Alex Suarez is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Corona del Sol for AZPreps365.com

The Corona del Sol Aztecs (0-2) took on the Red Mountain Lions (2-0) Friday night. 

The Lions were able to control the tempo throughout the game and rode that momentum to a 28-7 win over the Aztecs.  

After trading possessions in the first quarter, senior running back Josiah Villanueva put the Lions on the board with a six yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Carter Crispin to go up 7-0 with 3:54 left in the quarter. 

Sophomore Connor Ackerley and the Aztecs looked to quickly respond, completing a 43-yard pass to senior wide receiver Jeff Lambert before the Lions were able to poke the ball loose for a fumble. 

The Lions would then go up 14-0 following a 51-yard touchdown reception by Villanueva. On the Lions next possession, with some trickery we’re able to go up 21-0 after junior wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane connected with Lenox Lawson for a 45-yard touchdown pass.

Red Mountain head coach Mike Peterson was complimentary of how his team played tonight with a few explosive plays of 50+ yards or more resulting in touchdowns. 

“There’s some talented kids over there, you can’t coach that stuff. You just put a play in the playbook and they do it, there’s some of that stuff you just can’t coach,” Peterson said. 

With the Lions up 21-0 at halftime, they kept it rolling with an unofficial 57-yard touchdown run by Villanueva, his first rushing touchdown and third total touchdown of the game. 

The game ended on a positive note for the Aztecs and something they look to build off of for the next game as a late 5-yard touchdown run by junior running back/linebacker Jonathan Kubat brought the score to 28-7 with 1:54 left in the game. Kubat unofficially ended the game with 53 rushing yards on 12 attempts. 

Ackerley and the Aztecs hope to build off that final drive and take it into next week’s practice and game. 

“We just got to have more energy on the field, in the first half we were slow,” Ackerley said. “The last drive we came out and went no huddle and it got us some energy.” 

Ackerley unofficially finished the game completing 12-of-26 passing attempts for 126 yards. Lambert was his leading receiver with an unofficial 73-yard receiving game on three catches. 

Head Coach Jon Becktold expressed that the team needs to come out tomorrow for practice ready to work and play hard enough, while having praise for how the Lions came out tonight. “They were really good tonight,” Becktold said.

The Aztecs hit the road for the first time this season next week as they play at Desert Vista next Friday at 7 p.m.