Horizon, Desert Edge set to clash in 5A semifinal in rematch of epic 2021 game

Back in September 2021, when head coaches Andy Litten and Marcus and Mark Carter were both just getting started at their respective schools, Scottsdale Horizon and Goodyear Desert Edge met in an early season non-conference game.

The Carter twins had already established themselves with their time at Phoenix South Mountain, winning the school’s first region championship in 11 years before heading over to Desert Edge. In their first year with the 5A school in 2020, the Carters helped engineer an impressive Open Division playoff berth for the Scorpions.

Litten was in his first year with the Huskies, but had made a name for himself before that while being the offensive coordinator for Chandler Hamilton during its reemergence as a perennial contender and then was the head coach at Tucson Marana, the latter where he coached quarterback Trenton Bourguet — who is now the starter at Arizona State University.

Both teams were 2-0, and while the football season was young, there was hype heading into the game. And the game lived up to the expectations, and then exceeded them, as the two teams played in a 31-30 overtime thriller, with Horizon coming out on top. After Horizon stopped Desert Edge on a two-point conversion in overtime following an earlier blocked extra-point attempt from the Huskies, it was an extra-point attempt that won it for Horizon as Grady Gross – now competing at the University of Washington – booted the kick to end the game.

Now, for the first time since that dramatic matchup, the two teams meet again with a lot more on the line.

On Friday night, Horizon travels to Desert Edge for the 5A semifinals with a chance to play in the state championship game on Dec. 1 at Mountain America Stadium.

Re-visiting Horizon's last meeting with Desert Edge

What do those teams remember from their last game?

“They kind of beat us up,” Litten said. “Thank god the next week we had a bye week. The physciality they brought was something we hadn’t seen before, having to deal with that many athletes on the field at the same time. Really exciting game on the west side. It felt like it was a million degrees, so I probably lost about 20 pounds. It was just a really fun high school game.”

While they didn’t come out on top, it is still a game that both the Carter brothers will never forget.

“It was a great game,” Marcus Carter said. “Ever since that game, that game changed me for the good. I’ve been our special teams coordinator since then and our special teams have grown exponentially since that game. That game made me a better coach. Also having a great relationship with Coach Litten after that game, my brother and I talk to him basically every single day. Our relationship has grown since then. Obviously we wanted to win, but a lot of good came out of it.”

While the coaches have stayed the same, the rest of the sideline looks different.

Leading the way for 10-2 Desert Edge is a potent offense with a quarterback that can do it with his arm and legs. Junior Hezekiah Millender has 2,055 yards on 65 percent passing with 24 touchdowns. Millender also has 554 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the season.

“He’s dynamic,” Mark Carter said. “He gives us that option to be able to run and pass. I don’t ever feel like we’re in a bad play. We can drop back to pass and if something breaks down, he can get it for 70 (yards). He’s doing a lot of things this year in terms of checking in and out of plays. His deep ball the last four games has been really good. He’s just been a phenomenal player for us.”

Further evaluating Desert Edge's roster

The Scorpions have also been helped by some key transfers this year. From Phoenix Barry Goldwater, senior running back Markhi McKinnon, senior wide receiver Jaqua Anderson from Peoria Liberty, and junior safety TJ Tucker from Surprise Valley Vista, all have made impacts since coming over.

Overall, this is a deep roster with studs everywhere. There are 11 players with Division I offers. For Desert Edge and Marcus and Mark Carter, this is one of their best chances to secure that playoff breakthrough.

The Carters have been extremely successful during their time at the school, compiling a 36-10 record so far up until this point. But they haven’t been able to reach a state final, although they’ve come excruciatingly close. In each of the playoff runs, they’ve lost to the eventual state champion or state finalist (Chandler, 2020, Tucson Salpointe Catholic, 2021, Gilbert Higley, 2022).

More AZ high school football happenings: After injury to starter, Gunner Fagrell has led Higley to 5A football semis

A win would be monumental for the Goodyear-based program. And it goes deeper than the game itself.

“It would be great,” Marcus Carter said. “It would be an opportunity to have us make history. There’s only been one Black head coach in the state of Arizona to win a state championship. So for my brother and I to have an opportunity to not only be the first twins, but the first African-American coaches to win a big-school state championship would be amazing. We want to do it for the culture.”

For 10-2 Horizon, the offense too is the catalyst. Horizon put up a staggering 77 points in the first-round win over Waddell Canyon View before scoring 35 to beat ALA Gilbert North and record-setting wide receiver Brandon Phelps in the quarterfinals last week.

How Horizon's offense will shake up

Right now, it’s still to be determined who will be starting at quarterback. Junior Jase Ashley recently hurt his ankle in practice and missed last week’s game. Junior Zack Jones has filled in. Litten said Ashley is day-to-day at the moment. If Ashley is good to go, he will get the start.

It’s no secret that the Huskies like to run the ball behind that massive offensive line, with senior tackles Carter Lavrusky and Dylan NolanCook paving the way. Sophomore running back Bodie Zamorano has been the beneficiary of those big holes opening up to the tune of 1,559 yards and 14 touchdowns on 224 carries.

He serves as the perfect compliment in the backfield to senior Anthony Segura, who hasn’t been as prolific as Zamorano in terms of yards as he has 510, but he is a key piece of the offense with 16 touchdowns. The two are part of Litten’s “thunder and lighting” package on offense. Segura brings the thunder while Zamorano, at 5-11, dazzles with his lightning.

“He’s a very smart and intelligent kid,” Litten said about Zamorano. “I think the one thing Bodie has – he’s not the biggest kid, not the fastest kid, he’s a sophomore so he’s got good strength and size for his age – but it’s his vision and his ability to be calm under pressure. I honestly think his size helps him out, he’s able to hide behind our big offensive linemen and find gaps to set up runs and second and third-level cuts.”

Litten and Horizon are seeking to make another 5A state final after winning it all in 2021. It was a quick turnaround for the school as it was Litten’s first year as coach. During that championship run, Litten let any junior varsity player who wanted to stay up with varsity stay for the whole playoffs. That led to practices as big as 80 players, but it also meant those underclassmen got to experience what it was like to play deep into November.

They got humbled by Glendale Cactus the following year in the quarterfinals, who would go on to make a run to the state final against Higley.

The team, and Litten, are eager to get back.

“They know what it’s like to be here, the expectations,” Litten said. “I think that we are hungry. It was tough to win a state championship and then get knocked out in the quarterfinals, and then watch the team that knock you out play in the state championship thinking that could’ve been you. We’re hungry. I think the kids understand the situation and the importance of every game from here on out.”

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Horizon, Desert Edge to face off in semifinal in rematch of 2021 game