Green Valley holds off Sierra Vista in 3OT for playoff victory

Tight games can often come down to a key play on special teams.

On Thursday night, the Gators got a pair of those plays in overtime.

Jerome Kosloske blocked an extra point, and kicker Dax Arnold drilled his point-after attempt to lift the No. 4-seeded Gators to a 40-39 triple-overtime win over visiting No. 5 Sierra Vista in a Class 5A Division II Southern League quarterfinal.

“At the end of the day, we knew it was going to come down to a special teams play that was going to have to win it for us,” Green Valley coach Clay Mauro said. “Jerome got beat on a go ball, but he’s a got a winner’s mentality. So he said, ‘I’ve got to make a play somewhere else,’ and he did it on a special teams play.”

Green Valley (4-6) advances to face No. 1 Basic, which had a bye Thursday, in the Southern semifinals Nov. 3.

Sierra Vista (4-5) got the ball first in the third overtime and scored on a 7-yard run by Omari Evans, his second rushing TD in overtime and third in the game.

But Kosloske managed to get a hand on Andrew Aguirre’s point-after attempt, and the score remained 39-33.

The Gators got an 8-yard TD pass from Jack Thow to Trey Glasper on second-and-goal on their possession to tie the game at 39. Thow rolled right before turning back to his left, facing the pass rush and firing a strike to Glasper, who was in the midst of several Sierra Vista defenders.

Arnold then drilled the extra point to give the Gators the win and keep their season alive.

“I’m not going to lie to you, I didn’t even watch it go through,” Mauro said. “I stared at the ground and listened for the roar. But Dax has been money.”

Arnold’s kick is more impressive considering he came out of the game for part of the first half with back spasms. But he was on the field when it mattered most, hitting a 23-yard field goal in the first overtime and extra points in the second and third.

“For him to gut up and make a decision to go out there and do what we needed him to do, never a bigger moment,” Mauro said.

Thow completed 18 of 30 passes for 175 yards and four touchdowns, including a 6-yard toss to Cris Dalina in the second overtime. Dalina also rushed for 98 yards on 23 carries.

Thow added an 11-yard scoring strike to Theo Edquilang with 5:38 to play in regulation to put the Gators up 23-16. Edquilang, who had six catches for 82 yards, also caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Thow in the first half.

Sierra Vista didn’t fold, and wildcat quarterback Adonis Vaughn made the biggest play of the game for his team, completing a 31-yard pass to Jayden Fletcher on fourth-and-13 to keep the ensuing drive alive. Evans then capped the drive with a 3-yard TD run with 52 seconds left to tie the game at 23 and force overtime.

“It feels great,” Edquilang said of the win. “And it’s a blessing to be able to play football. That’s all that matters. We just wanted to keep going.”

Vaughn rushed for 93 yards on 23 carries, including a 6-yard TD run, to lead Sierra Vista. He also had an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, caught two passes for 18 yards and completed his only pass attempt.