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Highland’s journey gets a national spotlight in Vegas
BY ZACH ALVIRA GSN Sports Editor
This year’s Highland team went further than any other group of players to go through the program in the past.
Led by head coach Brock Farrel, the Hawks captured their first-ever 6A state championship on Dec. 11, beating Chaparral and avenging their loss to the Firebirds in last year’s 6A state title game. That was met with another opportunity for the Hawks. The biggest in the history of the program. Just a week after Arizona Interscholastic Association Executive Director David Hines handed them their trophy, the Hawks were back on the road for an experience none of them had ever imagined they would have at the end of the season. They were selected to play in the Geico State Champions Bowl Series at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nev. on ESPNU. “I think this was a perfect culmination because we got to go on a trip,” Farrel said. “This is what we want to do. We want to play nationally ranked teams. We want to go to California. We want to go to Utah. We want to play more games on ESPN.”
Highland departed for Las Vegas on Thursday and spent two days there as part of the trip. The team stayed at a hotel near the famous strip and had the opportunity to explore the area before their game took place Friday night.
They held Madden tournaments in their hotel rooms, and overall had the opportunity to bond for the final time. Carson Allen, a senior linebacker for the Hawks, said that was one of the best experiences of the trip. “I’ve been soaking it all in,” Allen said. “Hanging out in the hotel with my friends or going on the strip and hanging out. I was just trying to soak it all in one last time because high school football is over. I’m just thankful for this team.” Highland started fast against Florida 3A champion Chaminade-Madonna but ultimately fell to the Lions 35-24 in the Geico State Champions Bowl Series Friday night at Bishop Gorman
High School in Las Vegas, Nev. (Courtesy Donna Mundy Photography)
Highland quarterback Gage Dayley said despite the outcome, playing on the national stage was a great overall experience for him and his teammates in their final game together. (Courtesy
Donna Mundy Photography)
Highland faced Florida 3A champion Chaminade-Madonna College Prep in the showcase game. The Lions entered the contest with only one blemish on their record from one of the top teams in the Florida 4A division. They were also ranked No. 23 in the nation and had no shortage of talent on both sides of the ball.
But still, Highland came out with a different type of energy, one that may have caught Chaminade-Madonna off guard. The Hawks jumped out to an early 11-0 lead after Crew Crocket hit a 29-yard field goal and Gage Dayley connected with Jacob Soehl on a short pass. Even when Chaminade answered with a 17-yard strike from sophomore quarterback Cedrick Bailey, the Hawks responded right back with a long drive capped off by a Steven Trujillo 9-yard touchdown run. Highland’s ability to move the ball on Chaminade’s talent-riddled defense stunned the Lions. But they had home run hitters themselves on offense, including sophomore star running back Davion Gause. He took a halfback screen 25 yards for a touchdown just before the end of the first half. He finished with more than 160 yards on the ground. Especially in the second half, he gouged Highland’s defense. “I think we surprised them at first,” Allen said after the game. “If you look at our roster, you kind of laugh at first. Especially with what they have. But we came out, surprised them and they made adjustments and got their athletes the ball. Congrats to their coaches, that’s a good team.”
Chaminade went on to outscore Highland 21-6 in the second half. The final score was 35-24 in favor of the Lions.
There were some tears on the Highland sideline as seniors saw their high school careers come to an end. But there were also some smiles. Players like senior quarterback Gage Dayley, a three-year starter for the Hawks, knew his team had accomplished something special in their final season. Highland had never come close to a nationally televised contest, let alone competing in a national showcase that featured two top 15 teams and the top overall recruit in the country in the second show-
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GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 26, 2021
Highland champions play before the nation
Photo 1: Highland junior running back Carson Mullenaux was key to the Hawks early success against Florida’s Chaminade-Madonna College Prep in the 2021 Geico State Champions Bowl Series Friday, Dec. 17. Photo 2: Highland senior guard Chandler Barton was one of the five offensive linemen opening holes for the Hawk running backs, allowing them to find running lanes in the first half of the game. Photo 3: Highland junior linebacker Cooper Scott played one of the best games of his career in the Geico State Champions Bowl Series, as he was dominant on defense and blocked and returned a punt for a touchdown. Photo 4: Highland’s offensive line was one of the top units in the state this season and will be once again in 2022 led by juniors
AJ Dutchover (66) and Caleb Lomu (76). (All photos courtesy Donna Mundy Photography)
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case game the next day. But they took the opportunity and ran with it, showcasing the type of talented teams Arizona high school football has to offer. “It was just fun to have one more game in high school,” Dayley said. “Just being with my brothers. From the bus ride to being in the hotel and in the rooms, it was just a fun experience. It was nice to play one more game together.”
Despite the outcome of the game, Highland became just the fourth team to be selected and compete in the Geico showcase at the national level. Chandler was the first team from Arizona to play in the series in 2016. The Wolves traveled to Texas and beat Georgia champion Valdosta. The next year, they played and beat Miami Northwestern from Florida at Grand Canyon University. In 2018, Centennial from Peoria represented the state in the game against Washington’s Eastside Catholic. Last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the game featured the Battle for Arizona Avenue between Chandler and Hamilton due to teams not traveling across state lines.
Farrel was proud of the way his team performed on the national stage. And especially this year’s group of seniors, he’s happy they accomplished all they did.
“Last year’s senior class, they built the foundation,” Farrel said. “We put a lot of bricks on that foundation this year. Our kids never gave up.”
GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 26, 2021
Kurt Warner’s story on the silver screen
BY JOSHUA WEISBLY
GSN Staff Writer
For those who live in Arizona and bleed Cardinal red, there are a handful of names that are synonymous with the team. Former quarterback Kurt Warner is one of them. As of Christmas Day, audiences clearn the Super Bowl winner’s backstory in the film “American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story.” It takes a deep dive into Warner’s life before he joined the St. Louis Rams and the beginning of his NFL career. “American Underdog” tells the inspirational true story of Warner (Zachary Levi), who went from a stock boy at a grocery store to a two-time NFL MVP, Super Bowl champion, and Hall of Fame quarterback. The film centers on Warner’s years of challenges and setbacks that could have derailed his aspirations to become an NFL player. It seemed out of reach until he meets his future wife, Brenda (Anna Paquin), and receives encouragement from his family, coaches and teammates. Warner attended college at the University of Northern Iowa and went undrafted. He tried out for the Green Bay Packers but landed with the Arena Football League’s Iowa Barnstormers.
Following that stint, Warner made his way back to the NFL finding a home in St. Louis with the Rams, where he would eventually lead the team to a Super Bowl. The American gambling company FanDuel offered fans the chance to meet Warner and Levi at WestWorld of Scottsdale in early December. “With the movie coming out with Kurt Warner, there is a lot of interest in that movie and it made a lot of sense to bring him along for this,” said Jeff Forvour, FanDuel marketing director.
“He and Zach were more than happy to come down and do this with us, which was really cool.” Levi — who previously starred in “Shazam” and TV’s “Chuck” — called the Warner role remarkable. “I was watching his story go down in real time, back in ’99, 2000,” Levi said. “And I think, like most of the country or at least anyone in the country who was paying attention, I was so blown away and inspired by it.” Warner hadn’t previously met Levi, but he was curious as to how he would work out. “I don’t know anything about acting cause these guys do a great job, but you always feel like you want the person on the screen to be authentic,” Warner said. “You want people to see them and go, man, I really buy into that.”
But it didn’t take long for worries to fade. “Once I got to know Zach, I thought he was going to do a great job with it because it’s true to who he is, on top of his great acting skills,” Warner said. “Without a doubt, I’m extremely happy with how it played out.”
Those who are hoping to see Warner don a Cardinals uniform in the movie will, unfortunately, be disappointed as the film stops during his time at the Rams.
“The Cardinals’ years are in that second chapter, such a special chapter for me,” Warner said. “But, it just seems like this is the right time to stop this movie and where it’s going to inspire people and how it’s going to connect with people.” Levi made a quick joke about it. “The sequel, ‘American Underdog: Electric Boogaloo,’ is going to just blow people’s minds,” Levi said with a laugh referring to the 1984 breakdancing movie. “It’s going to be you (Warner) and Larry Fitzgerald breaking. You have no idea.”
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