Higley's championship rings mean more to Zubey family

Apr. 24—Andrew Zubey had the same reaction as his teammates when they final had their 2023 5A state championship rings in hand on Thursday, April 11.

The team, gathered in the main gym at Higley High School with their peers and family members in attendance, counted down together before opening the boxes. Andrew's jaw dropped. Other players, such as Jaden Taylor and Donovan Aidoo, put their fists over their mouths before putting the ring on and posing for photos.

There was a collective roar at the site of the ring, which was silver and featured gold accents and navy blue stones, Higley's primary color.

As players began to disperse and find family and friends, Andrew found his dad, head football coach Eddy Zubey.

"It was awesome being able to be around the guys and be around him," Andrew said. "Driving here, I was thinking what I could do to just get one more year. To try to go through that journey again. It was the perfect high school experience."

Higley's second straight state title now allows Andrew and Eddy to share two championship rings together. Andrew's younger brother, Daniel, also has two rings now as a sophomore. So, he has plenty more opportunities to win another one or two before his high school career is over.

For Andrew, however, the back-to-back titles was a sign of what the seniors were able to accomplish throughout their high school careers.

Higley went just 4-5 Andrew's freshman year. That was the first time the Knights played at the 6A level, and it came during the pandemic, where they were one of the few teams to play eight or more games that season. Their second season in 6A was filled with even more struggles, as Higley had one of its worst records in program history, winning just two games.

The Arizona Interscholastic Association moved Higley back down to 5A, a move that, at the time, was warranted given the Knights' struggles but one that immediately set them up for success with the talent returning to the roster in 2022. Higley went on to win the title, dominating throughout the season and in the playoffs.

"They set the foundation. They helped build this," Eddy said. "I don't see these guys a lot because we don't have them in our class anymore. I told them in the hallway, 'This is the last time this team is going to be together.' So, this is pretty cool."

Higley graduated key seniors from the team that delivered its first championship in program history. But it also returned several juniors ready to take the reins and win it again. Including Andrew.

The Knights went 8-2 in the regular season, losing only to Desert Edge in overtime and Horizon, which proved to be a semifinalist in the conference.

They matched up with Desert Edge in the championship game, and for a half appeared to have the game won with ease.

Higley took a 28-13 lead into the locker room. Just before the half, Desert Edge had several players ejected due to a fight that occurred near Higley's sideline. The Knights had three ejections due to the altercation.

Higley continued to fire on all cylinders in the third quarter, building its lead to 35-21. The Scorpions, playing with a slew of backups, came roaring back to force overtime. As they went for the two-point conversion to win, the Scorpions were called for a holding penalty that moved them back. Their next attempt was incomplete, allowing Higley to escape with a 42-41 win to capture back-to-back championships.

"It feels amazing," Eddy said. "It makes me want to get back and get it going again. I think we have a good chance to do it again."

Eddy recalls hugging Andrew after that game for quite some time. They spoke on the phone at length, too.

Briefly forgotten in all the emotional highs of winning a title was the fact it was their last game together as player and coach. Eddy doesn't come to tears about the thought any longer. He's had time to process that Andrew will be moving on to Northern Arizona University in the fall.

But receiving the rings and unveiling the banner brought some of those raw emotions back. The two share a special bond. Eddy has coached Andrew since he was young in many sports.

But as Andrew nears graduation, they know they'll always have two pieces of jewelry to commemorate their time together at the high school level. While memories are always worth more than physical objects, those are a close second.

"These guys mean so much," Andrew said. "Like I said, I just wish I had one more year with them. College is going to be different but it's going to be nothing like high school football. It was amazing, all four years."

Have an interesting story? Contact Zach Alvira at (480)898-5630 or zalvira@timespublications.com. Follow him on Twitter @ZachAlvira.