It was a shaky first half for Phoenix Arcadia, but an overwhelming defense and steady running game were enough as the Titans defeated Flagstaff Coconino 35-7 Friday night in a 4A nonregion game.

SLIDESHOW: Friday night high school football

The Titans (2-0) committed three turnovers, including two interceptions on tipped balls, and racked up seven penalties, but were tied at halftime 7-7 thanks to their strong run defense.

"We had to execute better in the second half, and we definitely did," Arcadia coach Kim Ellison said. "We felt if we didn't turn the ball over, we would have been in good shape."

After Coconino's Chris Bennett scampered in from 2 yards out in the second quarter to give the Panthers (0-3) an early lead, the Titans seemed to find their running game. On the ensuing drive, Arcadia marched on a nine-play, 80-yard drive, capped of by a 2-yard run by Trevor Brock.

Brock, the Titans fullback, came down awkwardly on his knee on the final play of the first half, forcing him to miss the rest of the game.

In his shadow was Pat Schrimsher, who responded with two touchdowns during the Titans’ impressive second half. Schrimsher finished with 77 yards on seven carries and led a strong Arcadia running game, which gathered 307 yards on 37 carries.

"Both can play the position and both can play it well," Ellison said.

"We usually like to use Pat on defense, but we needed him to run the ball tonight."

The only thing more impressive than the Arcadia running game was its defense. The Titans front seven got constant pressure, consistently bringing down Coconino's running backs behind the line of scrimmage. Outside of an 18-yard carry by Bennett in the third quarter, the Panthers did not have a run of more than six yards in the game.

"We played the first half great and came out for the second half strong," Coconino head coach Tadd Ragan said. "We just had a few injuries and a few things go against us, and it just snowballed from there."