Dominic Borja is an NAU School of Communication student assigned to cover Flagstaff High School football for AZPreps365.com

Flagstaff junior quarterback Broden Custer lit up the Walkup Skydome, accounting for all six of the still-winless Eagles’ touchdowns on their 69-41 Senior Night loss against undefeated Prescott on Oct. 15.

Despite the lopsided result, both teams achieved significant milestones. The Eagles’ season-high 41 points, combined with the Badgers’ 69 points add up to 110 total points, making this the highest-scoring high school game in city history. This broke a 10-year record set by Flagstaff’s 2016 season-opening 51-50 loss against Coronado.

Meanwhile, Prescott extended its winning streak against the Eagles to 12 games. The Badgers achieved an 8-0 start for the first time since 1993.

For Flagstaff head coach Andres Delgadillo, the Eagles’ offensive performance against a top 5 4A Conference team proved what the Eagles could accomplish when Custer played confidently and the team came together.

“We knew we were capable of scoring against good teams marching down with the weapons that we have,” Delgadillo said. “It took us a little bit to get (Custer) back with his mind straight, but with his mind straight, he can make things happen.”

Custer threw four touchdown passes and ran for two more, repeatedly allowing Flagstaff to answer Prescott’s offensive onslaught. The Badgers, relying on their rushing attack, maintained control and scored on every possession but their last.

Prescott head coach Cody Collett credited his offensive line for establishing the run and preventing the Eagles from making a comeback.

“We had a lot of guys make some big plays tonight,” Collett said, estimating that Prescott finished the game with over 400 rushing yards. “I thought we did a great job responding to adversity. Their quarterback didn’t play last week, and he was slippery and did some great things.”

The Badgers took a two-score lead in the first quarter after running back Jeremyah Villanueva and quarterback Bryce Coston, both sophomores, scored 1-yard touchdown runs. Flagstaff answered in the second quarter when Custer launched a 25-yard touchdown pass to sophomore receiver Evan Washington.

After Prescott answered with 33-yard touchdown run from senior running back Brody Hanna, Custer connected with junior receiver Matthew Moreno, who ran down the Badgers’ sideline for a 17-yard touchdown. Prescott junior kick returner Colten Sunshine took the following kick to the Eagles’ 14-yard line, setting up senior running back Braylon Johnson’s 8-yard touchdown run, his first of the night.

Custer ran for a 1-yard rushing score with over a minute left in the half, but the Badgers took a 35-21 lead right before halftime after Hanna ran for a 1-yard touchdown.

The constant back-and-forth scoring reflected the challenges both teams’ defenses faced against their opponents’ offenses.

Prescott senior wide receiver Nicholas Phillips (8) runs the ball on a jet sweep to Flagstaff's 1-yard line Oct. 15. (Dominic Borja/AZPreps365)

“They’re 8-0 for a reason,” Delgadillo said of the Badgers’ offensive line. “Even though we called the correct stunts, we were only able to fill gaps and disrupt plays every now and then.”

Opening the second half, Prescott’s special teams complemented their offense once again after sophomore kick returner Kellen Hudak led the Badgers to Flagstaff’s 40-yard line. Following a 3-yard rushing touchdown from Johnson, Custer threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Washington.

After Prescott extended its lead with Johnson’s 6-yard rushing score, his final of the night, Custer answered with a 9-yard touchdown, putting the Eagles at a two-possession deficit. In response to Flagstaff’s efforts, Coston ran a 1-yard touchdown with under a minute left in the third quarter and the Badgers’ defense forced a three-and-out. Washington’s third punt, his first since the first quarter, allowed Prescott to hold onto a three-possession lead.

The Badgers took advantage of the momentum shift, with Villanueva scoring his second touchdown on a 29-yard run, extending the lead to a four-possession difference. Custer found Moreno for a 13-yard score, but Villanueva punched in another 29-yard rushing touchdown to seal a 69-41 victory.

Collett praised his defense and their conditioning for constantly forcing Custer to scramble throughout the game.

“It’s exhausting chasing around that guy for four quarters,” Collett said, “Being able to get those sacks at the end really speaks to their conditioning, and I’m proud of them for that.”

Thursday’s game was the final home appearance for Flagstaff’s seniors, including free safety AJ Valdez and running back Adan Garcia, neither of which played. The Eagles’ head coach said the occasion gave his team more motivation against one of the Grand Canyon Region’s top teams.

“They played a little bit harder knowing it was our seniors’ last night in the Skydome,” Delgadillo said. “These Grand Canyon Region games are always super tough, but you can never count the underdog out. We’re just hoping to make them get on their toes.”

Despite the impressive offensive performance, Delgadillo said Flagstaff still has a lot to work on defensively after allowing the second most points in a game in program history, behind its 82-0 loss at Coconino in 2022.

“Anytime you allow as many points as we have this year, the focus has mainly been defense,” Delgadillo said. “We’ll just have to continue that until we start seeing a little bit more progress.”

Prescott, looking to remain undefeated, hosts 5-2 Youngker in a non-regional conference game on Oct. 23. Flagstaff, still searching for a win, travels to Cottonwood to play against 1-6 Mingus Union.

Though the Eagles are still winless, Custer’s offensive production gave Flagstaff an offensive foundation to build on. Delgadillo said the Eagles’ success in moving the ball and scoring against an undefeated rival could cause future opponents to prepare differently.

“It’s definitely going to be something that other teams will have to address,” Delgadillo said. “We’re going to come out slinging.”