Knights Fall Short In Home Opener

By Lonnie Stevenson

The Lake Havasu High School Knights varsity football team opened the 2023 season at home Friday night against Lee Williams High School, coming out on the losing end of a 57-35 final score.

Coming off a 9-4 campaign last year in which the Knights lost in the 4A semi finals to eventual state champion ALA Gilbert North, this year’s squad was looking to keep things rolling.

The 2023 Knights are led by Senior quarterback Tyler Thompson and last year’s All-Region First Team Player Sophomore running back Gavin Briggs.

Briggs started the scoring for the Knights Friday night after Lee Williams scored the game’s first touchdown to take a 7-0 lead, 16 seconds later, Briggs scampered 85 yards to tie the score.

In the third quarter, Briggs would blast through the Lee Williams defense for a 65-yard run that put the Knights on top 21-17. Brigg’s third touchdown of the first half would come late in the third quarter to put the Knights up 28-23 with 3:12 left before halftime.

A controversial call with less than 1 minute to go in the second quarter would turn the momentum around. What appeared to be a fumble recovered by Havasu was ruled an inadvertent whistle by officials and possession was retained by Lee Williams, who would then score on a 27-yard TD pass on the very next play to take a 30-28 lead going into halftime.

Lee Williams took the opening kick-off of the second half down and scored on a 40-yard run. On the very next series, Knight quarterback Thompson was knocked out of the game after receiving a blow to the head which also resulted in the Lee Williams player being ejected. Thompson would not return and his status for next week is unclear at this time.

Junior Eric Neiblas was called on to replace Thompson, but the Knights were not able to generate much offense after that until the end of the game. With 34 seconds left, Sophomore tight end Ethan Adler caught a pass on the left side from Neiblas and scored from 35 yards out.

After the game, Head Coach Karl Thompson said he was proud of his team’s effort and saw many good things for the Knights to build on heading into next week’s game at Carl Hayden Community High School in Phoenix.

Junior Wyatt Tribolet also scored a touchdown for the Knights in the second quarter.

First time football player junior kicker Fraser Molyneux made a seamless transition over from soccer and was a perfect 5 for 5 on extra points.

To view the both the first and second halves of the home opener, click on the following YouTube links: