Palo Verde blanks Mojave 52-0 in Northwest Division opener

Sun Staff

Friday, Sept. 4, 2009 | 3:09 p.m.

Brandon Wright and Chapell Thomas each had a pair of touchdown runs and Palo Verde led 38-0 at halftime in a 52-0 victory against host Mojave in the Northwest Division opener for both schools.

Tyrone Blake paced Palo Verde (2-0) with 139 yards rushing on 10 carries, including a 54-yard touchdown run on the first play of the third quarter.

Wright, who had four carries for 82 yards, also had a 54-yard touchdown run. Thomas scored on a 40-yard run and had three carries for 47 yards.

“We had to get better this week. We couldn’t afford to take a step back,” Palo Verde coach Darwin Rost said.

Palo Verde, which improved to 36-6 since 2006, has never lost to Mojave (0-1). Both schools opened in 1996 and they annually play for the shirt — a football jersey that is half Palo Verde, half Mojave.

“More important (than the shirt) was that this was our league opener and you can’t afford to drop a game in our league,” Rost said.

The foursome of Blake, Wright, Thomas and Ernest Hall proved too much for Mojave to handle. It’s a trend Rost said he feels has the potential to happen the rest of the season.

“All four of those backs are so different,” Rost said. “Brandon Wright is so quick on his feet, Chapell is a slasher, Tyrone is the all-purpose back and Ernest provides the power.”