One team is learning how to win while the other is learning how to put teams away.

Fortunately for Tempe Marcos de Niza, it has a stellar defense to fall back on, which it did a few times in beating a stubborn Mesa Westwood, 17-14, Friday in a 5A nonregion game.

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“As a staff we are not happy at all,” Marcos coach Roy Lopez said. “Our defense sucked it up. That made the difference.”

The Padres (5-0), ranked second in 5A-II, scored 17 consecutive points to overcome a 7-0 second-quarter deficit. Eric Rodriguez’s 37-yard field goal with seven minutes, 24 seconds remaining in the game proved to be the difference.

“Our guys are starting to learn how to play this game,” Westwood (1-5) coach Greg Mendez said. “There wasn’t a time in the game like I thought we couldn’t move the ball, or get a stop. We’re getting close.”

Westwood’s Jake Tyra made it a tight final few minutes when he scored his second touchdown of the night to make it 17-14 with 4:51 remaining. The score capped an eight-play, 54-yard drive, the Warriors’ best possession of the night. But from there, Marcos’ offense converted a pair of third downs to run out the clock.

Marcos’ defense came to the rescue for the first time late in the first half as it recovered a fumble at the Westwood 20-yard-line with 22 seconds left. On the next play, Mark Schira passed to Justin Rodriguez to tie the game 7-7 at halftime.

The Padres took the lead for good at 14-7 on its first possession of the second half when Schira connected with Tevin Newell on a 10-yard scoring pass.