With a little deception and gutsy playcalling, Desert Oasis found its rhythm and bulldozed its way to a 33-19 win over host Spring Valley on Friday night.
Trailing 19-14 early in the third quarter, the Diamondbacks faced a fourth-and-9 near midfield. Taking a few steps back like he might punt, Desert Oasis (2-1) senior quarterback Preston Helsham took the snap, charged forward and left a few defenders in his wake for a 42-yard gain.
That drive culminated in the go-ahead touchdown: a 1-yard run by junior running back Joe Sanchez. The Diamondbacks kept the Grizzlies (2-1) at bay the rest of the game.
“Seeing them all drop back, I tried to break a couple tackles,” Helsham said. “I was gonna slide, but then I laid down my shoulder, took a hit, stayed up, ran for 20 more yards. Just a great play.”
Helsham finished 16-for-27 passing with 221 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He added 56 yards on 10 carries on the ground. Sanchez found the end zone three times, gaining 67 yards on nine carries.
Desert Oasis coach Matt Rosdahl was impressed with his quarterback’s poise. A first-year starter after playing behind Vincent Hales the past two seasons, Helsham is making the most of his opportunity.
“He brings a different dynamic with his legs,” Rosdahl said. “He’s got that ability, but he also throws a really nice ball. He does a great job leading our team.”
The Diamondbacks struck first on Sanchez’s 30-yard first-quarter touchdown run. On the next play from scrimmage, Spring Valley tied it up after senior quarterback Antwan Osborne sprinted 57 yards for a score.
Desert Oasis took a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter when Helsham connected with Anthony Sarracino from three yards out.
On the Grizzlies’ next drive, Osborne floated a pass in the corner of the end zone, finding junior wideout King Kahalewai for a 15-yard touchdown. A blocked point after attempt kept Desert Oasis in the lead, though, 14-13. Kahalewai finished with 89 yards on four receptions.
Spring Valley regained the lead two minutes into the third quarter on senior running back D’Terrion Richardson’s five-yard run. On the next drive, Helsham guided the Diamondbacks down the field to pull ahead for good.
Sanchez added another TD, this one from 29 yards out, shortly before the end of the third quarter. Helsham scored his second touchdown in the fourth quarter, on a reception by Evan Cox. The sophomore receiver caught three passes for 90 yards.
“We’ll be able to look back on this game, and know we can take on games staying more composed,” Helsham said. “Just being able to keep pushing, even when times get hard.”
