Surprise, Ariz. — The OUAZ Spirit suffered a heartbreaking loss on Saturday, narrowly falling to the Benedictine Mesa Redhawks in a tightly contested matchup that came down to the final moments.

The Redhawks struck first in the opening quarter, scoring a touchdown but failing to convert the extra point. They found the end zone again later in the quarter, once more coming up empty on the conversion to hold a slim early advantage. OUAZ responded in the second quarter, keeping themselves firmly in the game when Lucy Stiegler hauled in an excellent touchdown grab from Bryce Watson. The Spirit were unable to complete the extra point, but the score provided much-needed momentum heading into halftime.

Benedictine Mesa added another touchdown in the third quarter, but the Spirit answered in dramatic fashion. Aaliya Oliver delivered one of the game's biggest plays, intercepting a pass and racing 80 yards for a pick-six. Oliver followed it up by converting the extra point, pulling OUAZ within five points and igniting the Spirit sideline.

With one final opportunity to take the lead late in the game, the Spirit pushed downfield but were unable to complete the comeback. Despite the tough result, OUAZ showed resilience, playmaking ability, and continued growth, proving they can compete in close games as the program continues to build.

Up Next

The Spirit will travel to California for the Bulldog Invitational hosted by University of Redlands. They will face Redlands and Nevada State on March 7th at 1:00 & 7:00 PM (MST). They will also face Norco on March 8th at 10:00 AM (MST).