Defending champ Basha and Higley reached Saturday’s third annual Just Chilly Flight Club 7-on-7 32-team tournament final at Maricopa’s Copper Sky Recreation Complex.

A first drive interception and a failed 2-point conversion wound up being the difference, as Higley upset Basha, 30-27.

On the first drive, Basha quarterback Demond Williams Jr. overthrew his intended target and was picked off by Higley’s Chansyn Mapa. Mapa tore his ACL in this same event last year but returned in extraordinary fashion, earning MVP tournament honors.

Chansyn Mapa defensive play throughout the tournament led to an MVP award. (Jose Garcia/AZPreps365) 

“We just played Basha at Arizona State University on Thursday,” Mapa said. “We knew who their players were and where they wanted to go with the ball, so the way they came off the line we knew where the ball was going to go.”

After the interception, which is worth two points, Higley followed with a quick score to go up 9-0. Basha responded with a Williams touchdown pass, but the ensuing two-point attempt failed.

Higley maintained its lead throughout the entire game and went up 30-20 with a few minutes left before Basha answered with a deep touchdown pass by Williams to cut the deficit to 30-27. Williams returned from Southern California Saturday after an outstanding showing at the Elite 11 quarterback finals.

On its final drive, Higley converted a first down and proceeded to run out the clock to cap off an impressive tournament run. A couple of Jadon Taylor touchdown receptions and Dax Hall’s speed also were factors in Higley’s big night.

“This was our first day all summer in which we had everyone here for 7-on-7 because of college camps and injuries,” said Eddy Zubey, Higley’s coach. “Our offense played well as expected, but our defense really showed up today.”

On the other hand, injuries led Basha to start five sophomores and a freshman in the tournament.

“We had a lot of young kids step up, and they had to grow up pretty fast,” said Chris McDonald, Basha’s coach. “Overall, our objective was met and we knew we had to develop some of our young players and they did a great job.”

American Leadership Academy Queen Creek won the Big Man Competition, which showcased the strength of players with a vast array of activities, including tug-of-war and tire flipping. The Big Man MVP went to Basha offensive lineman Sam Garcia.