​Butch Goncharoff was just happy to get back on the field.Scottsdale Saguaro played its first varsity football game in three weeks, losing 45-6 to visiting Glendale Mountain Ridge on Sept. 18.Saguaro hadn’t played since its season-opening 62-0 loss to Scottsdale Desert Mountain on Aug. 28. The Sabercats were forced to cancel the last two games, against Scottsdale Chaparral and ALA Queen Creek, due to safety concerns stemming from player injuries. Saguaro has 35 total players on its varsity roster after canceling its freshman and JV seasons.The game was 14-6 after the first quarter before Mountain Ridge went on a 31-0 scoring run.“It was good, good for the kids,” Goncharoff said. “It’s been a long (three) weeks. We’re extremely young, as you can tell. But we got better. And I think that’s the thing – we started out better. With so many kids going two ways, we just ran out of gas. Give credit to them (Mountain Ridge), they’re a really good football team. Well-coached. They went up and down the field.”Saguaro — which is running a hybrid Wing-T offense — had a chance to cut the lead the 28-14 early in the third quarter after wide receiver sophomore Demari Hardwick got the ball just outside the red zone.But then Mountain Ridge senior safety Max Olson stripped Hardwick on the next play and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown to go up 35-6 with 9:16 left in the third quarter.Mountain Ridge S Max Olson with a massive play.Strips the ball and returns it 90 yards for the TD.Mountain Ridge 35, Saguaro 6 | 9:16, 3Q.@azc_prepspic.twitter.com/BgRz6pyq9v— Logan Stanley (@RLSscribe) September 19, 2026“We felt pretty good at halftime if we can correct some things,” Goncharoff said. “Come out the half, go right down the field and then a huge turnover. The wheels came off after that.”There were some bright spots for Saguaro, particularly with junior wide receiver/running back Mar’taj Meadows. He scored the lone touchdown on the night for Saguaro on a 26-yard run early in the first quarter. Meadows set up that same drive with a long kickoff return.Big kickoff return from Mar’taj Meadows to set up Saguaro in Mountain Ridge territory. pic.twitter.com/c3JuOnqy0R— Logan Stanley (@RLSscribe) September 19, 2026“We like what our young guys are doing, they’ve gotten better from game one,” Goncharoff said. “Most of these guys haven’t played football before. From where we started, they’ve done a really good job.”Meadows was injured in the second quarter though, and missed the rest of the game. Outside of that, Goncharoff said he’s “pretty sure” the team came out the game “fairly healthy.”While it was another blowout loss and a running clock was put in during the third quarter, there is momentum beginning to build incrementally within the program.“(Three) weeks ago, the first game, we kind of just gave up, if I’m being honest,” Goncharoff said. “And they know that. It was 13-0, guys went down, wheels came off.