How sweet it is.
The Barstow Aztecs are state champions.
Barstow pulled off a 17-7 victory over Sutter on Friday night, Dec. 12, at Buena Park High School to claim the 2025 CIF State Division 4AA championship. The Aztecs are the first high school football team from the High Desert to be crowned state champs.
Entering the championship game, Sutter quarterback Braden Scritchfield had thrown just three interceptions on the season.
Barstow’s Degan Cardenas, Elijah Leleimene and AJ Lealofi each picked off one of Scritchfield’s passes in the second half.
“I ain’t going to lie, this defense is special, honestly,” Leleimene said. “I’m going to miss all the seniors. But we all did our job. This is special to me because this is going to go down in history. Man, it’s a lot of emotions right now.”
Running back Nicholas Gaoa scored a pair of rushing touchdowns, giving him 13 alone during Barstow’s historic postseason run.
Gaoa simply praised his defensive teammates after the victory.
“Our defense is pretty mean. Going to practice every day, I have to lock in there harder than when I lock into games. They make us better every single day. I appreciate them so much.”
A slow start and a bomb from Sutter
Barstow’s first drive looked promising with Applewhite connecting with Kamari Maloy for what appeared to be a first down. But a holding penalty brought the play back.
Then, Barstow was flagged for three consecutive false starts. On 3rd-and-long, Applewhite broke off a huge run for 22 yards.
But it wasn’t enough as Barstow was forced to punt.
Barstow’s defense forced Sutter to punt. But the Aztecs failed to convert a first down again.
Following another Sutter punt, the Aztecs offense finally got going late in the fourth quarter on their third drive.
Barstow drove down to the Sutter 26, facing a fourth-and-1. Gaoa took a handoff for six yards to extend the drive. The drive stalled out and Barstow settled for a 37-yard field goal attempt from Elijah Sanchez, which just missed.
Two plays later, Sutter struck with an 81-yard bomb from Scritchfield to Hayden Azevedo.
Sutter forced another Barstow punt.
“My message to them at halftime was ‘you can either think that you’re a man, or you can be one. That will be the deciding factor here,’” Barstow head coach Clayton Leleimene said. “They took on the challenge, and they said alright. We gave up seven. OK. They knew I still had their back as their head coach. Big deal. Let’s flush it and move on. I still had their back regardless.”
‘It’s all about trust’
Barstow came out swinging for the second half. Quentin Hunter, last season’s Desert Sky League Defensive Player of the Year, sacked Scritchfield to force a Sutter punt.
Barstow got to work.
Gaoa broke off a long run, and an added penalty set up Barstow deep in Sutter territory.
Once in a goal-line stance, Gaoa took a direct snap, spun off a few defenders and ran in for a nine-yard touchdown and a tie game midway through the third quarter.
Barstow’s defense forced another Sutter punt.
It paid off for the Aztecs.
Barstow crossed midfield on a first-down pass from Applewhite to Maloy. The following play, Applewhite hit Zaire Stephens for a 20-yard pass. Gaoa then took a handoff, bumped off a defender and found pay dirt. Gaoa’s 28-yard touchdown gave Barstow a 14-7 lead with 1:30 left in the third quarter.
“We just had a slow start,” Gaoa said. “I knew our offense was going to get a break. I knew that once we break free there is no stopping us. I promise you. It’s all about trust. Our defense trusted us. It’s all about trust. That’s what our team is good at. That’s why I appreciate all my teammates. Our coaching staff. Our fans. Everyone.”
‘Either lose or go home’
Just 13 seconds later in the action, Cardenas intercepted a pass, giving the Aztecs the ball back at the Sutter 40-yard line.
“Soon as the quarterback opened it, it was go-time. I just had to get the ball,” Cardenas said. “We made a big halftime adjustment. Either lose or go home. We had to do it. We knew we just had to work as a team because without each other we are nothing.”
Gaoa continued to lead the charge with his bruising running, getting Barstow into the red zone. Gaoa limped off the field on 3rd-and-5 two minutes into the fourth quarter.
Sanchez then got a shot at redemption. This time he nailed a 31-yard field goal to give Barstow a 10-point lead with 9:33 left.
Sutter threatened and drove up the field. With 5:31 left, linebacker Elijah Leleimene picked off a pass from Scritchfield, giving Barstow the ball back with a 10-point lead.
“It was trips right, I had the third receiver,” Elijah Leleimene said. “He started releasing forward. I was watching his inside hip. I released out, he ran a fade. I saw the ball come down. I picked it and tried to take it home and just ran it out.”
The Aztecs were forced to punt away, giving Sutter one last shot. But Lealofi sealed the deal with the third interception of the night.
“I feel great knowing that my team made it to State, not only made it, but won it,” Gaoa said. “I’ve been lucky to play with my boys since freshman year. We took a long way to State and won it. But like I always say, all glory to God. Always.”
Daily Press freelance reporter Jason Reed contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: The one, the only. Barstow secures the High Desert’s first-ever CIF State football title
Reporting by Jose Quintero, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
