#10 Xavier Prep blanks #14 Corona Del Sol in Regular Season Finale

Xavier Prep blanked Corona Del Sol 28-0 Thursday night and capped off their regular season on a high note. 

The Gators couldn’t have responded better from Tuesday's 41-25 loss to Desert Vista.

The game started hot for Xavier Prep as their senior defensive back, Ava Portillo, snagged an interception on the first drive of the game.

With great field position on their first offensive drive, Xavier Prep made a statement. 

The Gators' senior quarterback Ana Matuz connected with senior Gigi Bulkley for a 5-yard touchdown.

Momentum continued for Xavier Prep as they forced another turnover. 

This time, it was Xavier Prep’s senior athlete, Imani Campbell, who caught the interception for her team. 

Then, only moments after grabbing the interception, Campbell found the end zone as Matuz found her for a 7-yard touchdown. 

Putting the last game behind them, Xavier Prep’s head coach Matt Reum was thrilled about his team's response.

“The response was amazing,” Reum said. “For them to put it right behind them and move onto the next game, knowing we had another job to do. We got more work to do going into the playoffs.” 

Neither side could move the ball much until the last few seconds of the first half, went Xavier Prep added to their lead. 

With less than 30 seconds remaining in the second quarter, Matuz threw her third touchdown pass of the night, this time to freshman wide receiver Evie Maas for a 35-yard touchdown. 

The Gators had all the momentum going into halftime, and it stayed that way for the majority of the second half. 

In the middle of the third quarter, Corona del Sol had a positive play go their way as sophomore defensive back Amyah Anderson tipped the ball to herself and intercepted it. 

However, the Aztecs couldn’t make most of the drive after once again Xavier Prep’s defense made a stop. 

Putting the interception behind her, Matuz threw for her fourth touchdown pass of the game as she connected with Bulkley for the second time of the night for a 30-yard touchdown. 

Matuz’s story is remarkable. She just started her football journey in 2024 at Xavier Prep, and now she is one of the top quarterbacks in Arizona and has led her team to new heights. 

“I started my football journey here last year,” Matuz said. “Now I’m going to college for football.” 

Leading her team into the playoffs and a 10-win season, Matuz has been electric.

Xavier Prep held a 28-0 lead in the third quarter; however, Corona del Sol still showed some fight.

As the third quarter expired, the Aztecs' sophomore athlete, Sofia Villone, snagged an interception and set up Corona del Sol with their best field position of the game. 

Just like clockwork work though Xavier Prep’s defense got the ball right back. 

Getting the team's third interception of the night was Xavier Prep’s senior linebacker Zoie Alexander. 

The rest of the fourth quarter, Xavier Prep chewed up a majority of the clock to seal their victory over Corona del Sol. 

Xavier Prep now heads to the 6A playoffs, where they will be a team to look out for when they are underway. 

A staple of the program for four years now, Bulkley is excited to be in the playoffs and show other teams they are contenders. 

“I’m excited to go into the playoffs and just show everybody that we are a team to compete with,” Bulkley said. “I’m just excited to show everybody what we've got and compete. Win or lose, I’m still going to leave with all these amazing memories.” 

Win or go home is all that is left for Xavier Prep now, but they are going to approach the playoffs like it is just another game.

“We’re going to try and approach it like any other game, but we all know that it is different,” Reum said. “We’re gonna do our best to approach it like any other game, even though the circumstances are it’s one and done.” 

Next up: Xavier Prep (currently #10) awaits its final seeding and who they will face in the first round. Corona del Sol (currently #14) remains on the bubble and awaits to see if they make the playoffs at all Saturday morning. Fellow bubble teams Boulder Creek (over Shadow Ridge), Liberty (over #4 O'Connor), and Cesar Chavez (over South Mountain) all won their games tonight.