ALA Queen Creek Rediscovers Its Fire, Faces Showdown with Red Mountain for Open Division Berth

After a rocky 0-5 start and the sudden loss of offensive coordinator Max Hall, ALA Queen Creek has stormed back with four straight wins

Jameson Wade (13) looks to lead the Red Mountain to a third straight win over Bobby Nesbit (left) and ALA Queen Creek on Friday night. / Photos by Josh Gibson and Javier Cervantes

A brutal early schedule was part of ALA Queen Creek’s 0-5 start in 2025. It didn’t help when long time offensive coordinator Max Hall departed the program.

Everything turned around when the Patriots got a matchup with Desert Vista, which included McClintock transfer Khalil Bender's first action of the season. The result was a 49-7 thumping of the Thunder.  It was a necessary win and it propelled the Patriots onto their current five-game win streak, with new energy heading into the playoffs. 

Bender and quarterback Britton DeWitt have developed a chemistry which has opened up the offense. DeWitt has thrown for 2,145 yards and 22 touchdowns for the season. In addition, tailback Bobby Nesbit clipped the 1,000 yard mark last week.

The timing is perfect for everything to round into form, as the Patriots face Red Mountain this week in their biggest game of the year. Red Mountain won the first meeting, 31-28.

“Our coaches told us to leave everything in the past,” Nesbit said. "We’ve made changes everywhere, the way we play on both sides of the ball, so we really are a different team, but beating Red Mountain is never any task.”

The Red Mountain Challenge

The last time these teams met was early September, but it seems a lot longer, especially for ALA Queen Creek. That night the Mountain Lions held off the Patriots by blocking a late field goal to preserve a 31-28 victory.

ALA QC, a perennial Open contender, took six weeks to secure its first win. Five weeks later, it enters the playoffs with a five-game winning streak and new hope. "We're a different team now," tailback Nesbit saie. "But in a lot of ways, so is Red Mountain."

Beating the same team twice in a season is never easy, but that’s what makes the rematch more intriguing 

Red Mountain has played steady through most of the season, finishing 8-2 in the regular season. Team captain Jameson Wade is on the verge of breaking the school record for tackles. The linebacker elevated his play and that of the defense while the Mountain Lions worked things out offensively.

“(Jameson) is the heart and soul of this team,” Red Mountain coach Kyle Enders said. “He can literally do everything.” 

But Enders insists his team welcomes the task of beating ALA-QC for a second time. 

“We’re excited for it. We always want to face the toughest challenge possible.”

With the addition of quarterback Dominic Carmigiano, and Kai Jones switching from corner to running back, Red Mountain’s offense has become a tall task for defenders.

What’s at Stake?

The winner of this game earns an official trip to the Open bracket and will face Liberty, the two-time defending Open champs. The loser will fall back into the 6A playoff, which will be rebracketed. ALA Queen Creek has qualified for the Open playoff bracket four straight years.