Tucson Canyon del Oro completes undefeated regular season

November 7, 5:39 AMPhoenix Sports ExaminerTom Kessler

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Ka'Deem Carey, Josh Robbins, Garret Henderson and Jared Tevis have helped to lead Tucson Canyon del Oro to a 10-0 regular season. (Photo by Tom Kessler)

Just in time for the Class 4A Division I state playoffs, unbeaten Tucson Canyon del Oro has unleashed a prolific passing offense to accompany its dynamic rushing attack.

In a regional-championship showdown Friday night that featured two of Arizona’s top running backs, CDO quarterback Mike Lewis threw for a season-high 180 yards to help lead the Dorados to a 34-21 victory over visiting Tucson Sabino.

“Mike made unbelievable throws tonight,” CDO head coach Dustin Peace said about Lewis, who completed 8 of 10 passes. “We’re real excited about what he can show and what that brings to our offense. Definitely his best game of the season.”

Canyon del Oro star running back Ka’Deem Carey rushed for 89 yards and two touchdowns, while his Sabino counterpart Keanu Nelson was a one-man wrecking crew with 127 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries.

But it was the production from Lewis that made the difference, as the CDO senior completed passes of 66 and 33 yards to Jared Tevis and connected on throws of 36 and 22 yards to Josh Robbins.

“We showed our versatility a little bit,” Peace said. “Everybody was talking about the Nelson and Carey Show, and they forget about No. 11 (Tevis) and No. 13 (Robbins) that we can throw the ball to.”

Carey, a junior who has rushed for 1,736 yards and 24 touchdowns on the season, didn’t mind sharing the spotlight during Friday’s regular-season finale.

“I think that they were keying on the run a lot,” Carey said. “But I knew if you key on the run, we have other people. And now we made a statement that we can throw the ball.”

Lewis said preparation was the key.

“The coaches and I really worked hard all week,” Lewis said. “And everything we ran, I knew where they were going to be.”

Sabino (8-2 overall, 3-1 Sonoran Region) opened the scoring with 5:06 left in the first quarter on a 4-yard run by Nelson that was set up by a blocked punt by senior James Brindley.

Canyon del Oro (10-0, 4-0) responded with a four-play, 75-yard drive that was highlighted by a 66-yard strike from Lewis to Tevis and was capped by a 5-yard touchdown run around right end by Carey.

Another long pass play set up the touchdown that put the Dorados ahead to stay early in the second quarter. On first down from the Sabino 40, Lewis rolled out to his left and threw deep over the middle to Robbins, who out-jumped a defender to make the catch at the 4 for a 36-yard gain. Carey scored on the next play on a 4-yard run to give CDO a 14-7 lead.

The Dorados increased their advantage to 21-7 on a 22-yard touchdown pass from Lewis to Robbins with 2:30 remaining before halftime.

Canyon del Oro scored again midway through the third quarter, when a 33-yard pass from Lewis to Tevis led to a 1-yard touchdown run by Eddie Smith.

At that point, the Dorados appeared to have the game well in hand at 27-7, but Sabino battled back.

First, the Sabercats drove 78 yards in 12 plays and scored on a 5-yard run by Nelson to close to within 27-14 with 11:22 left in the fourth quarter.

Then, Nelson stepped up for a big play on defense, intercepting a pass to give the Sabercats the ball at their 35-yard line with 9:20 remaining. Eleven plays later, Nelson (a senior who finished with 45 yards passing and 47 yards receiving in addition to his 127 yards rushing) crossed the goal line on a 1-yard run to make it a six-point game.

Trailing 27-21 with 2:38 left, Sabino tried an onside kick. Canyon del Oro’s Tevis was there to grab the bouncing football at midfield, and he returned it 50 yards down the left side for the clinching touchdown with 2:27 remaining.

“I was expecting it to go past me,” Tevis said. “But it just came straight to me, so I just grabbed it and took off.”

Friday’s win over Sabino capped an undefeated regular season for CDO that also featured victories over Tucson Ironwood Ridge, Tucson Santa Rita, Queen Creek and Scottsdale Saguaro.

“We’ve got bigger goals, but to be 10-0 in the regular season with the schedule that we had is a pretty big deal,” Peace said.

The Class 4A-I state playoffs begin next Friday and will culminate with the championship game on Dec. 5 at Arizona Stadium in Tucson. Canyon del Oro will host Tempe McClintock in the first round on Friday.

“Four more games, we’re ready,” said Carey. “We’re ready to take it all the way, hold up that trophy and go home with it.”