Higley flipped the script late in the second quarter and rolled to its first state football championship.After Jamar Malone II threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown, after Will Galvan side-stepped a defender on his way to the end zone, it didn't look good for Gilbert Higley's football team Friday night at Sun Devil Stadium.
Cactus was on a fast track to its fourth state title, after Nicco Boncore jumped a route and returned Malone's pass 60 yards for a score late in the first quarter to give the Cobras a 14-6 lead. Hall capped an 80-yard scoring drive to start the second half with a 1-yard run, Malone hit Carter Hancock for a 33-yard touchdown, and it was 34-21 with 5:43 to play in the third quarter.
It was another heartbreak ending to a brilliant career by Galvan, who was part of four Cactus teams that were on the doorsteps of championships but just came up short. Malone was sacked five times, three by Dom Solano. But he kept getting back up and making plays. He finished with 252 yards and two TDs passing, and ran for 79 yards, including a 60-yard TD for the game's first score.Hall, a huge weapon out of the backfield with his speed and moves, finished with 116 yards and two TDs rushing.