Arizona athletes score big for Boise in Fiesta Bowl

Arizona athletes score big for Boise in Fiesta Bowl
by LeeAnn Sharpe

VALLEY – Only 62 seconds left in the Fiesta Bowl game and Boise State was down 35‑28. Fourth and 18, Boise's Jared Zabransky fired a 15‑yard pass to Drisan James who stealthily tossed the ball to Jerard Rabb. The hook‑and‑ladder play tricked Oklahoma's defense into running after the wrong man and resulted in a Boise touchdown, sending the amazing New Year's Day game into overtime.

The drama didn't stop in regulation as Oklahoma scored a touchdown and kicked the extra point to take the lead. Boise State responded with a TD and 2‑point conversion for the overtime win 43‑42.

The man in the middle of the hook‑and‑ladder play that everyone is talking about was wide receiver Drisan James (#11), from Tolleson's Westview High School. He scored a TD in the 1st and 2nd quarters, too. James' 2007 stats show he finished second on the team with 33 catches for a team‑best 554 yards and two touchdowns. He led the team in receiving yards per game (46.2), yards per catch (16.8), and rushed seven times for 54 yards.

As a senior at Tolleson's Westview High School, the 5‑foot 11‑inch, 186‑pound James caught 35 passes for 659 yards and six touchdowns, leading the squad to a conference championship and the state playoffs. He was a two‑time all‑region selection at wide receiver and was named to the 2001 West Valley Dream Team.

Boise State has invested heavily in Arizona players with seven on its roster. Offensive lineman Jadon Dailey (#69), a graduate of Mountain Ridge High School and two seasons at Phoenix College, earned a spot at Boise State. Sophomore line backer Kyle Gingg (#40) from Phoenix Christian High School, junior Jeff Biedermann (#61) of Gilbert's Highland High School, and three freshman including tight end Richie Brockel (#40) of Greenway High School, red‑shirted Xavier Lucas (#17) from McClintock High School, and running back Jarvis Hodge (#28) from Mountain Point High School, are all listed on the Bronco's 2006 roster.

Oklahoma and Boise State made the Fiesta Bowl, held at the heralded Glendale stadium, a game to watch amid the national media, bowl game frenzy. The over‑the‑top, emotionally charged Fiesta Bowl game had millions of viewers nationwide glued to the tube on New Year's Day as the underdog battled, holding the lead all the way until the last two minutes of play, then lost it, only to win it back in overtime.

Glendale's new $455 million University of Phoenix stadium was the venue for an incredible game, with state of the art cameras and lighting, clearly apparent as compared to other bowl games played the same day around the country and broadcast on major networks.

It's a victory that Glendale can relate to with its winning of Glendale Arena home to the Coyotes in 2003 and the Cardinals home, the University of Phoenix Stadium, opening this last August. Both venues were heavily sought by every major city in the Valley of the Sun. Glendale, considered an underdog, won both.

And the Fiesta Bowl is just the start. Glendale's University of Phoenix Stadium hosts the BCS title game in one week and will be the venue for Super Bowl XLII in 2008.

An exceptional game has brought new energy to the BCS college football debate. The question is whether the ninth‑ranked Broncos, with a perfect season and the Fiesta Bowl victory over seventh‑ranked Oklahoma, should have had the chance to challenge top‑ranked Ohio State, the only other team with a perfect record.

Ohio State will play the number two Florida for the BCS national championship at Glendale's University of Phoenix Stadium on Jan. 8.