Surprise, Ariz. – The OUAZ Spirit earned their second straight victory on Saturday night, defeating Nelson (Texas), 31-17, in their 2026 home opener at Spirit Field. With the win, OUAZ improves to 2-1 overall and remains unbeaten in Sooner Athletic Conference play at 2-0.
The Spirit used a balanced offensive attack and a disruptive defensive performance to build a 24-3 halftime lead before holding off a second-half push from the Lions. OUAZ accumulated four touchdowns on the night while forcing multiple turnovers and consistently winning the field position battle.
After both teams traded possessions early, the Spirit capitalized on a Nelson turnover midway through the first quarter. Following a forced fumble by Corey Floyd Jr. and a recovery by Bryant Jackson, OUAZ marched into the end zone behind Isaiah Dickerson, who finished the drive with a rushing touchdown to give the Spirit a 7-0 advantage.
Nelson answered with a field goal, but OUAZ took control in the second quarter. Cooper LeDuc connected on a field goal before Tay Wheat broke free for a touchdown run to extend the lead. Later in the quarter, quarterback Luke Giron found Kendric Smith for a touchdown pass, and the Spirit entered halftime with a commanding 24-3 lead.
Giron and Smith hooked up again early in the third quarter, capping an impressive 11-play scoring drive with their second touchdown connection of the evening and extending the OUAZ lead to 31-3.
Nelson answered with a pair of touchdown passes from Judah Holtzclaw to Jermaine Jones in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to 31-17. However, the Spirit defense responded by shutting out the Lions the rest of the way.
The defensive unit came up with several key plays throughout the contest. Corey Floyd Jr. forced a first-quarter fumble that eventually led to OUAZ's opening score, while Brayden Faber recorded an interception in the second quarter that set up another Spirit touchdown drive. The pass rush consistently pressured the Nelson offense, with sacks coming from Dakote Doyle-Robinson, Justice Sosnicki, Zahleek McLean-Neely, Labarron Kennedy Jr., and Gustavo De Los Reyes.
Offensively, Dickerson and Wheat paced the ground game, while Giron directed an efficient attack through the air. Smith finished with two touchdown receptions and provided one of the game's biggest offensive sparks as the Spirit improved to 2-0 in conference play.
Scoring Summary
Up Next
OUAZ remains at home next Saturday, Sept. 19, when the Spirit host SAC foe Oklahoma Panhandle. Kickoff from Spirit Field is scheduled for 7 p.m. as OUAZ looks to continue its unbeaten start in conference play.
