Photos: Canyon del Oro holds off Yuma Catholic 35-27 to win the 4A state football championship game
No. 2 Canyon del Oro had to hold on down to the last seconds to finally stop No. 1 Yuma Catholic Dec. 1, 2023 in Tempe. But the Dorados did it, winning 35-27 to finish undefeated (14-0) as Arizona's Class 4A high school football state champions.
Canyon del Oro football coach Dustin Peace gets mobbed by his players as he holds up the championship trophy the Dorados just won in a 35-27 win over Yuma Catholic for the Arizona Class 4A high school football state championship last month at ASU’s Mountain America Stadium in Tempe.
Canyon del Oro's Kayden Luke, right, batters his way into the end zone to open the scoring in the first quarter against Yuma Catholic in the 4A State Football Championship Game in Tempe on Dec. 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro's Grant Young (33) gets a piece of Yuma Catholic's Nash Ott (11) but not enough to keep him from completing the pass in the Dorado red zone in the first quarter of the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro's Chase Laux (14) out runs Yuma Catholic's Sir Stokes (2), left, and Dagen Dunn (12) to the end zone scoring in the second quarter of the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro's Sa'Kylee Woodard (55) hoists Chase Laux (14) overhead celebrating Laux’s mazy run for pay dirt against Yuma Catholic in the second quarter of the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro's Kayden Luke (30) dives into the end zone over Yuma Catholic's Sir Stokes (2) scoring in the second quarter of the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Yuma Catholic's Darryl Coleman (13) gets a half step inside of Canyon del Oro's Austin Greer (11) to pick up a catch early in the first quarter of the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro's Grant Young (33) nearly rips the ball out of the grip of Yuma Catholic's Rocky Stallworth (44) while putting a stop to his rush of the middle in the second quarter of the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro's Nick Mondragon (22) and the Dorados celebrate, shouting into the stands after holding off a last gasp challenge by Yuma Catholic to win the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro’s Kayden Luke (30) hugs head coach Dustin Peace shortly after the Dorados fended off Yuma Catholic for the 4A State Football Championship, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro's Izaiah Lucero (2) wraps himself in the championship banner as he leaves the field following the Dorados win against Yuma Catholic in the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro’s Kayden Luke (30) steps out of the reach of Yuma Catholic’s Hunter Hancock (8) in the fourth quarter of the 4A State Football Championship game in Tempe in December 2023.
Canyon del Oro's Grant Young (33) gets a good grip on Yuma Catholic's Nash Ott (11) for a sack in the third quarter of the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro's Grant Young (33) gives a big wave after getting a sack against Yuma Catholic in the third quarter of the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro's Austin Greer (11) gets high enough to deny Yuma Catholic's Darryl Coleman (13) a catch as the Shamrocks try desperately for a score trailing late in the fourth quarter of the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro's Izaiah Lucero (2) makes a stand against Yuma Catholic's Tayt Ford (24), temporarily keeping the Shamrocks out of the end zone in the fourth quarter of the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Everybody chases the loose ball on an onside kick that Yuma Catholic eventually recovered in the fourth quarter of the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro's Evan Greer (8) holds on to drop Yuma Catholic's Nash Ott (11) for a sack in the fourth quarter of the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro's Chase Laux (14) gets fingertips to the ball, enough to keep Yuma Catholic's Sir Stokes (2) from making a touchdown catch in the fourth quarter of the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro's Chance Cassel (10), top, gets up over teammate Austin Greer (11) to deflect a ball intended for Yuma Catholic's Sir Stokes (2) in the fourth quarter of the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro's head coach Dustin Peace greets Kayden Luke (30) returning to the sidelines after scoring against Yuma Catholic in the second quarter of the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro's Gattlin Miles (0) comes back out to kneel on the field by himself for a few minutes after the Dorados’ win against Yuma Catholic in the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro's players celebrate with the fans after defeating Yuma Catholic in the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro's Grant Young (33) celebrates with teammate Canyon del Oro's Chase Laux (14) after his pick-six in the third quarter against Yuma Catholic in the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro's Tristen Mcclelland (17) breaks away from Yuma Catholic's Gustavo De Los Reyes (71) and into the defensive backfield scrambling in the second quarter of the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro's Kayden Luke (30) high steps through the Yuma Catholic defense on his way to scoring in the second quarter of the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro's Vijay King (21) drags Yuma Catholic's Haiden Deter (60) with him as he backpedals for more yards in the second quarter of the 4A State Football Championship game, Tempe, Ariz., December 1, 2023.
Canyon del Oro’s Aaron Ramirez (32), left, and Sa’Kylee Woodard (55) wait for the defensive assignments as the sun sets during the 4A State Football Championship game against Yuma Catholic on Dec. 1, 2023, in Tempe.
Kelly Presnell
Photojournalist
High school football: Canyon del Oro 4A state championship to cap perfect 14-0 seasonKayden Luke ran for 217 yards and two touchdowns Friday as Canyon del Oro defeated top-seeded Yuma Catholic 35-27 to claim the Arizona Class 4A high school football championship.
The Arizona high school football season has now come to a close. The Star's final "rundown" of the 2023 season includes a look back at Canyon del Oro's Class 4A championship — finishing off the Tucson two-fer after Sabino won the Class 3A title a week earlier.