Palo Verde holds off Desert Oasis in flag football 5A state rematch

Palo Verde froze out host Desert Oasis when it mattered most for a 14-13 win Wednesday in a rematch of last year’s Class 5A flag football state title game.

The defending champion Panthers (11-3, 1-0 Class 5A) held off a late Diamondbacks charge, denying what would’ve been a go-ahead 2-point conversion in the closing seconds.

With 46 seconds left and Palo Verde leading 14-7, Desert Oasis (9-1, 0-1) faced fourth down at the 1-yard line with its undefeated season hanging in the balance.

Diamondbacks senior quarterback Akemi Higa looked for her twin sister, senior wide receiver Akiko Higa, in the end zone, but the pass fell incomplete. A defensive pass interference call gave Desert Oasis another chance, which it did not waste. Akemi Higa found her sister for a touchdown and a shot to tie the game or take the lead.

Desert Oasis went for a 2-point conversion, but Akemi Higa’s pass to her sister in the corner of the end zone was swatted away by Palo Verde’s Jenelys Ferrer-Leo. Panthers quarterback Yolana Huff then took a knee to preserve the victory.

“Our goal was to come out on fire and get some momentum going early, which we did, and luckily we did, because they adjusted and slowed us down,” Palo Verde coach Rick Eurich said. “(Desert Oasis) went for the win, and we locked her down on that one play — the one that we needed.”

Huff finished 13-for-24 passing for 168 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Shelbi Madsen led the Panthers with six receptions and 106 yards.

Palo Verde moved quickly to get on the board first. Huff led an early drive that culminated in a 17-yard touchdown pass to Savannah Lunkwitz about two minutes into the game.

The Panthers extended their lead late in the second quarter on another pass from Huff to Lunkwitz, this one going for 10 yards.

Desert Oasis struggled to get its offense going in the first half but found a rhythm in the second. Akemi Higa found freshman Emly Tobiason for a touchdown with 4:15 left in the third quarter to cut Palo Verde’s lead to 14-7.

Akemi Higa finished 19-for-33 passing for 241 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.