Football fever is alive and well in Fountain Hills as the high school Falcons move on to round two of the state playoffs following Friday night’s win over Show Low.

With tons of fans packed into the stands, the boys in blue marched onto the field to take on one of their toughest opponents of the season, evident from the first drive.

With the Falcons kicking off, Show Low broke away quickly to land a 0-7 lead within the first couple minutes of play.

With the Falcons unable to retaliate, Show Low marched back downfield and into striking distance, nailing a field goal on a fourth down play and inching to a 0-10 head start.

Refusing to give up, though, the Falcons came back in the second quarter to do a little end zone diving of their own. Beau Hilgemann broke out on a short run early on and landed the Falcons’ first six points before finding the end zone a second time before the half on another quick run. Down 0-10 at the end of the first, the Falcons came back to a 13-10 lead heading into the half.

Experiencing a little déjà vu, the Cougars took control of the second half quickly, landing a touchdown on a long pass during the opening drive. Favor would swing back towards Fountain Hills, however, as Andrew Leger pulled down a solid pass and ended beyond the white line.

With the board reading 20-17 in favor of the Falcons, the ball continued moving up and down the field as both teams made a desperate push to clench just one more TD. Show Low gave up the ball with only two minutes left on the clock, however, and four slow knees from quarterback Conner Brinton brought the nerve-wracking competition to a close in favor of the hometown squad.

According to head coach Jim Fairfield, this game was as tough as it looked.

“Show Low is a well coached, well run team,” Fairfield said. “They were the defending state champs, so we knew we were in for a ballgame.”

Fairfield said the Cougars were quicker than expected, but once the Falcons got settled in, putting a stop to their efforts became easier.

“Those close games are fun,” Fairfield said. “Every play means something.”

On offense, Conner Brinton found plenty of holes from the quarterback position, carrying seven for a total of 37 yards. Helping out in a big way was Hilgemann, toting a massive 20 times for 93 total yards.

Jordan Henslin gave five passes a home for 35 yards while Bryce Scannell pulled down four for 40.

Brinton was on a roll on defense as well, tackling nine and providing two assists while Zach Rollings brought down eight and gave a hand in two. Alex Forehand put a stop to six plays, assisting on an additional four, while Jordan Henslin and Kelby Sand each landed two massive sacks.

All of this was capitalized, of course, by a fantastic fan turnout. The Falcon pride, in fact, managed to stretch all the way up the hill surrounding the high school field where one fan displayed a massive “Falcon Nest” banner alongside their home illuminated with spotlights.

“This really is a community sport,” Fairfield said. “I don’t even know who lives up there, but I want to tell them thank you. That was very nice.”

Fairfield went on to thank everyone in attendance for their support and said the team really appreciates the noise and good spirits.

“It was great to see this Saturday and it would be nice to see it again this Saturday,” Fairfield said. “The town is really behind us and it’s really helped out. When we win, they win.”

Next up, the Falcons head into round two of the state playoffs this Saturday, Nov. 15, when they take on Winslow at 4 p.m. This game will be held at Williams Field High School and, for those unable to find a ride, the high school will be providing additional transportation.

A combined student/adult pep bus will depart FHHS at 2 p.m. Saturday and $5 gets fans in a seat. An additional $5 are needed for a ticket into the game. For those taking the bus, the expected return time is 7:30 p.m. To sign up to take the pep bus, drop by FHHS at 16100 Palisades Blvd.

For everyone who makes it out, Fairfield said to expect a great game.

“We scrimmaged Winslow, so we don’t really have a gauge of what to expect,” Fairfield said. “They have some good athletes and big kids and they like to try to intimidate you. But our kids don’t get intimidated.

“Even when we’re down 10-0, we come back and play football. We’re excited about where we are and are looking forward to taking Winslow on.”