Home Sweet Home! Knights Capture First Playoff Win At Home Since 2015

By Lonnie Stevenson

What a night for Lake Havasu football!

The Knights dominated the Sierra Linda Bulldogs 35-0 in front of an electric home crowd, earning their first home playoff victory in 10 years — fittingly, on the same date as their last one back in 2015.

The first quarter was a bit sloppy, with neither team able to generate much offense early on. But late in the quarter, on their third offensive possession and starting from their own 1-yard line, the Knights began to click. Then just 1:31 into the second quarter, senior backup quarterback Halo Jump connected with junior Koen Taylor on a 34-yard touchdown pass to get Havasu on the board — and from there, they rolled.

Jump went on to throw four touchdown passes on the night, including two to junior wide receiver Carter Devett from 41 and 5 yards out and one to senior wide receiver Luke Johnson from 22 yards out. Senior lineman Brenden Trejo added a 2-yard touchdown run to close the second quarter with a 21–0 lead as Havasu’s offense hit full stride going into halftime.

LHHS Football RiverScene Magazine Lake Havasu

Devett runs with one of his two touchdown catched on the night. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

After the game, head coach Karl Thompson praised Jump’s confidence and composure under pressure, saying, “He made good decisions all night. A couple, (passes) he threw away, he extended plays, scrambled and got out of bounds to avoid sacks.”

Thompson added, “He rolls with everything, he just has a real even composure and never gets too high or too low.”

Thompson also credited the offensive line for setting the tone up front, noting that they rotated 10 players in and out all night to stay fresh, Thompson added, “everyone did a good job.”

Reflecting on the team’s chemistry, Thompson continued, “This group is very special. They have really bonded together. I’ve seen these guys together forever — little league days, parks and rec, soccer — and now together on the high school football field. They’re jelling and hitting on all cylinders right now and are really fun to watch.”

Thompson also spoke about the team’s focus, saying, “The boys were locked into the moment. We had a good week of practice. It was tough in the beginning, (referring to the first quarter) — they’re a tough, playoff-caliber team that wanted to win as much as we did.”

The win marked Havasu’s first home playoff game since 2021, (which they lost 35-21 to Canyon Del Oro) and first playoff appearance since 2022, when the Knights advanced all the way to the 4A state semifinals before falling to eventual state champion ALA-Gilbert North. All those games were on the road, however.

The Knights next travel to Mica Mountain High School in Tucson, next Friday night, for a second-round 4A playoff matchup against the 7^th ranked Thunderbolts.