Once again, a Mesa Desert Ridge player had the game of a lifetime. Getting a win to go with it makes it that much sweeter.

SLIDESHOW: Desert Ridge vs. Skyline football

SLIDESHOW: Friday night high school football

Running back Chris Heldore scored six touchdowns in a variety of ways as the Jaguars beat up on No. 5 Mesa Skyline 43-14 in a 5A‑II Pima Region game on Friday night at Desert Ridge.

Heldore had 10 carries for 56 yards and two touchdowns, nine catches for 100 yards and three scores and an 84-yard punt return for a touchdown in the game.

The 5A record for touchdowns in a game is seven, done three times.

“Six (scores)?” Desert Ridge coach Jeremy Hathcock said. “Oh man, his ego’s going to grow.

“I’m just kidding. Chris is a great athlete, one of the better kids in the state. Sometimes you just have to throw to your big guy and let him make plays. And he did tonight.”

Heldore had three touchdowns before the half to stake Desert Ridge (4-2, 1-0) an 18-0 lead, then answered a Skyline touchdown by returning a punt for a score to make it 24-7 with 6:49 left in the third quarter.

His most spectacular touchdown was a 31-yard pass from quarterback Kevin Pantastico in which Heldore reached over a defender and snared the ball one-handed.

“It fell right in my hand, so I took it,” Heldore said.

Pantastico threw the ball short, and as it went up he thought it would be intercepted until Heldore swooped in to make the grab.

“He’s our star,” Pantastico said.

Pantastico set a state record by throwing for 595 yards against Mesa Red Mountain earlier this year, but the accomplishment was bittersweet as the Jaguars lost.

This win was important, coming against a region foe and the team’s main rival.

“We had that great game and came up short still (against Red Mountain),” Heldore said. “But this is an awesome feeling. I can’t even describe it.”

The Jaguars had a first-and-goal on the 2-yard line late in the game, but Heldore stayed on the sidelines as Chris Jamison scored from 2 yards out.

“I told Coach I was done,” Heldore said. “It was enough. Six touchdowns is enough for me.”

Skyline moved the ball well early, but four first-half turnovers dug it a hole.

An onside kick to start the second half gave the Coyotes (4-2, 0-1) the ball and Lance Hyer scored from 2 yards out to make it an 18-7 game with 10:19 left in the second quarter.

The Skyline defense then forced a three-and-out to give the Coyotes their best chance at getting back into the game. But the offense stalled and had to punt, and Heldore returned it for a touchdown.

Desert Ridge controlled the game the rest of the way.

The Jaguars defense forced five turnovers and had six sacks.