5A football: Higley works late-game magic again

August 26, 2018 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Higley coach Eddy Zubey exhorts his team after a second narrow victory in as many outings thus far, this one a 38-31 triumph over Horizon. (AzPreps365 photo).

Higley's Coleman Owen isn't the household name quarterback Spencer Brasch is, but one person believes he will be. Check that is.

"Coleman is a stud," Higley coach Eddy Zubey said after his wide out produced a game-winning 82-yard pitch and catch from Brasch to defeat a game Horizon, 38-31, on Satuday night at NAU's Walkup Skydome. He's had a great game last week. Another this week. It's going to happen all the time."

For the second week in a row Higley rallied from behind in the final quarter to snare victory from defeat. The Knights are 2-0 while Horizon has to be a tad frustrated at its 0-2 start. Those losses are tight ones -- the other in their opener last week with Marana by six points.

Unlike Higley's 48-47 win over Paraclete, Calif., where Higley trailed much of the game, the Knights were up 28-10 at halftime and perhaps a possession from deflating the Huskies.

Horizon came out in the second half and gained confidence in a hurry. The Huskies reeled off 21 unanswered points to take a 31-28 lead with 11:09 to play after quarterback Isaac Enriquez's third rushing touchdown of the game.

HIgley didn't score in the second half until the final four minutes. They labored for a field goal tfrom Dalyn Enderle that tied the game at 31 with 4:12 left

Horizon was on the move again, but had to play the final four minutes wthout Enriquez, who was shaken up by a hit on the first play after Higley tied the game. Backup Jake Martinelli came on and connected for a 30-yard gain to Jay Rudolph that put the Huskies into Higley territory and nearly in range fo kicker Cole Johnson.

Higley, however, came up with a stiop -- an interception that deflected off a receiver's hands and into the arms of the Knights' Austin Godfrey with 3:22 to play.

Two plays later at its 14, Brasch threw a short pass to Owen that might help move the chains. Instead, Owen shed a tackler and then turned on the burners in a seam and outraced defenders to the winning tally. Owen finished with six catches for 185 yards. He also had a 72-yard punt return TD nullified by a penalty in the second quarter.

Brasch had a decent game, but an inconsistent one. He completed 17 of 31 passes for 254 yards and five TDs. He's thrown for 12 TDS in two games. The other two scores were to another hot receiver -- Jaxen Gibbons, who has five TDs in two games. 

"Horizon made it tough on us," Zubey said. "They do a good job of mixing things up on defense, and we were having trouble picking up what we needed to be doing....

"I'd rather not have to come from behind like was have, but at least our fans are getting their money's worth."