Crismon survives Gilbert Christian’s late comeback
October 18, 2025 by Juan Manosalva, Arizona State University

Juan Manosalva is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Gilbert Christian High School for AZPreps365.com
GILBERT — Gilbert Christian nearly pulled off a stunning fourth-quarter comeback Thursday night, but an early scoring drought proved costly as the Knights fell 18-15 to Crismon in a region matchup.
Trailing 18-0 with eight minutes left, the Knights (6-2, 2-2 region) erupted for two touchdowns and a two-point conversion behind senior wide receiver and defensive back Kamari Stanbury,whose punt-return heroics and school-record-tying eighth interception fueled the rally.
The Knights finally caught fire when freshman Dusty Cook returned a kickoff 28 yards to the 43-yard line to ignite the home crowd. Senior quarterback Caleb Ely, who finished 9-for-13 for 89 yards, then guided an urgent drive that was capped by a 13-yard strike to Stanbury in the corner of the end zone for Gilbert Christian’s first score of the night.
Moments later, the Knights’ defense forced a punt, setting up one of the season’s defining highlights.
Stanbury fielded the kick near his own 15-yard line, veered left, cut inside behind a key block from junior linebacker Evan Scott, then bounced outside and raced 85 yards down the sideline for a touchdown that sent the Knights sideline into chaos.
“I just trusted my blockers,” Stanbury said. “Evan made an amazing block that opened it up. Once I saw the lane, I just took it.”
Ely scrambled to find junior Malachi Ahlman for the two-point conversion, closing the gap to 18-15 with 4:10 remaining.
Gilbert Christian twice attempted onside kicks to seal the rally, but Crismon recovered and ran out the clock with two kneel downs.
“We caught fire in the fourth quarter,” Knights coach John Carlson said. “Football’s a funny game; one play can flip the whole tempo. I’m proud of the kids and how they fought, but it was too little, too late.”
Crismon (5-3, 2-1 region) controlled the first half behind sophomore running back Walker Higbee, who rushed for almost 100 yards and two touchdowns. Higbee broke a four-yard run late in the first quarter and added a five-yard score early in the fourth.
Rattlers quarterback Braxton Thill, a junior, connected with senior Robert Hehe for a 24-yard touchdown just before halftime, giving the Rattlers a 12-0 lead at the break.
“We really came out strong,” Higbee said. “Our line trusted me, and when they gave me those holes, I just found my way through. Even when they started coming back, I knew we’d close it out.”
Crismon coach Scott Hare said he never panicked during the Knights’ rally.
“I expected an 18-15 type game,” Crismon said. “We got ours early, they got theirs late. We stayed calm and finished. Our defense has gotten better every week.”
Gilbert Christian’s offense managed just 132 total yards, 43 on the ground and 89 through the air, but nearly matched that production in the final five minutes alone. Stanbury led all receivers with 27 yards and a touchdown; Ahlman added 14 and the two-point grab.
Carlson pointed to execution as the difference.
“We didn’t start very fast,” Carlson said. “After a week off for fall break, we stumbled out of the gate. Against a good team like that, you can’t spot them for three quarters.”
Stanbury agreed. “We just came out soft,” Stanbury said. “Once we started making plays and focusing, we came together. They haven’t seen the best Gilbert Christian yet.”
His late-game interception, his eighth of the season, tying the school record, also placed him seventh in the nation and first in Arizona for interceptions, adding another milestone to a breakout senior year.
The win likely secured Crismon's first playoff berth in program history.
The Rattlers will host unbeaten Benjamin Franklin on Friday at 7 p.m.
Gilbert Christian will visit Valley Christian on Friday at 7 p.m.