Lake Havasu City, AZ – The Lake Havasu Knights varsity football team celebrated homecoming Friday night with a decisive 36-6 victory over the visiting Kofa Kings, extending their current home winning streak to two weeks. The convincing win advanced the Knights' season record to 3-2.
Senior co-captain Luke Johnson played a pivotal role in the Knights' early offensive success, scoring two first-quarter touchdowns. Johnson's first score came on a powerful 9-yard run. He followed this with a 1-yard touchdown from a wildcat formation, contributing significantly to Lake Havasu jumping out to a 16-0 lead in the opening quarter.
In the second quarter, senior quarterback Keilor Pizarro connected with senior wide receiver Kole Cesena for a six-yard touchdown. Later in the quarter, Pizarro found senior wide receiver Koen Taylor from 20 yards out, pushing Havasu’s lead to a commanding 29-0 by halftime. Head Coach Tanner Kelly commented on the team's offensive development after the game. “We started the season with a new quarterback,” Kelly stated, referring to starting quarterback Jay Deacon’s injury early in the first game. He added that the team “struggled a little bit with a new system,” but noted that Keilor Pizarro “is getting more and more comfortable and the offensive line has been tremendous these last couple of weeks.”
Pizarro continued his strong performance into the third quarter, connecting with junior wide receiver Khi Nunno for a 19-yard touchdown, which extended Havasu’s lead to 36-0. Nunno received additional playing time after starting wide receiver Carter Devett was injured on the first drive of the game and did not return. Coach Kelly praised Nunno's contribution, stating, “Khi came in for Carter there and made some big plays for us. He had a big touchdown there in the third quarter for us.”
The Knights' defense matched the offense's strong showing, performing exceptionally for the second consecutive week. The defensive unit effectively held both recent opponents “basically scoreless except a couple of late touchdowns” when Havasu rotated in younger players. Coach Kelly highlighted their consistent effort, remarking, “The defense has carried us pretty well these last couple of games. They had done a great job really the whole season.”
The football game coincided with Lake Havasu High School’s Homecoming week. Halftime ceremonies celebrated the 2026 Homecoming Court, which included Luke Johnson, Addison Murphy, Grant Nelson, Irene Rodriguez, Landen Musselman, and Bella Gonzalez. The theme for this year's celebration was “A Knight in the City that Never Sleeps.” Following the court presentation, Luke Johnson and Bella Gonzalez were crowned the 2026 Homecoming King and Queen. Premier Golf Carts facilitated the transportation for the homecoming court during the festivities.
Looking ahead, the Knights face another significant challenge next week at home. The 3-2 Buckeye Union Hawks are scheduled to visit Lee Barnes Stadium. Buckeye Union enters the game having scored 67 points in each of their last two weeks, demonstrating a powerful offensive capability. Coach Kelly acknowledged the upcoming test, stating, “Buckeye is a great team.” He also noted that Buckeye “took Gila Ridge down to the wire a couple of weeks ago,” referring to a close 46-48 loss against a team that defeated the Knights 29-6 in week one. Kelly concluded that the upcoming matchup “should be a good game and test for us.” The game has been rescheduled to Thursday night, October 1, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. at Lee Barnes Stadium.
