Noa surely would trade record for win

By Ramon Scott
Updated: September 1, 2019

ELEYLON NOA acknowledges the crowd on Friday night.

Helix rushes against Herriman (Utah) on Friday night. / photo by Liz Shawcroft

2019 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

HERRIMAN (Utah) 26, HELIX 19 (OT)

EastCountySports.com staff report

LA MESA – Helix High senior Elelyon “Fatto” Noa rushed 22 times for 185 yards and a TD and broke the school record for career yards set by Reggie Bush (4,925, 2000-02) on Friday but the third-ranked Highlanders lost to visiting Herriman (Utah), 26-19, in overtime.

Noa may actually have set the record twice.

Helix scored before Noa had a chance to carry the ball when Keionte Scott returned the opening kickoff 91 yards for a 7-0 lead.

After a gain pushed him past Bush’s mark early in the first quarter, the Mustangs tackled Noa for a loss, erasing his previous record-setting total.

Helix wraps up against Herriman (Utah) on Friday. / photo by Liz Shawcroft

Noa then took a carry through the pack and was sort of tackled, as his helmet appeared to touch the ground whistling the play dead, and the senior was back over the mark.

The 5-foot-9, 200-pound senior has 5,102 yards career yards, which ranked 11th all-time in the San Diego Section.

Noa went past Mt. Carmel’s Marlin Carey (4,965), St. Augustine’s Johnnie Holmes (4,968), LJCD’s Rashaan Salaam (4,982) and Marian Catholic’s Patrick Gates (5,039) on the career rushing yards list.

Next on the section career list for Noa to surpass is Christian’s Lawrence Walker (5,112).

Following the game, Noa was gracious with the media but obviously would’ve preferred a win.

“Honestly, overall, I’m just thinking about the loss,” Noa said. “But it was a great goal and a great accomplishment for me.”

Helix (1-1) scored on a touchdown pass with under a minute left in the second quarter to take a 13-8 lead into the locker room.

Helix led by 11 after Noa scored on a 9-yard run late in the third quarter.

Down 19-8 entering the fourth quarter, Herriman quarterback Jaxon James threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Alex Anderson cut the lead to 19-16 following a successful 2-point conversion.

That score held for almost nine full minutes until Herriman lined up for a field goal in hopes of sending the game into overtime.

Helix rushes against Herriman (Utah) on Friday night. / photo by Liz Shawcroft

Herriman tied the game with a 30-yarder as time expired in regulation.

The Mustangs scored with 3:49 left in the first quarter, but the conversion failed. Herriman also scored on a safety just past midway through the second quarter.

Herriman senior running back Kepu Fifita had a 17-yard touchdown run for the go-ahead score in the overtime session.

“The defense put the clamps on and found an extra gear, just like they did for the last part of the game and it really all came together for us at the end,” Herriman head coach Dustin Pearce said. “I’m proud of them for bouncing back.”

Defensive lineman Jonah Urich and cornerback Jaiden Brown were Highlander defensive standouts.

Herriman players went to the beach on Saturday afternoon and then capped off the night attending home-state team Weber State’s game at San Diego State.

Three former Mustangs are on the current Wildcat roster.

The Highlanders will host top-ranked Cathedral Catholic on Friday, Sept. 13.

Herriman Football cheers for Mustang Alumni playing for Weber State University in the Aztec stadium, San Diego pic.twitter.com/1WpP5KBH1g

— Herriman High (@OfficialMustang) September 1, 2019