Asher Hyre is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Valley Lutheran High School for AZPreps365.com 

The Valley Lutheran Flames (2-3) had not played a game since Sept. 17, but they knocked off the Madison Highland Prep Heat (1-6) in comeback fashion, winning 42-34 on Friday night. 

The Flames were without eight skill position players for the game due to health issues, but they got off to a quick start, leading 6-0 three minutes into the first quarter after a rushing touchdown by junior Aiden Soto, however the Heat immediately answered with a kickoff return by senior Cesar Rodriguez. The Flames would go on to turn the ball over three times in the first quarter, and the Heat would take advantage on all three, making it 28-6 after the first quarter, capped off by a 81-yard receiving touchdown courtesy of senior wide receiver Gabriel Young, with 7.4 seconds remaining. Young would finish with a game-high 152 receiving yards. 

The second quarter was much more of a defensive battle, however Flames’ junior quarterback Derek Porter was able to sneak in for a touchdown, cutting the lead down to 28-12 going into halftime. 

Flames head coach Brian Porter felt as if his team knew the game should be closer at this point, as he stated postgame, “We knew in the first half, that it was all on us, it was our mistakes that were keeping [the Heat] in the game. We played like we hadn’t played in two weeks, which we haven’t.” 

Brian Porter’s halftime feelings were right, as the Flames would go on to outscore the Heat 22-0 in the third quarter on the back of a consistent and powerful run game. The Flames recovered the second half kickoff, and capitalized on it, as senior running back Andrew Mullady rushed in a touchdown from 31 yards out. The Heat turned the ball over two more times in the third, and Derek Porter threw for two touchdowns, both scored by junior Jimmie Newton. 

On the first drive of the fourth quarter, the Heat drove down the field in three minutes, and sophomore quarterback Joseph Luno rushed the ball across the goal line, tying the game up at 34 with 8:46 remaining. The Flames then ran the ball six straight times, four of those carries coming from Mullady, before Derek Porter hit freshman receiver Monico Grado over the middle for a 26-yard touchdown. Valley Lutheran converted the two-point conversion, putting them ahead 42-34 with 3:05 left in the game. 

When asked if there was an intentional game-plan change in the second half to focus more on the run, Brian Porter said, “Tonight, the o-line did its job, and because they did their job, we were able to run the football effectively, so that was probably the greatest thing I could say for tonight; was that our offensive line did their job and allowed us to [run] and get back in the game.” 

The Heat had one last chance to attempt to tie the game, and it started off well with a 35-yard completion to Young which put them at the Valley Lutheran 33, however a sack on second down by senior Htai Htoo effectively ended the game, as the Heat did not convert fourth-and-25, allowing the Flames to get into victory formation and seal the win. 

Brian Porter said, “we were sloppy in the first half, but we overcame it in the second half, and again those two weeks when we were unable to practice for four days hurt us, but I’m so proud of the kids tonight … they never quit.”