One of Higley’s wins on its way to a second straight 5A state championship last season was a 29-24 struggle over the Tigers in Gilbert. Not only did Marana avenge the loss on Friday by erasing a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Higley 36-28 in front of a home crowd, but standout senior wide receiver Dezmen Roebuck set a state receiving record.
Roebuck’s 11-yard touchdown reception that tied the game at 13 with Higley just before halftime earned him the AIA record in career receptions at 283, breaking the previous record of 282 set by Brandon Phelps last season in his senior year at ALA-Gilbert North.
Phelps is now a freshman at the University of Arizona, while Roebuck committed to Washington in June.
“I’m just truly blessed to be in the position that I am. Two hundred-some catches — that’s a lot of catches, and I still have a whole season ahead of me,” Roebuck said of breaking the record. “I’m just blessed to have good teammates, good coaches and just a whole bunch of good people around me.”
Marana senior Dezmen Roebuck an unofficial 10 catches for 131 yards with 2 TDs and an interception to help the Tigers beat Higley 36-28. Roebuck holds the 5A career reception record with 288 which is now the overall AIA record. #azpreps365 pic.twitter.com/7LVsZufsya
— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) September 14, 2024
Marana head coach Phillip Steward says the coaching staff designed a sweep play so that sophomore wide receiver and Dezmen’s younger brother Sean Roebuck would be the one to connect with him to break the record, and it worked on the game-tying touchdown before the half.
“It was good for the family, and I hope he enjoyed his moment,” Steward said. “He put himself in the history books, and I’m just proud of him.”
An 18-yard touchdown reception to Roebuck from Colten Meyer with 5:53 remaining in the game capped off the comeback win for Marana.
Roebuck unofficially had 10 catches, 131 yards, and two touchdowns, extending the state record for career receptions to 288 by game’s end. He also had an interception with two minutes to go, which helped put the game away.
Steward praised Roebuck’s unique talent as a playmaker.
“I think he might be the best in the country,” he said. “A lot of people are going to miss out on an opportunity because they don’t want to come down here and check him out.”
As Higley head coach Eddy Zubey gave Marana credit for clawing back in the fourth quarter for the win, he commended Roebuck for his performance.
“No. 1 is a stud. He made some unbelievable catches tonight,” he said.
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