Max Leonesio has had his days, but not a night like this. Not that he knew this, of course.
The Phoenix Brophy junior doesn’t count yardage markers on the field, and nor could he have counted them fast enough anyway in the fifth-seeded Broncos’ 34-10 victory against No. 13 Gilbert Highland on Friday night at Phoenix College.
That means Brophy (10-3) will face No. 2-seed Mesa Mountain View on Dec. 5 in the 5A Division I semifinals.
The legs churned all night, and after 26 carries for 285 yards and four touchdowns — one in each quarter — what’s left to say?
He ran for touchdowns of 70 and 55 yards but also churned through for a 4-yard score, and a fourth-and-goal TD from the 1-yard line.
“They just blew (lanes) open tonight,” he said of his offensive line. “Made things easy. As the year has gone on they’ve been so much better.”
One starter returned from last year’s 5A-I state championship team, and the growing pains were aplenty, especially up front. The Broncos were once 2-3 to start the season (though it was a rigorous schedule which included a loss to the Toros) and unable to find themselves offensively.
They made a couple changes on the offensive line, opted to alternate Beau Maggi and Sam Quinif at quarterback, found their bread-and-butter up front, and have won eight consecutive games heading into a bye week.
“It’s being willing to take a look in the mirror,” Brophy coach Scooter Molander said. “That’s not easy or something anyone wants to do. We knew it may take a while on offense, and sometimes you have to go through the mistakes to have success.”
Highland (7-5) reached the playoffs in Pete Wahlheim’s second season as coach, then served notice last week with a shutout of No. 4 Phoenix Desert Vista on the road, but after an early field goal and a 50-yard touchdown pass from Drew Davis to James Pazos to pull within 14-10, the Hawks made a couple mistakes on special teams and couldn’t continue marching against Brophy’s defense.
And, of course, there was Leonesio.
Highland, however, can carry fond remembrance of what the Hawks made out of this season. “These guys have come a long way, and we did a lot more than most thought we could,” Wahlheim said. “I’m proud of these guys. I really am.”
So, too, are the Broncos, who are one win away from a third state championship game in four years, a concept seen by precious few six weeks ago. “It’s been a long, hard season,” Leonesio said.
And it’s gotten longer.
