Andrew Han is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Highland High School for AZPreps365.com

Under the Friday night lights, Highland football reigns victorious over Saguaro 28-21, for its first win of the season.

Head coach Brock Farrel and his team hosted the Saguaro Sabercats and are now 1-4 after securing a win. 

“We fought hard and found a way to win as a team,” Farrel said. “Everybody did their role and I’m just proud of the guys.”
Highland High School head coach Brock Farrel smiles after the Hawks' win. (Andrew Han Photo/AZPreps365

In previous weeks, Farrel said that they may have to do more with less – doing less things but doing them better. It was obvious that the Hawks made changes, which resulted in more first downs and a season-high points scored.

“I called the same play probably 12 times, because that’s what was working,” Farrel said. 

“Our quarterback situation will be interesting because I think we got two of them back for the upcoming games."

Junior Varsity quarterback Luca Kotrodimos made his debut, leading the Hawks for the majority of the game. Kotrodimos ended the matchup with three interceptions – the Sabercats scoring on one of them. 

“I’m just thankful for my coaches, God and my friends to be able to support me,” Kotrodimos said. “I felt a lot of nervousness with not knowing what to expect in my first varsity start.”

After the win, Kotrodimos had a message for his peers and community.

"Just keep supporting," Kotrodimos said. "You know it may not look good at first, but just trust God and keep going. That’s all you got to do.”

Despite the Highland victory, running back Cayman Mullenaux with his touchdown said he felt there is more work to be done. 

“We got work to do, you know what I’m saying?” Mullenaux said. “It feels good to get this win but we have to get back out there and work.” 

Team captain and defensive star Grady Crandall led the Hawks with an interception and multiple notable plays. 

Highland High School player Grady Crandall moments after the game. (Andrew Han Photo/AZPreps365)This week the Hawks focused on trusting one another, allowing the team to run smoothly, especially on defense. The Hawks consistently communicated and supported each other on the field, shutting down Saguaro’s wide receiver, Tristan Armstrong. Armstrong is a three-star recruit in the 2026 class with five Division I offers – the Big Sky Montana Grizzlies being the most recent. 

During the second half, the Hawks were at a third-and-10 position where they completed a trick play also known as the Philly Special. This resulted in a massive gain for the Hawks.

Quarterback Rylan Reyes injured his knee during the trick play, leaving Highland with their third quarterback out. 

“I thought, let’s have one trick play in the bag, to get some life in our guys,” Farrel said. “I wanted it to be Rylan because he’s been such a good teammate and I felt like it was the right time to call it because we’ve been running the ball on third down so much.”

Players shake hands after the game on September 26 in Gilbert. (Andrew Han Photo/AZPreps365)

In a postgame interview, Farrel told the fans to keep on coming to the games and keep rooting the guys on. The season's not over. 

The Highland Hawks are off a week. Their next matchup will be against the Casteel Colts in Queen Creek on October 10.