Poulsen, Higbee help Panthers continue dominance
Austin Poulsen and Tyler Higbee were playing football together long before they entered high school.
Their chemistry is a big reason why Pahranagat Valley has emerged as one of the top eight-man programs in the nation.
Poulsen passed for 176 yards and four touchdowns — three to Higbee — and rushed for four TDs as the Panthers rolled to a 62-28 win at Spring Mountain on Friday in the Division IV Southern League opener for both teams.
“It’s fun. We’ve been doing it since we were about 7, 8 years old growing up together,” Poulsen said of playing alongside Higbee. “He knows me and I know him, so it makes the communication that much easier. It’s fun, really fun.”
Poulsen completed 11 of 18 passes, added 47 yards on 16 carries and made an interception at cornerback.
Poulsen connected with Higbee seven times for 132 yards, including TD strikes of 5, 50 and 18. Poulsen scored on runs of 4, 13, 3 and 1 yards.
Higbee rushed for 125 yards and a TD on 18 carries for Pahranagat Valley (3-0, 1-0), which extended its state-record winning streak to 49 games.
Higbee even completed a 30-yard pass to Mason Stirling.
“They’ve been doing it since second grade,” Panthers coach Ken Higbee said of Poulsen and Tyler Higbee, his nephew. “They’ve grown up together, and that’s what it’s all about.”
The game was tied at 8 midway through the first quarter before Poulsen scored on a 4-yard run to ignite a streak of 34 unanswered points as the Panthers mounted a 42-8 fourth-quarter lead.
“I thought that we responded well,” Poulsen said. “We really ran the ball well. That was our game plan. We’re a running team, and then pass second.”
Tyson Sparrow had three receptions for 31 yards and a TD for Pahranagat Valley.
Poulsen credited the offensive success to linemen Mathew Roemer, Shota Ray, Utah Ray and Jake Carter.
“They are the base of this offense. Without them, we couldn’t do anything,” Poulsen said.
Marcus Thomas completed 14 of 42 passes for 177 yards and four TDs with one interception for Spring Mountain (2-1, 0-1). The junior added 62 yards on 23 carries.
Thomas hooked up with Dwayne James five times for 89 yards and a TD.
Christopher Munro caught three passes for 38 yards and a TD for the Eagles, who scored more points than any Nevada opponent against the Panthers since Carlin lost 92-30 in a 2010 Class 1A state semifinal.
“(Thomas) is a big, fast kid and throws a really nice ball,” Ken Higbee said. “They’ve got playmakers, and they’re going to be tough down the road. (Spring Mountain coach Aaron) Masden does a great job.”
The game saw the teams combine for seven fourth-quarter touchdowns, 22 total penalties and 649 yards from scrimmage.