The Desert Edge Scorpions will face off against the Higley Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Desert Edge will be strutting in after a victory while Higley will be coming in after a loss.
Last Thursday, Desert Edge strolled past Camelback with points to spare, taking the game 24-6.
Elijah Sherbin-Fox was a one-man wrecking crew for Desert Edge as he rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries, and also threw for 230 yards and a touchdown. Sherbin-Fox got the majority of those rushing yards when he took off on a run that went for an incredible 66 yards. 81 of those passing yards were hauled in by Jaelyn Easterling-Flores.
Desert Edge's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged three passes before it was all said and done. It was truly a group effort as Ramari Hodge, Mikyal Davis, and Jalanie George picked up one apiece. Another thorn in Camelback's side was Joshua Hopphaus, who made ten total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Higley faced Marana in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. Higley took a 36-28 hit to the loss column at the hands of Marana. The Knights' defeat signaled the end of their eight-game winning streak dating back to last season.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Luke Haugo, who threw for 253 yards and a touchdown, and also rushed for 49 yards. That's the most rushing yards he has posted since back in October of 2023. Another pass catcher making a difference was Jaden Taylor, who picked up 145 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Higley wouldn't let Marana keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Higley can thank Kooper Woolf and Maxwell Siemen for forcing both of them. Woolf is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made six or more in the last 12 games he's played dating back to last season.
Even though they lost, Higley was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 219 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Marana only rushed for 88.
Desert Edge's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-2. As for Higley, their loss ended a five-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 2-1.
Desert Edge and Higley were almost perfectly matched up when the teams last played back in December of 2023, but Desert Edge suffered an agonizing 42-41 defeat. Can Desert Edge avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
