Final: Trivium Prep 42, Highland Prep 0

THE STAKES

Both teams debuted first-year coaches and new schemes, but entered the season at completely different points in their life cycle. Trivium Prep was the #15 seed in the 2A playoffs last year and reached the playoffs in 4 of Michael Spencer’s 6 seasons coaching the Crimson Knights in the AIA. Stephen Hemming took the reins in February looking to maintain this trajectory. Meanwhile Highland Prep is inits second season of 11-man football and also year two of AIA play. Jason Shaw arrived in January from North Pointe Prep to inherit a 1-8 team with a small roster of returning players. Small, program-building kind of wins figure to be more common for the Honey Badgers than actual wins this season. To that end, starting a season with a 40-player roster at the STEM-focused school of more than 500 students is a victory.

THE SCENE

This is my 15 th season covering high school football in Arizona and Trivium Prep has the smallest footprint for a football stadium that I’ve ever seen. The home side has bleachers and storage for the Crimson Knights’ football and soccer equipment. The visitors have a sideline which ends with a yellow caution tape barrier, a sidewalk for fans standing and following the action, and the parking lot behind it.The season opening crowd was lively, particularly when Trivium Prep grabbed a 14-0 lead just over seven minutes in. Then the rains came and were the story of the night, producing some football follies for the rest of the first half. Downpour slowed to a drizzle in the third quarter and was done by the fourth quarter.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

A player named Maximus Sief seems destined to start his senior season by playing the game of his dreams. But the senior running back said this is only his second year of organized football. Like many players at academically focused small charter schools, he was talked into trying out after a couple years on campus. Perhaps that’s why Sief was so overjoyed after the game. Five rushing touchdowns and 166yards on 19 carries was likely more than he ever dreamed of. In addition to touchdown runs of 23 and 27 yard, Sief broke loose for a 33-yard dash in the second half.

PLAY OF THE NIGHT

The lone non-Sief touchdown was the highlight. Trivium Prep senior linebacker/tight end Brandon Rothfield slicked into the backfield early in the third quarter, snagged Brandon Nevers’ screen pass and rumbled 70 yards for the interception return touchdown.

THEY SAID IT

Maximus Sief: “I knew coach said I’d get the ball more if it started raining. When it started raining I got so happy, because I knew it was on me,” Sief said. “The line started doing their job after a couple of plays and everything was there. It looked really good, from where I was standing. To come out in the first game, at a position I’d never played, and score five touchdowns was amazing.”

Stephen Hemming: “Collin (Pezzelle) and Max, at halftime, really called out our kids and said, ‘Hey, let’s calm down. Yes, the weather is a problem but let’s move forward. Let’s get better. Let’s play as a team,’”Hemming said. “We came together in the second half and really put that game away. It was because of Collin, Max and Niko (Zehtab).”

Jason Shaw: “We always know that defense is going to be further ahead than the offense. We were ableto make stops, get turnovers and create some havoc. Guys are playing off instinct,” Shaw said. “They kept fighting to the end and putting together something we can build off of Monday.”

5 THINGS I LEARNED

-How the Crimson Knights’ small o-line jells will be a key to success. Zehtab (left guard), Caeden McDonald (left guard), Gannon McMillan (right tackle), Vito Catania (left tackle) and Noah Insco (center) had their moments, with Insco improving his shotgun snaps after the ball dried. They have a bit more time to grow as the competition slowly ramps up to a midseason stretch againstCamp Verde and Scottsdale Prep.

-A return Trivium Prep playoff trip is a difficult task. Only 23 players are on the roster, with eightof those being sophomores plus five freshmen. As Hemming said, health will be a major factor.

-Pezzelle threw a pair of interceptions in his first half, but rushed for 59 yards on some key scrambles. As young players grow, Trivium Prep will count on Pezzelle, Sief and Rothfield to keep drives moving.

-Speaking of inexperience, Highland Prep’s lack of it was painfully obvious on offense and special teams. The Honey Badgers showed some athletic ability, but need to be sharper with knowing when they’re supposed to be in the game, where to line up and who to block. Then Nevers won’t have the whole weight of offense on his shoulders.

-Given how many Trivium Prep drives started on a short field, the Highland Prep defense played well to allow only 42. Junior corner Jordan Netherly made a pair of second half picks and sophomore linebacker Aaron Rios recovered a fumble.