Helix’s high-octane offense has weapons to light up the scoreboard, showcasing athleticism at every position.
The Highlanders’ defense is just fine letting the offense get the headlines. All the defense cares about is making plays.
Helix’s defense held powerful Mesa (Ariz.) Red Mountain to 181 yards, compiled five sacks and ed for the first score of the day as the Highlanders rolled to a 30-22 win over the Mountain Lions in Saturday’s Honor Bowl game at Cathedral Catholic.
“We’re starting 10 seniors, so we’ve got a lot of guys who have played a lot of football,” Helix head coach Damaja Jones said. “I have high expectations for those guys, and they played well. Our front eight is really good. That’s our goal — to create turnovers and make big plays.”
The Highlanders’ defense established itself early and often. With Red Mountain (1-1) on its own 3-yard line, senior linebacker Jirah Savaiinaea knocked the ball from running back George Perkins’ hands with a huge hit. Senior Kevin Allen III recovered the ball in the end zone for the early lead.
“It all comes down to effort, and we put in the effort every day, not just in games,” said Savaiinaea, who also had three tackles for loss. “It’s very important to win the turnover battle. Helix has always had a good defense, and it’s an honor to continue that.”
Allen III scored on offense too with a 3-yard second-quarter touchdown. He finished with 25 carries for 143 yards and earned game MVP honors from the Honor Bowl organizers. Both of his parents are in the military.
Quarterback Ryland Jessee finished 17-for-27 for 198 yards and two touchdown es for Helix, which improved to 3-0. One went to Jackson Daniels, who caught eight balls for 102 yards in a well-balanced attack.
“If they give us the run, we’ll take it,” Jones said. “We’ll take what the defense gives us.”
Savaiinaea heard about the Honor Bowl last year and mentally circled the game on the calendar because it meant a little something extra.
“I love the feeling of playing in this game; it’s truly an honor,” he said.
In the first game, University City showed incredible grit, dressing 23 players against Texas’ Trinity Valley, which ran 68 plays from scrimmage and ran down the Centurions, 64-47.
“We know the numbers, but we’ve been fighting hard every game,” UC head coach Paul Lawrence said. “But we want to win. We don’t want to lose. We’re going to keep fighting. We’re going to keep working. That’s what these guys do.”
The Centurions’ air attack looked in midseason form. Sophomore quarterback Quentyn Demara completed 25 of 37 es for 393 yards and four touchdowns to three different receivers.
Thanks to the athletic Demara and a host of big playmakers, University City (0-3) didn’t give up the lead until 8:26 of the third quarter. Demara opened the scoring with his legs, scampering for a 15-year touchdown and an early 7-0 lead.
He ran for another score in the third quarter, which followed touchdowns to Gunnar Reyes (7 yards), Matthew Bresko (14) and Joshua Dixon (9). He later hit Dixon (five catches, 116 yards) on a 44-yard score in the fourth quarter.
“There are definitely some positives, but I’ll only the loss,” said Demara, who ed for all of the yards on the Centurions’ second drive, including catching a . “A loss is a setback, but we’ll get back to it this week.”
The teams flip-flopped touchdowns all the way until the Trojans (2-0) went ahead for good at 43-41. The Centurions had no answer for Trinity Valley quarterback Gavin Parkhurst, who threw for 344 yards and six TDs.
Roman Rodriguez rushed for 86 yards and a 13-yard touchdown while Zaire Lockett caught eight es for 148 yards for UC.
Helix 30, Mesa (Ariz.) Red Mountain 22
Red Mountain 0 7 7 8 – 22
Helix 14 7 0 9 – 30
H – Allen III 4 fumble recovery (Hossmann lees kick)
H – Daniels 46 pas from Jessee (Hossmann lees kick)
H – Allen III 3 run (Hossmann lees kick)
RM – Mauterer 1 run (Evans kick)
RM – Lopez 64 run (Evans kick)
H – Hossmann lees 34 field goal
H – Meredith 17 from Jessee ( failed)
RM – Moore 93 kick return (Lee fumble recovery)
Fort Worth (Texas) Trinity Valley 64, University City 47
Trinity Valley 6 22 22 14 – 64
University City 14 20 7 6 – 47
UC – Demara 15 run (Lee kick)
TV – Lea 58 from Parkhurst (kick failed)
UC – Reyes 7 from Demara (Lee kick)
TV – Ngishu 15 run (Zavaleta kick)
UC – Rodriguez 13 run (Lee kick)
TV – Ngishu 6 run (Zavaleta kick)
UC – Bresko 14 from Demara (Lee kick)
TV – Lea 35 from Parkhurst (Lea from Parkhurst)
UC – Dixon 9 from Demara (kick failed)
TV – Ngishu 2 run (Zavaleta kick)
UC – Demara 2 run (Lee kick)
TV – Lea 30 from Parkhurst (Zavaleta kick)
TV – Lea 45 from Parkhurst (Zavaleta kick)
TV – Howell 29 from Parkhurst (Zavaleta kick)
UC – Dixon 44 from Demara ( failed)
TV – Howell 20 from Parkhurst (Zavaleta kick)
