Pinetop, AZ — The Safford Bulldogs were unable to keep pace with the unbeaten Blue Ridge Yellow Jackets, falling 35-0 in a tough road game on Friday night. Blue Ridge improved to 6-0 with the win, while Safford dropped to 3-3 on the season.
Blue Ridge wasted no time establishing control, scoring twice in the first quarter. Quarterback Luke Berlin connected with Trenyn Trickey on a 20-yard touchdown pass with 8:53 remaining to put the Yellow Jackets on the board. Later in the quarter, running back Karlo Harris added a 3-yard touchdown run, giving Blue Ridge a 14-0 lead by the end of the first.
Berlin continued his strong performance in the second quarter, throwing a 14-yard touchdown pass to Breckan Sarchet with 10:59 remaining. Carter McGowen extended the lead further with a 9-yard touchdown run at the 5:06 mark. Just before halftime, Harris scooped up a Safford fumble and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown with 12.7 seconds left, capping off a dominant first half for Blue Ridge.
Safford, playing without their top two quarterbacks, struggled to find rhythm offensively. Starting quarterback Jevyn Elliot and backup Carlos Arbizo were sidelined after suffering injuries in the Bulldogs’ win over defending 3A champions Sabino two weeks ago. Nathaniel Rodriquez took over under center, completing 5 of 14 passes for 77 yards. His top target, wide receiver Cole Goodman, finished with three catches for 73 yards. Running back Jarett Jurado added 28 rushing yards on nine carries, but the Bulldogs were unable to find the end zone against Blue Ridge’s stifling defense.
On defense, Safford had a few bright spots, including an interception by Cole Yentsch, but the balanced attack of Blue Ridge—featuring Berlin’s 225 passing yards and Harris’s 122 rushing yards—proved too much.
Scoring Summary:
- 1st Quarter:
- 8:53 – BR: Luke Berlin 20-yard TD pass to Trenyn Trickey (PAT good)
- 2:57 – BR: Karlo Harris 3-yard TD run (PAT good)
- 2nd Quarter:
- 10:59 – BR: Luke Berlin 14-yard TD pass to Breckan Sarchet (PAT good)
- 5:06 – BR: Carter McGowen 9-yard TD run (PAT good)
- 0:12 – BR: Karlo Harris 60-yard fumble return TD (PAT good)
Final Score: Blue Ridge 35, Safford 0
The Bulldogs, now 3-3, will aim to bounce back next week as they host rival Morenci for their homecoming game.
