Former SHS player sinks Flagstaff High in opener

By RORY FAUST  Sun Sports Staff   Sunday, August 31, 2008   

Marshall Bailey's triumphant return to his old stomping ground spoiled what was shaping up to be a very special debut for Flagstaff High School coach Jeremiah Smith.

Bailey, a former Sinagua High School standout, threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to C.J. Westbrooks with 1:12 left in the game to lift Moon Valley to a 20-19 comeback win over Smith's Eagles in the final game of the Flagstaff Kick-Off Classic at the Skydome on Saturday night. Bailey's big throw came moments after FHS took a 19-13 lead on Derek Villalpando's 75-yard scoring strike to Chris Neal, which appeared to give Smith a victory in his first game at the helm.

But Bailey wasn't through.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Moon Valley senior began his career at Sinagua, starting for the Mustangs as a sophomore. He transferred to Prescott Valley Bradshaw Mountain last season and then joined the Rockets over the summer and appeared to feel right at home in the Dome.

He got off to a fast start by completing his first five attempts and finished with 252 yards and three touchdowns on 13-of-25 passing.

His big touchdown overshadowed a big night by Villalpando, who was making his first start as FHS's quarterback. The senior completed 12 of 23 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns, the first two going to Jesse Tate.

The Eagles were conservative on offense early, then opened it up by spreading the field with four wide receivers.

Villalpando and Tate were the beneficiaries of the wide-open formations, hooking up four times in the first half for 76 yards and two touchdowns.

The first scoring strike came on a fade to the left sideline that the 6-5 Tate hauled in over a Rocket defender and then waltzed into the end zone for a 49-yard touchdown.

Bailey responded with a touchdown pass of his own, a 31-yarder to C.J. Westbrooks that momentarily gave the Rockets a 7-6 lead with 9:57 left in the half, but FHS regained the lead on Villalpando's 5-yard pass to Tate moments later.

Moon Valley tied it at 13-all when linebacker Cord Deal stepped in from of an out and returned it 92 yards up the sideline for a touchdown. The conversion kick clanked off the right upright, however, leaving the game tied with 1:33 left in the third quarter.

Villapondo appeared to give FHS the win when he froze the Rockets defense with a pretty pump fake, then hit Neal in stride at midfield late in the fourth quarter. Neal, a special teams standout, then sprinted the remaining 50 yards to the end zone for the tie-breaking score with 5:01 left in the game.