It's playoff time, and Casteel had no trouble coming through when it counted. They secured a 39-34 W over the Higley Knights on Friday. That result was just more of the same for these two, as the Colts also won the last time the pair played back in October of 2021.
It was another big night for Tee Smith, who rushed for 198 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also threw for 154 yards and two TDs while completing 76% of his passes. His passing game has become a key predictor of Casteel's success: the team is 4-1 when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 3-4 otherwise. Wyatt Defreitas was another key player, rushing for 74 yards and one score on only six carries.
| 11/21/25 vs Higley | 272 |
| 11/14/25 @ Brophy College Prep | 107 |
| 11/07/25 vs ALA - Queen Creek | 113 |
| 10/31/25 vs Queen Creek | 135 |
| 10/24/25 @ Corona del Sol | 158 |
| + 14 more games |
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Casteel was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 272 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September of 2024.
Higley lost despite a true team effort on offense. The best among them was Rylan Irwin, who rushed for 125 yards and one touchdown on only 14 carries. His longest rush was for an impressive 52 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Another passer making a difference was Gunner Fagrell, who threw for 146 yards and a pair of TDs.
Casteel's record now sits at 7-5. As for Higley, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 7-5 record this season.
Casteel will take on Salpointe Catholic at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Higley does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
