Conrad Hamilton has seen a lot of football in his time as the coach at Scottsdale Desert Mountain.
This might be his best team yet.
Scottsdale Desert Mountain continued its dominant start to the 2026 season, routing visiting Oro Valley Ironwood Ridge 58-0 on Oct. 9 to improve to 6-1 for the year. The only loss for Desert Mountain, the reigning 5A state champions, is a forfeit to Chandler Arizona College Prep on Sept. 4 for using an ineligible player when the teams played. Desert Mountain self-reported the violation to the Arizona Interscholastic Association.
Desert Mountain, No. 1 in The Arizona Republic’s 5A rankings, has only allowed 16 points on the season.
“I think we’re close,” Hamilton said when asked if this is the best team he has had.
“Defensively,
I think we’re really good. We got good players at all three levels. This is one of the better defensive teams we’ve ever had, for sure. It’s experience. Not only does it have talent, it has experience. They understand the standard, expectations.”
Desert Mountain was efficient on offense, finishing the game with only 26 offensive plays. Three of Desert Mountain’s scoring drives were just one play. Desert Mountain used a huge second quarter to blow the game wide open after leading 14-0 following the first quarter.
After senior running back Alex Cratty got the scoring started with a 10-yard run early in the first, junior quarterback Jake Pilarcek made it 14-0 on a 53-yard pass to sophomore wide receiver Kai Hasenyager.
Then came a barrage of scoring in the second: senior wide receiver Evan Dowd ran in a four-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 21-0 with 10:07 left in the quarter, then Cratty punched it from 10 yards out to make it 28-0 following a punt from Ironwood Ridge. A few plays later, a botched snap led to a 16-yard fumble recovery from senior defensive back Jett Archuleta to go ahead 35-0 with 5:02 remaining in the second.
Just before halftime, Pilarcek connected with senior wide receiver Isaiah Justice for a 28-yard score to push Desert Mountain ahead 42-0. That’s when a running clock was put in. After Desert Mountain went up 44-0 following a safety on a botched punt early in the third, Desert Mountain put in its backups the rest of the way.
The Wolves won the game without star junior running back Easton Conner, who is nursing a right elbow injury. Conner is expected back this season as the injury is more based on pain tolerance, Hamilton said.
Cratty got the bulk of carries on the night, finishing with two touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Evan Dowd was put in the backfield and had an 82-yard touchdown run.
“It’s been a 1-2 one punch the last two years with Easton and Ryan,” Hamilton said. “I think those two play well off each other. Ryan had a good game tonight. Evan’s got some juice to him. Until Easton can come back, it gives us a nice 1-2 punch. We always want to have two fresh backs.”
Pilarcek won the starting job after Grant Garduno, who was the quarterback of last year’s title-winning team, decided to leave the sport after getting a scholarship to Saint Mary’s for baseball. On the season, Pilarcek has thrown for 14 touchdowns with only two interceptions.
Pilarcek was at the school as a freshman but then transferred to Scottsdale Saguaro. After Saguaro coach Darius Kelly was let go in the spring, Pilarcek moved back to Desert Mountain. The integration back hasn’t been awkward, despite the circumstances.
“It didn’t feel weird,” Pilarcek said. “It was very nice. I knew lots of people here. They helped me settle back in. It’s like my family here.”
Senior defensive tackle Cole Yerman, who had three sacks on the night and is one of the team’s defensive leaders, has been impressed with Pilarcek since taking over.
“Jake’s been absolutely fantastic,” Yerman said. “I think he’s done way better than Grant could have. He’s really stepped up to the plate. He’s definitely more of a leader than Grant was. He’s a phenomenal quarterback and has a great arm.”
The Wolves have the toughest part of their season coming up, with games against a resurgent Scottsdale Chaparral program, always-tough-to-play Scottsdale Horizon and then ending with Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep, which is currently ranked just ahead of Desert Mountain in the AIA’s 5A rankings.
“Confidence is 10 out of 10,” Yerman said. “We think that we’re the best team. We plan to play like we’re the best team.”
Goodyear Desert Edge is always a 5A threat, with its roster filled with high-end Division I prospects. ALA Gilbert North has been consistently competitive with coach Ty Detmer leading the way. Horizon features one of the most explosive players in the state with sophomore running back Dylan Brush. The 5A conference is a slugfest.
Desert Mountain believes it has the ability to repeat.
“Is this team capable of winning a state championship? Absolutely,” said Hamilton.
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, college and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at logan.stanley@usatodayco.com or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @RLSscribe.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Desert Mountain routs Ironwood Ridge, builds steam for title defense
