Sports360AZ
Some may look at the combined 2-23 record of the Chavez Champions first five opponents and think they have a cake schedule.
If those same critics saw the way the Champions played against Millennium on Friday night, they’d think twice about this team.
Quarterback Arturo Macias threw for three touchdowns and ran for another, as Chavez pounded Millennium 39-10 on their homecoming night.
With the win, the Champions move to 6-0 on the season, and they even up their all-time series with Millennium at 2 apiece.
Millennium falls to 4-2 after the loss.
Tigers quarterback Brandon Keller got the scoring started in the first quarter, finding wide receiver Nick Dodde with a great throw over an outstretched Travon Richardson.
Millennium would take their first and last lead of the night at 7-0.
It would be the Macias/Rodrick Griffin show after that, as they would hook up three times for touchdowns, including an 81-yard touchdown pass which gave Chavez a 20-7 lead at the time.
The Champions defense would keep the Tigers offense pretty much silent after that, with the exception of a field goal, which was pretty much a moral victory for Millennium at that point.
“We have a very tenacious, very aggressive group of kids,” Chavez head coach Jim Rattay said. “They just love to play the game, and they’re ready to pounce at anytime whether it’s offensively, defensively or on special teams.”
Rattay says it’s exciting that his team is 6-0, especially after beating a quality opponent in Millennium on the road, spoiling their homecoming celebration.
“They [Millennium] came out fired up, they’re a good football team,” Rattay said. “Usually it’s like a boxing match, you gotta feel them out and eventually our kids made some really big plays.”
Macias gave full credit to his offensive line for giving him time to be creative and make those big plays happen.
“I got to pass good when I got good protection,” Macias said. “My line gave me like an average of six seconds in the pocket. Besides that, we did what we had to do. They wanted us on their homecoming, they wanted to lose on their homecoming, so we gave them a game.”
