Glendale, Ariz. – The Spirit continued their defensive dominance Saturday night, shutting out Arizona Christian 39-0 in a non-conference matchup. The win improves the Spirit to 5-2 on the season and marks OUAZ's third shutout of the year, including the third in their last four games.
The Spirit controlled the game from start to finish, outgaining the Firestorm 400-152 while holding possession for more than 45 minutes. OUAZ amassed 273 rushing yards, 25 first downs, and held Arizona Christian scoreless throughout the contest.
OUAZ opened the scoring late in the first quarter when kicker Eric Cline connected on a 35-yard field goal. Later in the quarter, the Spirit put together a nine-play, 71-yard drive capped by a seven-yard touchdown run from Jelani Guerrero to take a 10-0 lead.
The teams battled through a defensive second quarter before Cline added another field goal early in the third quarter to extend the advantage to 13-0. The Spirit then put the game away with a dominant fourth quarter, scoring 26 points over the final 15 minutes.
Cline's third field goal of the night pushed the lead to 16-0 before the Spirit defense produced a safety when Damon Knighten tackled Arizona Christian's quarterback in the end zone. The defensive highlight was followed by a 78-yard scoring drive that ended with Luke Giron's 37-yard touchdown pass to Kendric Smith.
The defense continued to make plays down the stretch. Kenny White intercepted a pass and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown, giving OUAZ a 32-0 lead. Moments later, Labarron Kennedy Jr. recorded the Spirit's second interception of the night, setting up Rocco Koch's 19-yard touchdown run that accounted for the final 39-0 score.
Guerrero powered the ground game with 125 rushing yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. Dyontae Navarrate added 74 rushing yards, while Giron contributed 37 yards on the ground. The Spirit finished with 273 rushing yards and averaged nearly five yards per carry.
Through the air, Giron completed 10-of-14 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown. His fourth-quarter scoring strike to Smith highlighted another efficient performance from the junior quarterback. Earlier in the game, Giron became just the fifth player in OUAZ history to reach 1,000 career rushing yards, adding another milestone to a memorable night for the Spirit signal caller.
Defensively, Dakote Doyle-Robinson led the team with eight tackles, while Corey Floyd Jr. added seven stops. Thomas Lane IV recorded a sack, and the secondary came away with interceptions from White and Kennedy Jr. The Spirit defense limited Arizona Christian to just 152 total yards while posting its third shutout of the season.
Cline was perfect on special teams, converting all three field-goal attempts and all four extra-point tries, accounting for 13 points in the victory.
By the Numbers
- 5-2 overall record.
- Third shutout of the season.
- Third shutout in the last four games.
- 400 total offensive yards.
- 273 rushing yards.
- 45:11 time of possession.
- Two interceptions, including a pick-six by Kenny White.
- Luke Giron became the fifth player in OUAZ history to reach 1,000 career rushing yards.
Up Next
The Spirit return to Sooner Athletic Conference play on Saturday, Oct. 31, when they travel to Arkansas Baptist. Kickoff is scheduled for noon as OUAZ looks to continue its strong conference campaign.
