Members of the Arbor View High School football team are pictured during the Las Vegas Sun’s high school football media day at the Red Rock Resort on July 20, 2023. They include, from left, Ethan Medcalf, Christian Thatcher and Daniel Boyd.
Friday, Sept. 22, 2023 | 11:36 p.m.
Jeau Vinatieri’s extra point in double overtime gave the Arbor View football team a 28-27 victory against host Desert Pines in a game that was marred by a postgame fight and included a season-ending injury to a key player from each team.
Arbor View lost freshman quarterback Thaddeus Thatcher to a collarbone injury, but rallied behind backup Alonzo Balderrama to erase a touchdown-deficit in the second half to force overtime. Balderrama connected with freshman Kai Cypher in overtime to even the score at 27, and Vinatieri did the rest.
A fight ensued a few seconds later.
Lost in the ruckus was another back and forth game between the evenly matched programs. Four of the last five meetings between the schools have been decided by a single point.
“That’s the way it goes when we play them,” Arbor View coach Matt Gerber said.
Desert Pines scored on the first play of each of its overtime possessions, including a touchdown run by UNLV commit Greg Burrell. Another Rebel pledge, cornerback Jaylen Allen, suffered a leg injury that stopped the game for about 40 minutes as medical personnel treated the injury.
Tape of the postgame fight will be sent to the Southern Nevada Officials Association to determine the penalty. It will likely impact the roster of both teams next week.
