Aaron Schmidt is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Higley High School for AZPreps365.com

PHOENIX – The Higley Knights have dropped to 1-6 on the season, after a stunning 38-37 defeat to the Desert Vista Thunder Friday night.

Coming off a victory two weeks ago against the Desert Ridge Jaguars, the Knights looked as if they might launch a winning streak. Higley, though on the road, entered halftime leading 31-14. The wheels came off, however, once the Knights took the field for the second half.

“We just didn’t make plays when we needed to,” coach Brandon Large said. “There’s definitely a lot of things we could’ve done different, but that’s what it comes down to.”

The Knights looked great in the first quarter, forcing a punt within the first minute of the game. Higley quickly marched down the field to score a touchdown, a 19-yard run by Jamar Malone with 9:18 left in the first quarter.

Up 7-0, the Knights continued to play well defensively, recovering a fumble on their own 31-yard line with five minutes left in the first. This ultimately led to a fake punt-turned-first down via a pass interference call on Desert Vista.

A field goal by Konnor Olsen put the Knights up 10-0 going into the second quarter.

After forcing the Thunder to punt once again, Higley marched right down the field. A 27-yard pass from quarterback Jamar Malone to Carter Hancock set up a one-yard touchdown run by Colten Allen, putting the Knights up 17-0 with 8:55 left in the half.

After a Desert Vista touchdown with 4:12 left in the second quarter, Higley quickly responded. Malone and Hancock hooked up twice via the air, first on a 71-yard completion and then on a 17-yard touchdown. That put Higley up 24-7 with 2:57 remaining in the half, but more scoring from both teams loomed before intermission.

A touchdown run by Christian Clark for Desert Vista made the score 24-14 with 2:14 on the clock. Higley responded once again, shredding the Thunder defense on another long drive. With :30 left, Allen plunged in for a touchdown, his second of the half, to extend the Knights' lead to 31-14.

Then everything fell apart.

Right out of the gates, the Thunder blocked a Higley punt and scored soon after to make it 31-21. The Higley offense tried to make up for it with a huge reception by Hancock, but it was all for naught. On the ensuing play, Higley fumbled the ball on its own 47-yard-line, resulting in a turnover.

Higley was able to hold Desert Vista to a field goal after the turnover, making the score 31-24 with 5:50 left in the third quarter.

Immediately, Higley went three-and-out and were forced to punt. Higley tried to pull some trickery but failed after the fake punt pass was dropped by receiver Aidan Garcia.

The Thunder marched down the field to tie the game at 31. A four-yard run by Christian Clark knotted the score. On Higley's next possession, the Knights dialed up their most potent connection: Malone hooked up with Hancock on a 68-yard touchdown pass, putting Higley up 37-31 after three quarters.

“Jamar put it right on the money,” Hancock said. “Caught me right in my strides and I just kept going.”

A botched snap cost the Knights the extra point.

The Higley defense fought hard in the fourth quarter, causing a turnover on downs with 9:49 left, and intercepting a ball with 6:02 left in the game. However, the offense couldn’t keep up, constantly punting after gaining no traction as it had in the first half.

A 27-yard run by Desert Vista quarterback Jackson Akins put the Thunder in position to score the winning touchdown. With :42 left in the game, Akins found receiver Tavian Dennis for a five-yard scoring pass, putting the Thunder up 38-37.

With a sliver of hope, Higley tried to pull off a miraculous play. They kept pitching the ball around to one another as the clock expired, but ultimately fell short, giving Desert Vista the incredible come-from-behind victory.

“We just had a lot of mental mistakes,” quarterback Jamar Malone said. “We always get over that hump in the first half, but we just can’t finish it.”

Malone finished with 281 passing yards and three total touchdowns, while receiver Carter Hancock finished with 221 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions.

“He does a lot for us,” coach Large said about Hancock. “He catches and sometimes punts, returns, and he does everything we ask him to do, and it showed tonight."

As it turns out, the botched extra-point and poor second-half offense ended up being the key factors in tonight’s loss.

“We just didn’t come out and execute in the second half, that’s what it comes down to,” Large said. “It wasn’t necessarily schemes or anything like that, we just didn’t show up.”

Higley looks to get back on track next Friday, as they take on the Perry Pumas at home in search of their second win of the season.