Higley Cruises Past Rival Williams Field 46-21 to Improve to 8-1

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GILBERT, Ariz. – Higley used a pair of explosive plays in the first half to build a comfortable lead and defeat Williams Field 46-21 on Friday night.

Higley opened up the game with the ball and immediately found success.

Senior quarterback Anthony Palka connected with senior wide receiver Kam Richardson early on a deep ball, moving the Knights past the 50-yard line.

Shortly after, Palka rushed the ball into the end zone to put the first points on the board in favor of the Knights.

The extra point attempt was blocked after a high snap made things more difficult, leaving the score at 6-0.

Williams Field took over looking to respond, but the Black Hawks were unable to put together a scoring drive and were forced to punt.

Higley capitalized on its next opportunity, with senior running back Antonio Young powering his way through multiple defenders for a long rushing touchdown.

The Knights attempted a two-point conversion; however, it was no good, leaving the score at 12-0 to finish the first quarter.

Williams Field made a splash early in the second quarter after senior quarterback Dominick Barjona chucked the deep ball to 3-star Arizona wide receiver commit Trey Smith for a long touchdown.

The extra point for the Black Hawks cut the deficit to 12-7.

On the kickoff, Higley immediately answered after Richardson returned the kickoff all the way for a touchdown.

Richardson's reply to Williams Field's first score extended their lead to 19-7.

The Knights' defense continued to have a big impact, making a lot of great pass deflections on the strong Williams Field receiving core.

Once Higley received the ball back, they continued to build their lead after Palka broke free for about a 65-yard rushing touchdown.

The touchdown for Higley gave them a 26-7 advantage heading into halftime.

Ultimately, Palka, Richardson, and Young dominated in the first half.

Williams Field came out of the break looking to cut into the deficit and start a comeback.

After a pretty long drive that started with a deep ball that Southern Utah wide receiver commit John Booker came down with, the Black Hawks went to their ground attack.

Junior running back Christian Davis pushed his way through multiple defenders, cutting the deficit even lower for the Black Hawks.

The Black Hawks converted the extra point to make it 26-14.

Following the touchdown, there was a weather delay that lasted until 10:10 p.m.

After the weather delay, both offenses began to struggle, and both teams traded drives until Higley struck again.

The Knights found the end zone again with 5:26 remaining in the third quarter; Palka connected with senior wide receiver Jordyn Harris for a long receiving touchdown.

Harris’s grab put Higley ahead 32-14 heading into the final quarter.

Before the third quarter expired, the Knights recovered a fumble from the Black Hawks, giving them possession to begin the fourth quarter.

The Knights continued to pull away in the fourth quarter, scoring two additional touchdowns to reach 46 points.

On one of the touchdowns, Young was making his way in until he fumbled the ball into the end zone, and his teammates hopped on the ball, extending their lead to 39-14.

Quickly afterwards, Williams Field made their way down the field after multiple long balls.

With ten minutes remaining in the quarter, Davis pushed his way into the end zone for his second rushing touchdown of the night, cutting the deficit to 39-21.

Higley closed out the 46-21 victory behind a strong performance from Palka, Richardson, and Young, while its defense helped limit the Black Hawks' overall opportunities throughout the night.

“It was a hard-fought victory; we came together as a family and a team,” Palka mentioned following the game. “Lots of adversity; this game was definitely personal for us.”

Next up: Higley adds one to their record, sitting at 8-1, and prepares to travel to 6-3 Brophy Prep next week. On the other side, Williams Field moves to 5-4 and looks to take down the 4-5 Mesa Jackrabbits on the road next Friday.