Cactus routs Sunnyslope in 5A opener behind QB Antonio Casias

Cactus junior quarterback Antonio Casias delivered a statement victory in Friday's opener, contributing six combined touchdowns in the air and on the ground in the Cobras' 52-14 home win over Sunnyslope in a clash of 5A teams.

The Cactus offense came out firing on all cylinders and kept it up throughout, finishing the game with 471 total yards, 205 rushing and 266 passing. The defense held the Vikings to 188 total yards.

Key plays

The Cobras struck first as Casias found Gabriel Sotelo for a 26-yard touchdown. Following the score, the Cobras' defense started asserting itself and didn't allow a first down until midway through the first quarter, during which Cactus extended its lead, with Casias connecting to Deven Caleb for a 5-yard touchdown.

After ending the first quarter leading 14-0, the Cobras continued their trend of scoring quickly, as Casias collected his third passing touchdown of the night, connecting to tight end Tristan Varga for a 9-yard score.

After a forced fumble by Cactus defender Daylen Moore, Casias scored on a 3-yard run. Tristan Varga added another score to give the Cobras a 32-0 lead heading into halftime.

The second half was more of the same for Cactus. Casias threw a fourth touchdown in the third quarter and capped the night with a score late in the fourth quarter.

Sunnyslope broke the shutout midway through the third quarter, with senior Mack Kump corralling a touchdown for the Vikings. They would add a scoop-and-score in the fourth quarter, following a miscue from a backward lateral attempt from Cactus.

Key players

Cactus QB Antonio Casias: 18 of 32, 260 yards, 4 passing TDs, 2 rushing TDs, 0 INT. Cactus receiver Juju Stubblefield: 8 receptions, 110 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT: He Also caught the only interception of the game.

Quotes:

“Our kids executed and I think potentially we can be a really good team … We got a taste of what we could do.” Cactus coach Brian Belles

“I try to bring leadership and just pushing each other every day, we always try to get better every day.” – Cactus quarterback Antonio Casias

Next up:

Cactus (1-0) will head on the road to Snowflake to face off against the Lobos (1-0) next Friday.

Sunnyslope (0-1) will host the Apollo Hawks (1-0) in their home opener next Friday.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cactus routs Sunnyslope in 5A opener behind QB Antonio Casias