Parker Porrill is a Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover St. Mary's High School for AZPreps365.com.

In St. Mary’s coldest game of the season entering Halloween, the Knights' fiery defense won 34-0 at Marcos de Niza on Oct. 30. They forced five interceptions in the third of their four-game road trip. 

Besides the takeaways, the Padres (3-6) offense lacked the time to gain composure with a relentless undefeated Knights (8-0) defensive line adding pressure. 

The Knights' junior rusher Arianna Manning had a career game for herself, chalking up three sacks and quarterback hurries.

One thing that was key for the defense in the win was the energy, and the defense brought the energy by getting massive stops and points off turnovers. 

“It is very important for us to get those stops, because that's what hypes our team up,” Manning said. “It keeps us motivated to keep going and get those points.”

Early in the first quarter, the sunset and the temperature dropped to the low sixties.

By no means were these arctic conditions, but it proved to be a hurdle that the Knights had to jump to find success after a slow start to the game. 

“We all are used to it being much warmer than this, and everybody has to get used to it,” head coach Chris Horn said. “The ball feels different, your body feels different, everything responds different and this is going to be our reality from here forward.”

Although the Knights offense would later light up the scoreboard, the offense stalled on the first drive ending early with an INT from senior QB Giahni Ruiz. 

In their next drive, the Knights rebounded as Ruiz laced the ball to wideout Ava Sierras for a 64-yard touchdown. 

The change in momentum after that INT and the deep TD pass on the ensuing drive matches what Horn has preached to his team about responding to pressure.

“We talk every day about functioning well under pressure,” Horn said. “That was a pressure moment, and the girls responded well.”

Sierras and the offense continue to respond throughout the game, as Sierras finished with five catches and three TDs. 

“Everybody does their job, and we just trust in our quarterback,” Sierras said. “[While running a route] we lock eyes with [Ruiz], and then, it's over, she sees you, and then she goes with you.”

Sierras caused two INTs, and she is not the only two-way threat for the Knights. Gwen Carter did damage on in all three phases of the game on offense, defense and special teams. 

Carter got a 46-yard pick six that put the Knights up 13-0 in the second quarter. 

However, Carter’s biggest highlight was how she carved her way to a 75-yard punt return for a TD.  

Horn praised his team on their ability to produce these big yardage plays on all sides of the ball. 

“We kept saying it really at halftime ‘we just got to keep chipping at it and chipping at it until it breaks,’” Horn said. “We just hit it and kept hitting it, [...] and stayed focused, and then we eventually got the big play.”

St. Mary’s looks to remain perfect in the last two weeks of the season as they take on Thunderbird and Mesquite.