5th-seeded Higley travels to face No. 4 seed Liberty as the Arizona Open Division quarterfinals kick off Friday
The Arizona Open Division playoffs open on Friday night with a quarterfinal matchup between fifth-seeded Higley (7-3) visiting No. 4 seed Liberty (9-1) at Liberty High School in the northwest Phoenix suburb of Peoria. Higley makes the trip from the southwest Phoenix suburb of Gilbert about an hour away. The eight teams from divisions 4A, 5A and 6A are selected for the Open Division tournament, with Higley coming out of Division 5A and Liberty from the top classification, 6A. Liberty finished 4-0 in the 6A Northeast Valley Conference while Higley was tied for second at 3-2 in the 5A Northeast Valley.
How to Watch AIA Open Division Tournament, Higley at Liberty, in High School Football Today:
Game Date: Friday, Nov. 22, 2024
Game Time: 9 p.m. ET
TV: KPHE
Live stream the Higley at Liberty AIA Open Division quarterfinal game on Fubo: Start your free trial today!
The Lions boast two of the top seniors in the state, with Minnesota commit offensive tackle Nick Spence ranked 13th in Arizona by ESPN Recruiting and defensive tackle Caden Branston listed at No. 22. Branston committed to Colorado State. Liberty has six straight wins, with Hayden Fletcher directing the offense to the tune of 2,539 yards, 23 touchdowns and just six interceptions. Braxton Huynh has 52 catches for 851 yards and nine scores and Dominic Lombardo has 13 rushing TDs.
The Knights closed the season with two straight wins, including a 41-7 victory over Gilbert rival Williams Field in the season finale on Nov. 8. Jaden Taylor is the top threat in the passing game with 53 receptions for 842 yards and 13 touchdowns, with senior Luke Haugo and junior Gunner Fagrell splitting time at quarterback. Haugo has 1,535 yards with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions while Fagrell put up 1,108 yards and nine TDs with just one pick. Justin Bender leads the ground game with 715 yards and six scores.
Higley comes off a 5A state title last season while Liberty is the defending Open Division champion.
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