After missing his attempt, Madison Highland’s sixth penalty kick shootout taker fell to his knees and then his chest.

Seeing his distraught teammate on Westwood High’s pitch, Oliver Morlan went to console him and make a promise.

“I’m going to save this (next) ball for you,” Morlan, Madison Highland’s tall and confident goalkeeper, told his teammate as they hugged each other.

Morlan not only kept his promise but also helped secure his program’s first state title in his last high school appearance.

The senior, with Snowflake needing to convert its sixth shootout attempt to win the fall soccer crown, blocked the potential winning shot. Madison Highland eventually won Saturday’s drama-filled shootout 5-4 in a match that was tied 2-2 after regulation and two 10-minute overtimes.

Thanks in part to the heroics of its own goalkeeper, Sebastian Juarez, Snowflake received a second chance to claim Saturday’s big prize, but its seventh round try hit the right post. Snowflake’s eighth and final take also missed its mark, putting an end to a remarkable match played by both squads.

In the shootout, Morlan also blocked Snowflake’s fourth round attempt and followed that by converting a penalty kick, giving his team a 4-3 PK lead.

“Those are my teammates,” said Morlan, who also shared some words of encouragement with his team’s seventh round shooter after his shot was saved. “They’ve played amazing this whole entire season, and I want to show out for them. They are my boys, and I would rather not have any other team on the pitch with me.”

Teammates made sure to congratulate and thank Oliver Morlan (right) for his shootout performance Saturday night at Westwood High. (Jose Garcia photo/AZPreps365)

Snowflake coach Kegan Kay also was proud of his boys.

His program graduated some valuable seniors from last year’s soccer championship campaign, its first for the school. In this year’s semifinals, Snowflake, the fifth seed, knocked off No. 1 Chino Valley in penalty kicks to set up a third meeting with No. 2 Madison Highland in 2024.

After an entertaining first 20 minutes in which the four regulation goals were scored, the scoring chances diminished between the familiar foes. Although the scoreboard didn’t show it, Snowflake appeared to be the more fit side in the second half.

“To make it this far, it was awesome,” Kay said. “Of course we want to win, and we felt like we did. We won. At the end of the day, PKs, it is what it is. But overall, soccer, we won.”

Snowflake (9-5-2) didn’t back down despite trailing twice in the first half.

It took Madison Highland, a fourth year Arizona Interscholastic Association program, only 75 seconds to tally the first goal of the match. A throw in by Daniel Dominguez apparently went off the back of Voss Sellers before it went in.

Sellers jumped between two defenders just before he was credited for his team-leading 28th goal.

But four-plus minutes later, a shot to the near post by a Snowflake right winger Ryder Hall beat Morlan to tie the match. Early in the match, Madison Highland’s Corey Osborn was a threat on the right side, and in the 13th minute he split two defenders to set up a 1 v. 1 with the goalkeeper.

Osborn’s scoring opportunity was set up by quick and precise passes from Kellan Shardonofky and Sellers. Osborn then capped the well-executed Madison Highland run, curling in a left-footed shot to the far side netting for his 14th goal of the year.

But in the 19th minute, Snowflake answered once again. Hall, this time from the left side, showcased his quickness before sending a cross that just missed the tips of the 6-4 Morlan’s gloves.

The cross landed in front of Snowflake’s Drew Brubaker, who one-timed a shot that Conover Pitts redirected into an empty net.

That was it for the scoring until the back-and-forth, tense moments of the shootout. Either team could have won their three meetings this season, but Madison Highland (14-4-1) came out victorious each time.

Before receiving their postgame championship trophy, Madison Highland’s players first wanted to shake the hands of an opponent that they have the utmost respect for, coach Jason Sellers said.

“It’s hard to put into words, but it’s been an amazing, amazing journey,” said Jason, who took over Madison Highland this year. “From summer heat, the hottest summer on record it felt like. Practices. There’s been challenges. There’s been ups and downs, but thankfully more ups. And ending on this note is fantastic.”