Pueblo High School erased a nine-point deficit in the first half, then shut out Desert View in the second half in a 21-16 win Friday that helped the Warriors start the season 2-0.
Bolstered by a fierce pass rush, Pueblo's defense settled down after a shaky start. Still, Desert View (1-1) had a chance to win until nine seconds remained, when an interception by Pueblo defensive back Mario Yribe sealed the game.
Visiting Desert View outgained Pueblo in total yards 302-165, and Jaguars quarterback Nico Rosthenhausler twice connected with receiver Lee Abraham for touchdown passes. However, Pueblo's front seven hounded Rosthenhausler in the second half, and the Warriors' secondary intercepted him.
Rosthenhausler was knocked down frequently on his 37 pass attempts, and he missed two plays in the fourth quarter with an apparent right leg injury.
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The Warriors rallied after trailing 16-7 early in the second quarter.
"We just said the game wasn't over, and we had three more quarters," Pueblo defensive end Isaac Valencia said.
Valencia and linebacker/wide receiver Bobby Lopez said the team has emphasized protecting its home turf this year, following a 2005 campaign when the Warriors went winless at home.
Pueblo made it 16-14 in the second quarter when Benjamin Broughton, the Warriors' 5-foot-5-inch, 130-pound running back, broke loose for a 63-yard touchdown run.
Pueblo took the lead for good when quarterback Michael Molina found Tim Echeverria for an 82-yard touchdown catch.
In the last five minutes of the first half, the Warriors twice drove inside the Desert View 20-yard line, but the Jaguars forced two turnovers — a fumble and an interception.
Defenses ruled the second half.
Neither team ran a play inside the opponent's 30-yard line after halftime.
Pueblo only recorded one first down in the second half. At times, both times showed much more proficiency moving backward than forward — the teams combined for 216 penalty yards.
Pueblo set up its first touchdown when George Corral returned the opening kickoff to the Desert View 4-yard line. Three plays later, Molina threw an 7-yard touchdown pass to Lopez.
Desert View answered with 17 points in about eight minutes, including touchdown passes of 13 and 47 yards from Rosthenhausler to Abraham.
Desert View running back T.J. Wilmore had five receptions for 74 yards, along with eight rushes for 51 yards.
Pueblo 21
Desert View 16
