TEMPE - The 2011 season was all about firsts for the Cienega football program.
The Bobcats won 13 games for the first time in program history and also advanced to their first state championship game.
Saturday was about another first - this one not nearly as fun.
Cienega suffered its only loss of the season, falling to Scottsdale Chaparral 37-14 in the Division II state championship game at Sun Devil Stadium.
"Our kids have nothing to be ashamed about," Cienega coach Nemer Hassey said. "We didn't come here to get second place, but I think it's still something to be proud of."
Afterward, Hassey huddled his team together in the end zone to offer words of encouragement. As the coach was talking about the team's effort and heart, he was interrupted.
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Chaparral's Cody Ippolito ran away from his team's celebration into the Cienega huddle to offer the Bobcats (13-1) a final message.
"I was scared as hell at half," Ippolito yelled for the entire team to hear. "You guys have so much to be proud of. You played us so hard."
Cienega trailed 14-7 at halftime, giving Ippolito and the Firebirds (14-1) plenty of reasons to be scared.
The Bobcats' defense kept Chaparral's high-powered offense, which features at least two future Division I players, in check for the majority of the first half. The Firebirds were held scoreless for the first quarter and then went three-and-out on their first two drives in the second quarter.
Midway through the second, with the game still scoreless, Cienega punted to Chaparral star Davonte Neal. He was hit by Cienega's Brandon Bulgrin and fumbled at the Firebirds' 3-yard line.
Three plays later, Cienega fullback Daniel Gonzales charged toward the end zone and fumbled just short of the goal line. Teammate Jalen Rogers scooped up the ball and carried it in for the game's first score and a 7-0 lead for the Bobcats.
The Cienega touchdown was just what Chaparral needed, waking up the Firebirds.
On the first offensive play after Rogers' score, Neal rushed 80 yards out of the Wildcat formation to tie the game at seven.
Chaparral got the ball right back after Cienega punted again, and the Firebirds answered with another touchdown, this time on a 24-yard pass to Neal from quarterback Connor Brewer, a Texas commit.
"We played with them for a while, but then it just seemed like they went into another gear," Cienega senior wide receiver Edgar Poe said. "They have playmakers all over the field and they got going and we had trouble stopping them."
Chaparral continued its offensive show in the third quarter, scoring three more times, with no TD drive taking more than three minutes 17 seconds.
While the Firebirds were lighting up the scoreboard, the Bobcats' offense couldn't get going.
Cienega, which came into the game averaging 291.5 yards of total offense, was held to just 174 yards against Chaparral. The Bobcats managed 46 yards on the ground on 29 carries and finished with 128 passing yards, with most of those coming late in the game.
Running back Manny Vera, a 2,000-yard rusher this season, was held to 28 yards on 16 carries.
On the flip side, Chaparral gained 495 yards, including 338 on the ground on 41 carries.
Neal, who is being recruited by UA, ASU, LSU, USC, Ohio State, Notre Dame and a host of other schools, had 327 yards of total offense and three touchdowns before being ejected late in the fourth quarter after an unsportsmanlike penalty.
"We lost to a top-50 program nationally," Hassey said. "In a couple of days, hopefully these guys will be able to put it in perspective and realize how much they've accomplished."
Added Cienega's Poe: "This is the best football team I've been a part of. We're all very disappointed right now, but we all know how far we've come. It doesn't mean it doesn't hurt right now, though."
