Tanque Verde conquers wind, Tombstone, sets up rematch with top-ranked Willcox

The Hawks unexpectedly lost senior quarterback Nate Hallums to injury in their fifth game of the season, requiring the team to double down on its already run-focused motion offense.

Friday night’s victory over No. 23 Tombstone was the latest step forward for a thriving Tanque Verde program, as they overcame harsh, windy conditions for a 42-18 victory, securing the 2A South 1 Region Championship and setting up a date with No. 1 Willcox (9-0) this upcoming Friday for the outright 2A South title, a rematch from last season.

“This is really exciting to me,” Tanque Verde head coach Jeff Bollnow said postgame regarding the region title. “Even with the weather, the guys were locked in. We had to make some changes to our game plan and had those conversations early and often about some of the ways we could make choices with the crazy wind.”

Sustained winds of 30 to 35 miles per hour with gusts past 60 worked their way through Tanque Verde on Friday night, creating chaos and forcing two already run-heavy teams to dive even further into their ground-and-pound playbooks.

Luckily for the Hawks, junior receiver-turned-quarterback Gaines Gooch has provided a steady, explosive hand for the Tanque Verde rushing offense. Gooch took over for Hallums and has learned the playbook and role over time, leading the Hawks to four straight wins in which they have outscored their opponents 190-24.

Gooch had already accumulated 234 rushing yards and six touchdowns as a rusher in Tanque Verde's dynamic multi-back attack before assuming the role of signal-caller. A three-sport athlete in football, soccer and track and field, 2026 is just Gooch’s second year playing football, but the junior has thrived since he took over the quarterback job.

“He’s a total stud,” Bollnow said of Gooch. “He’s a freaky athlete. We put him at quarterback and started rebuilding around him. He was a receiver/slot/wing kind of guy for us. We knew he was fast. He qualified for the state tournament in discus, so we knew he could throw a little bit. It was just like, ‘I think we can build around this kid.’”

Gooch wasted little time flashing his athleticism, scoring from 60 yards on Tanque Verde’s first play from scrimmage after a Tombstone punt on its first drive. Gooch would go on to rush eight more times for 141 yards and two scores.

“I hadn’t ever played quarterback before our QB tore his ACL,” Gooch said after the win. “They put me in, and it’s been good. I run the ball a lot, which is what I am good at.”

The sustained winds and gusts, paired with feels-like temperatures in the mid-50s, made for a classic smashmouth ground battle.

Bollnow recalled memories from his playing career in adverse conditions at Cornell College in Iowa, considering Friday night’s game equal in memorability, but not necessarily temperature.

“Playing Division III football in Iowa, my freshman year it was 2 degrees and sleeting,” Bollnow laughed. “That game was a nightmare, I’m not going to lie. I totally remember it, though. It was very memorable, so I will remember this game as well.

“Anytime it’s weird, you remember those (games).”

Gooch and the Hawks battled the wind all night, throwing the ball just three times, compared to 38 carries for 341 yards total and five touchdowns on the ground. Eight different Hawks recorded at least one rush, led by Gooch and junior Brock Payne, who carried the ball eight times for 50 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Beau Duke recorded the fifth rushing score.

Gooch also threw for a touchdown to junior Rowan Carter on a play-action boot design, his only completion on three attempts.

Tanque Verde raced out to a 35-6 lead at halftime and expanded it to 42-6 before Tombstone answered with two scores in the fourth quarter.

Tombstone senior Xavier Lopez has been a bright spot for the Yellow Jackets all season and continued to flourish with 22 carries for 191 yards and two touchdowns, his fifth 100-plus yard game this season and fourth in a row.

With the win, the Hawks turn their attention to No. 1 Willcox in the 2A South Region crossover game. Both teams won their respective halves of the 2A South and meet in a rematch of the 2025 game for the super regional title once again.

Tanque Verde dispatched Willcox 42-14 last season, but the top-ranked Cowboys are not to be trifled with in 2026. Willcox has beaten five teams in the Class 2A Top 16, most recently a 47-0 win over No. 6 Eloy Santa Cruz Valley and a 23-3 win over No. 7 Benson. The Cowboys are also a run-dominant team with two 900-plus-yard rushers and 2,463 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns on the ground.

The two sides meet on Friday at 7 p.m. in Willcox.

“I wanted to play Willcox,” Bollnow said. “They’re extremely disciplined, but they play a style of football we can relate to, so I always like that challenge. Last year we got them, so I want to see if we can continue to be a thorn in their side… Hopefully we can find a way to put it together and give them a run for their money."