(GILBERT, Ariz.) Knights' football posted a 44-0 shutout against Kingman on Friday, to record its second-straight win of the year. Sophomore Hyatt Lang was a force for the defense, amassing five tackles, seven assisted tackles and a sack in the contest.
"Coach Heintz had a great plan tonight on defense," Head Coach John Carlson said. "We aggressively attacked their run game all night. Hyatt Lang and Josh Rich disrupted them on the edges, and made some great sacks and tackles for losses. I thought Sam Vance and Hudson Gehl did a great job on the interior, holding their gaps, which is what gives other guys the opportunity to make those big plays. Really, we have to credit everyone on defense, they played so well, they attacked and took it to them the entire game, which is what gave us this shutout."
The Knights held a 30-0 advantage at the half. Senior Kaleb Powell put GCHS on the board first, catching a 29-yard pass from junior quarterback Tyler Burr and kicking an extra point to secure the 7-0 lead. Junior running back Sam Webb was next to strike, with a 39-yard rushing touchdown to put his team up 14-0 in the opening quarter.
The final 2:20 of the second saw a flurry of action, as junior Colton Rogers snagged a big safety for the Knights, adding two to the tally, before sophomore wide receiver Kamari Stanbury pulled in a pass from Burr 14 seconds later for a 50-yard gain and touchdown to extend the margin to 23-0 (Powell EP).
A massive defensive effort, which included Lang's sack, got the ball back for GCHS, and Webb took advantage, taking the ball across the goal line at the 38-second mark to give his squad 29. Powell followed with his third extra point of the half to bring it to 30-0 at the break.
Powell opened the third with his second pick six of the year, a 20-yard interception, and junior kicker Caprice Chiuchiolo nailed her first extra point of the season to widen the gap (37-0) for the Knights.
The final score came in the fourth, via a blocked kick return which saw freshman James Scott score his first career touchdown for Gilbert Christian. Chiuchiolo once again connected on the EP for the Knights' 44th point.
Burr recorded 183 yards on 10-for-16 passing in the affair, throwing for a pair of TD's in the shutout. Webb led the rushing effort with 46 yards and two scores of his own, to bring his season total to six. Stanbury was next on the chart with 36 rushing, 138 receiving and a touchdown.
"Ty Burr is improving every week, I thought he made some great decisions and passes in this game," Carlson said. "Quarterback is a hard job, and he's done an amazing job learning a new offense this season and executing at a high level. Kamari did a lot of exciting things too, it's really fun to see him getting more comfortable out there. He is such an explosive athlete and he will continue to improve as he learns the system. Sam Webb is a tough, dangerous runner, and he gets hit a lot, but keeps coming back to make plays. Our offensive line needs a lot of credit for allowing Sam to get going. I also need to give a big shout-out to Colton Rogers, because he is tough as nails. He starts at guard on offense and is a starting linebacker on defense and he is just one of those special kids that never backs down. He makes all kinds of plays, he never comes out of the game and he is just a joy to coach. Lastly, I need to highlight Nate Dickinson. He is doing everything for us. He is playing receiver and cornerback, he runs down on kick-off and he is now our long-snapper. That is the definition of versatility, and we couldn't have success without guys like him."
Powell was the only player to score on both offense and defense, while kicking for four extra points.
Defensively, it was a well-rounded effort, with Rogers recording four tackles and four assisted tackles, followed by Powell, Kaden Gorsline, and Josh Rich who each managed a pair of tackles and a trio of tackle-assists. Senior Andrew McGuigan was another major contributor with a solo takedown and three assisted. Freshman Hudson Gehl rounded out the notables, with an impressive five tackle assists in the contest.
"I am really proud of how we came out today," Webb said. "This was our first time scoring in the opening drive of the game, so that was really good for us. Our defense played great, and was able to get two touchdowns and this big shutout. I want to give props to Kaleb Powell for being a dog out there, playing both ways and scoring on both sides of the ball. Kamari impressed me with his awesome plays and I'm really proud of Tyler, who took some hard hits, but stayed in there and made good throws."
Gilbert Christian evens its record at 2-2 with the win. Both of the Knights' 2023 successes have come on their home turf. Kingman drops to 2-1 with the loss.
GCHS looks to continue the winning streak next Friday against the Crismon Rattlers (0-4). The September 15th match-up is scheduled for a 7:00pm start.
-GO KNIGHTS-
