Sydney Aguilar is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Barry Goldwater High School for AZPreps365.com

MESA, Ariz. – Barry Goldwater and Westview battled into overtime at the Duel at Dusk tournament Saturday before the Bulldogs lost 20-19 after a failed two-point conversion attempt ended their chance to secure the win.

Rain clouds hung over the stadium lights at Red Mountain Soccer Complex, bringing cooler weather to the tournament, while the cheers and barks of Bulldog fans echoed across the field as Barry Goldwater sought a win against Westview.

“This tournament gives us extra playing time,” Barry Goldwater head coach Tom Reagan said. “These games don’t count toward our record for playoffs, so we plan to run plays we’ve been working on and build our team chemistry.”

On the second play of the game, Westview sophomore quarterback Madelyn Gonzales connected with senior Trinity Robasciotti for a 25-yard touchdown. Gonzales then rushed into the end zone for the extra point, giving the Knights an early 7-0 lead.

The Bulldogs received a spark on offense from senior London Farmer, who hauled in a 27-yard pass from quarterback Kylee Hillings for a first down.

“There were two receivers on me as I was going long and I saw the ball go straight through their hands and into mine,” Farmer said. “It made me very adrenaline pumped and I love that feeling.”

The momentum carried over, when Hillings rushed 28 yards down the sideline before getting tackled near the goal line. 

Hillings finished the drive with a 3-yard rushing touchdown. The Bulldogs converted the extra point to tie the game 7-7.

Just a few minutes later, Gonzales threw deep to senior Leidy Parada for a 40-yard reception. keeping the Knights’ offense moving.

Monica Hernandez followed with a 40-yard touchdown, giving the lead back to Westview. The Bulldogs’ defense stopped the extra-point attempt just short of the goal line. 

With seconds remaining in the first half, Robasciotti intercepted Hillings’ Hail Mary attempt.

At halftime, Westview held a 13-7 lead. The Bulldogs opened the second half on offense.

The Bulldogs’ defensive focus was to disrupt the quarterback and be aggressive. The offense emphasized following through on routes to create opportunities for receivers.

“We knew Westview’s quarterback has a strong arm and works well in the pocket,” Reagan said. “Our goal was to try and contain her and we didn’t do a good job of that.”

The Bulldogs’ defense woke up in the second half, when junior Zoe Torres sacked Gonzales to force the first punt of the night. 

“My favorite part is when the Knights weren’t able to make a play,” captain Isabella Torres said. “Our mindset was to stay deep with the receivers and not let them get behind so they weren’t able to complete the play.”

Hillings returned the punt 45 yards down the Bulldogs’ sideline. However, their drive stalled when a fumbled snap on fourth down resulted in a turnover. 

Throughout the game, both defenses were quick to pull flags, with strong blocking and aggressive blitzing all evening.

Barry Goldwater’s defense forced a second punt before the last drive of regulation. 

A first down was converted by sophomore Berlyn Laguna before Hillings threw a deep pass to Farmer for a 30-yard gain. 

After an offensive pass inference penalty with three seconds left, Hillings rushed into the end zone for a touchdown. The Bulldog failed to convert the extra point, tying the game, 13-13.

While Farmer led the team in receptions against Westview, her impact on the Bulldogs goes beyond her performance on the field. After a teammate dropped a pass, Farmer encouraged the team to move on and focus on the next play. 

“My goal is to make my teammates laugh and relate to them,” Farmer said. “If you’re laughing, you don’t have time to think about the things you did wrong.” 

Westview received the ball first in overtime, and though Torres pressures Gonzales on a rush, she was flagged for pass interference after making contact with her arm.

The penalty moved the Knights to the 8-yard line. Gonzales took it herself to rush into the end zone, giving Westview the lead. She secured the extra point by rushing toward the pylon, extending the lead to 20-13.

On the Bulldogs final possession, Hillings rushed for a 15-yard touchdown, bringing Barry Goldwater within one point. 

Reagan made the decision to attempt a two-point conversion to secure the win for the Bulldogs, but Hillings was stopped one yard short of the goal line, sealing Westview’s victory 20-19.

“I’m proud that we came back, didn’t quit and kept working hard,” Reagan said.

Barry Goldwater will look ahead to their next game at ALA- Queen Creek on Tuesday.