It was a bit of an awkward moment, nearly everyone hesitated, and it looked like the play was going to be called dead.

But it wasn’t. And one player did not hesitate. Mountain Pointe’s Marleigh Fely reacted.

Not many others did when the ball rolled toward the Desert Vista sideline after the Thunder’s backward pass on their second possession of the game.

Most on the field thought it was an incomplete pass – other than the referee crew and the junior defensive lineman. So Fely scooped it up on and tore down the sideline before being tackled on the Thunder 8-yard-line.

It was one of those instinctual things, understanding of the game and the intrinsic need to play to the whistle, which there wasn’t one.

“That’s his football IQ, right there,” Mountain Pointe coach Jon Roberts said. “He has a feel for the game and it doesn’t surprise me that it was Marleigh who played that loose ball out.

“He’ll come to us and say move me inside so I can take advantage of a match up. Marleigh knows the game and he’s another coach out there for us.”

Fely, who later scored a defensive touchdown after grabbing another loose ball after a sack, is also one of the team’s top leaders. There was a commotion behind the bench during the game and he was the one who essentially put a stop to it and made sure his team refocused.

“He has his teammates’ respect and he is one of our leaders,” Roberts said. “Marleigh makes a big impact on and off of the field.”

On the season, the 6-foot-1, 237-pounder has six tackles, one for a loss, a team-high three quarterback hurries and two fumble recoveries and a score to push 5A Mountain Pointe out to a 2-0 start as the Pride prepares for 0-2 Mountain Ridge this week.

Shook but not shaken

The Desert Vista offense, led by senior quarterback Seth Hanson, could have not started out any worse.

Three fumbles on its first three drives that led directly to 21 points. Nightmarish. Ugly.

But it wasn’t backbreaking.

The Thunder regrouped and were actually moving the ball on more sustained drives after the terrible start than Mountain Pointe, which had a defensive and a special teams touchdown along with having three drives start within the DV 21-yard line.

Desert Vista quarterback Seth Hanson kept the offense moving forward after a horrid start. (Photo courtesy of Chris Eaton, Special to AZPreps365)

The team, which has the same coach for a second year in a row with Jake McSpadden, for the first time since Dan Hinds stepped down after the 2019 season, held together and played well enough to pull within a touchdown with just under 10 minutes left.

It was a huge indicator of this team’s integrity and grit.

“I can see a difference in year two,” McSpadden said. “There’s a sense of familiarity and trust that maybe wasn’t there before because the program had been through so much turnover.”

So it begins

The inaugural year of boys beach volleyball is underway.

There are 44 teams and eight regions to start with growth expected to continue in years to come.

The season began on Monday and runs through October. There will be a team state championship with 16 teams qualifying and pairs state tournament with the top 24 two-man teams playing for a state title.

Flag football ramping up

The girls flag football starts on Monday and the growth within the state has been impressive.

This year there are four conferences with 23 total regions covering all corners of the state.

In addition to a second year of having an all-star series at an Arizona Cardinals game, the Fiesta Bowl is now showing support with The Copper State Invitational as a midseason tournament.

The tournament will feature pool play, with the top two teams from each bracket advancing to a single-elimination playoff and will be held Oct. 9 and 11 at Arizona State University Recreation and Sports Fields at Dorsey.

“We want Fiesta Sports Foundation to be synonymous with promoting youth sports in Arizona and girls flag football is one of the fastest growing youth sports across the country. Creating the Fiesta Bowl Copper State Invitational provides a tournament-style experience that players always enjoy," said Fiesta Sports Foundation Executive Director & CEO Erik Moses. "Bringing some of the state's best teams and players to one location builds a festival environment that highlights great matchups and overall competition in this sport."