FOUNTAIN HILLS – When a football program has never made a state final, especially one as good as Fountain Hills, questions begin to arise.
Fountain Hills senior running back Beau Hilgemann finds a hole in practice leading into the 3A state semifinals. (Photo by Jason P. Skoda, CoachesAid.com)
Why can't we get over the top? Is it something we are doing that keeps us from making it? Is there a reason we keep coming up short? Is this the year we finally do it?
Fountain Hills is certainly focused on the last one this week and the Falcons will have an answer soon enough.
And there just might be a sign that this is Fountain Hills' year if the Falcons' Class 3A quarterfinal win is any indication.
Snowflake coach Adam Larsen pulled a Belichick before Bill Belichick did, going for a fourth down in its own territory late in the game. The Falcons defense held, took over and Ty Blunt kicked a 35-yard field goal as time expired for a 23-20 win.
When a team breaks through a program-defining barrier there is often a a little push from an outside influence.
Fountain Hills quarterback Conner Brinton throws a screen pass in practice leading into the 3A state semifinals. (Photo by Jason P. Skoda, CoachesAid.com)
Larsen's decision and the ensuing field goal came two minutes after Fountain Hills scored a touchdown to tie it – although Blunt’s missed PAT might have won it then – showing the resiliency that all state championship teams require.
It might be a coincidence, fate or maybe its just the right time for the Falcons.
“We always seem to find a way to win,” Fountain Hills quarterback Conner Brinton. “We play bad at the beginning, make mistakes, fumble in the red zone but we know it is going to come back to us in the end. We believe in each other and that this is our year.”
It has the top-seeded Falcons (10-2) ready to get back out there for the semifinal game against No. 12 Show Low (9-3) on Saturday at Phoenix Paradise Valley High with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
“When you come off an emotional win like that there could be a bit of letdown, but I haven’t seen any signs of that this week,” Fountain Hills coach Jim Fairfield said. “We’ve had some good practices and we are looking forward to Saturday.”
Now, the Falcons, who lost in the semifinals last year, face a team they have already defeated this season.
Fountain Hills won the regular season meeting 32-27 on Oct. 2 by grabbing a 26-6 halftime lead. Both teams are surely different six weeks later, especially since Fountain Hills as it played without Brinton in the first meeting because of a broken left hand although he did play defense.
“It definitely gives us a different look,” Fairfield said. “We have a good passing, running mix with Conner in there. It’s something (Show Low) will have to prepare for. We have a better feel who they are playing them and getting a first-hand look at them.”
The game has a weird feel to it considering Fountain Hills is the No. 1 seed and has already defeated Show Low, but many consider the Falcons to be the underdog.
“We hear it,” senior wide receiver/defensive back Jordan Henslin said. “Everyone can say or think what we want. We know what we can do and hopefully we can show that on Saturday.”
Show Low has a reputation of team that throws the ball at all costs because of the season quarterback Rathen Ricedorff is having, setting the game (9, state record) and season marks (38, Class 3A) for touchdown passes, but reality is Show Low has rushed the ball about 80 more times than its thrown it one the season.
“You have to watch out for their counters,” Henslin said. “You have to stay home, be patient until you know where they are running the ball. And their passing game is tough to stop because they have so much speed and size.”
The first encounter came down to the final play when Show Low had a first-and-goal but threw incomplete on fourth down.
It was a long line of impressive wins this season – Empire, Payson, Florence and Snowflake – for Fountain Hills and that might be the biggest indicator of all that this is finally the year for Fountain Hills.
“We’ve shown we can perform in the big games,” said Fairfield, who has a 114-63 record in 19 seasons. “We had a tough schedule and this team had won 10 in a row and played pretty well. I don’t think we have played our best football yet and hopefully we reach that level the next couple of weeks.”
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