NO ESCAPE: Phoenix Desert Vista’s Derrick Kennard gets a grip on Mesa Red Mountain running back Taylor Sare during their state semifinal game on Friday.

Thomas Boggan, Tribune

ON HIS WAY: Desert Vista running back Marcus Washington, right, slips the tackle of Red Mountain defensive back Julian Madison en route to a 32-yard touchdown during Friday’s game.

Thomas Boggan, Tribune

Following Friday’s 14-7 win over Mesa Red Mountain in a 5A-I state semifinal prep football game, Phoenix Desert Vista’s Devon Kennard praised the Thunder’s offensive line.

Desert Vista topples Red Mountain

SLIDESHOW: View High School Football semifinals slideshow

Fellow running back Marcus Washington also thanked those same blockers. But for a much different reason.

Washington said the cleats he started the game with were not a good choice for the mud soup-type conditions at Chandler High School. Washington said one of the linemen changed cleats with him after the first quarter and it made all the difference.

“My cleats were bad coming into the game,” Washington said through a smile of dirt and mud. “Once I got the other cleats my footing was so much better.”

Washington rushed for 92 yards following the first quarter, including a game-tying 32-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

On the scoring run, Washington spun out of a tackle at the 25-yard line before going the rest of the way untouched. He had touched the ball just twice before his touchdown run with 1:31 remaining in the first half.

After trying a host of ball carriers in the first half, Desert Vista turned to Kennard and Washington exclusively in the second half. The two combined to gain all 82 of the team’s second-half yardage.

“We didn’t know who was going to be our mudders going into the game,” Desert Vista coach Dan Hinds said. “We went with more base blocking in the second half and rode those two guys.”

“In the first half our linemen couldn’t get their footing,” Kennard said. “They just got after it (in the second half). We knew we were going to bring it home for Desert Vista. I thank our linemen for all of it.”

The junior backs took turns running the ball on the Thunder’s 15-play, 75-yard game-winning drive in the third quarter. Washington rushed nine times for 49 yards. Kennard capped the drive with a 1-yard run on a fourth-and-goal play.

“Coach asked if I wanted the ball. I told him, 'I promise I will get the touchdown,’ ” Kennard said. “I knew I wanted the ball.”

Washington said his concentration was on the ball. “I just didn’t want to fumble it,” he said. “It was so bad out there. I just thought about hanging onto it. I didn’t even know when I gained yards.”

Kennard, who is probably more known for his 24 sacks as a defensive end, believes his team’s running backs don’t get enough credit. “We think our backs are as good as anybody. We just have so many backs who can get the yards,” he said.