Top-seed Highland's first half Friday night was just too good. The Hawks built a 28-0 lead over No. 4 Red Mountain at intermission and went on to complete a 28-14 victory in a 6A semifinal in front of its home crowd.

Highland (10-3) advances to the 6A final Saturday Dec. 11 at noon at Sun Devil Stadium. The Hawks played for the title last year, finishing runner-up to Chaparral. The chance is there again to claim the first football title in school history and it will be against Chaparral. Chaparral (9-4) advanced with a 35-28 victory over Williams Field. Red Mountain finished its season 11-3.

HIghland scored on four of six possessions in the first half. They received the opening kickoff, opted to go no-huddle and marched 85 yards in eight plays for a 7-0 lead three minutes into the quarter. Running back Carson Mullenaux did the scoring honors with a 9-yard run.

"We did what we wanted to do the first half," Highland coach Brock Farrel said. "I think we imposed our will."

The second scoring drive made it 14-0 with 4:52 left in the quarter. It covered 88 yards, took four plays and one minute of clock. It ended with a huge play - a 74-yard pass from quarterback Gage Dayley to wide out Hunter Stewart.

An interception halted Highland's third possession in Red Mountain territory. It was only a brief respite for Red Mountain from Highland's ability to score.

A pair of second-quarter touchdowns doubled the lead by halftime. Dayley connected again with Stewart to make it 21-0 on a 26-yard strike. It was Mullenaux's turn to score and he battered his way to paydirt from 15 yards out. 

Red Mountain had no answers offensively in the first half. The Mountain Lions punted all five times they had the ball the first 24 minutes and picked up just two first downs.

Red Mountain pieced together its first scoring drive to open the third quarter. The Mountain Lions mixed the run and pass for a 71-yard march in 10 plays. It was capped by a 1-yard TD pass from Carter Crispin to Jakobi Lane. The drive took nearly five minutes.

Highland didn't score on its ensuing possession, but chewed up more than six minutes. An interception turned field position Red Mountain's way with 1:19 left in the third. The Mountain Lions cashed in the pick on the final play of the third quarter to cut the lead to 28-14 - a 10-yard run by Lenox Lawson.

A three-and-out got Red Mountain the ball back with 9:36 left to play. The Mountain Lions drove from their 29 to Highland's 18, but turned it over on downs as a fourth-and-15 ended up a foot short of a first down. Highland ran out the clock - the final three minutes using the power running of Mullenaux to help secure a pair of first downs. Mullenaux finished with 23 carries for 164 yards - 124 of that in the first half.

Mullenaux, a junior, took on the rushing load with top rusher and senior Steven Trujillo somewhat banged up. Farrel praised Mullenaux's effort.

"Carson is a change of pace back compared to Steven, who is more of a jitterbug," Farrel said. "Carson and our offensive line did a great job."