”

“We just ran into a good team,” he said.

The Wildcats opened the season losing to a good Winslow team 20-16, followed by a 49-22 loss to Monument Valley with the halftime score being 27-22 in favor of MV.

Coupled with Window Rock’s game, Olomua said his squad averaged four, five turnovers against the 3A teams.

“We were in the game, and we were in the moment, but then we make ourselves short somewhere,” he said. “The kids are working hard and they’re getting better.

“We’re encouraging them to keep working and hopefully we can get ready for our conference.”

In the opening half, the Wildcats had a tough time containing Window Rock’s imposing offense. The Scouts put together four successful drives with senior quarterback Taylor Begay being credited for three of those scores.

“They got kids that can do multiple stuff,” Olomua said of the Scouts. “They’re a good team, and I hope they can carry that on with some of those outside teams off the reservation.”

At the 7:09 mark of the first quarter, Begay hit senior wideout Avery Wilson for a 28-yard TD reception.

After an interception by Window Rock’s Vinz Josh Limbaga, the Scouts went 38 yards for its second score and up its lead to 14-0.

In the second stanza, the home team recovered a Chinle fumble and in the first play from the line of scrimmage Taylor Begay thwarted two tackles for a 60-yard TD rush for a 20-0 lead.

The Wildcats got one of those TDs back, but the Window Rock QB went back to work as he connected with Jayden Bia for a 34-yard score with the Scouts leading 28-6 at the break.

“It comes down to experience,” Wilbur Begay said when asked about the team’s ability to confuse the Chinle defense. “Like I’ve said before, these kids have been playing since they were eight, nine years old. They know football and they love football.

“They know what kind of plays we need to make and certain plays requires execution and focus and they know it,” he added. “They dial it in when they needed it.”

Following an hour lightning break, both squads traded scores to open the second half with Taylor Begay connecting with Tristan Thomas for a 21-yard strike.

The Wildcats responded with senior Shaydin Tsosie rushing for a 41-yard TD run.

The Scouts opened up a 42-12 cushion with Thomas getting into the end zone from 7 yards out with 2:20 left in the third.

At the tail end of the third, Chinle covered 71 yards for a score with Toadlena hitting Garrett Yazzie with 21-yard TD reception.

Window Rock capped the game when Taylor Begay hit Bia with 61-yard strike early in the fourth.

Besides capitalizing on Chinle’s mistakes, the Scouts opted not to kickoff the ball in the open field.

“We had film on them and the key was not to kick it to No. 1 and No. 2,” Wilbur Begay said of Chinle’s Timothy Clark and Shaydin Tsosie. “They’re capable of taking it back, so we didn’t want to kick it to them.”

Instead, the Scouts squib kicked the Wildcats the entire night.

“We practiced that all week, and we tried to get the ball back,” he said.

The Scouts will resume 3A Northeast play when they host Show Low on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Jud Avery Memorial Field as they are looking to stay undefeated.

“We welcome to challenge,” Begay said. “Like I told the boys beginning the year we’re not backing down from nobody. We’ll even take on the Arizona Cardinals if we have to.

“We teach them grit and we can go longer and harder than anybody,” he added. “We want to play Blue Ridge and our main goal is to get to state and get into the second round, and be the first Rez team to get past the first round.”

Chinle, meanwhile, will play another freedom game by traveling to St. Johns on Friday.

“I used to play St. Johns when I was at Red Mesa and we love playing those outside teams,” Olomua said. “I tell the kids we can’t be a big fish in a little pond. If you want to be known, you have to play outside. That is where we want to be.”

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