Scorpions Keep the Fire Burning in 46–7 Win Over NDP

Desert Edge entered Thursday night undefeated and left no doubt about keeping it that way.

The Scorpions took down Notre Dame Prep 46–7 in Goodyear, improving to 3–0 behind another dominant performance from an offense that has continued to find its rhythm early in the season.

Desert Edge finished the night with 474 yards of total offense, including 410 through the air. Senior quarterback Blake Roskopf led the attack, completing 18 of 32 passes for 353 yards and five touchdowns.

Roskopf spread the ball around, but his biggest connection of the night came with senior wide receiver Zerek Sidney. Sidney hauled in nine passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns, accounting for more than half of Roskopf's passing yardage.

Junior Jhaheem Brown added another pair of touchdowns through the air, finishing with 55 receiving yards as the Scorpions repeatedly found ways to attack the Notre Dame Prep secondary.

The game wasn't a runaway from the opening kick, however. Desert Edge held just a 6–0 advantage after the first quarter, and Notre Dame Prep cut the deficit to 7–6 early in the second.

That would be the Saints' only score of the night.

Desert Edge responded with two more touchdowns before halftime to take a 20–7 lead into the break. From there, the Scorpions took complete control.

Desert Edge scored 20 unanswered points in the third quarter, turning a 13-point halftime advantage into a 40–7 blowout heading into the fourth. One final touchdown in the fourth brought the score to 46–7.

While the passing game produced most of the yardage, Desert Edge also found the end zone on the ground. Junior running back Byron Brandon rushed 10 times for 26 yards and a touchdown.

The performance continued a dominant start to the season on both sides of the ball. Through three games, Desert Edge has outscored its opponents 118–7. The Scorpions opened the year with a 20–0 shutout of Cactus Shadows before beating Cienega 52–0 and handing Notre Dame Prep its first loss of the season.

For Brandon and the Scorpions, though, the early success hasn't changed what they're chasing.

“We really just need to stay consistent and keep the main goal the main goal, going 14–0 with my guys,” Brandon said.

Three games in, Desert Edge has done exactly that.

The Scorpions remain undefeated, their defense has allowed just one touchdown all season, and an offense led by Roskopf has now scored 98 points over its last two games.

Desert Edge will get another test Friday, Sept. 18, when it hosts undefeated ALA–Gilbert North. The Eagles enter the matchup at 3–0 after a 49–13 win over Buena.

For a Desert Edge team with its sights set well beyond a perfect September, it will be another opportunity to keep the fire burning.