At the end of the homecoming game on Friday night, there was no denying that it was an easy win for Highland. By halftime, Highland led 26-9 – but the coaches were not happy with the defense.

With a challenge to step up on that side of the ball, the Rams shutout the Colts in the second half, including two interceptions returned for touchdowns, cruising to a 52-9 win. “We needed this so bad. We needed a good win,” Highland defensive back Alex Starks said. “Defense played well, [they] stepped up [in the] second half.” 

At the end of the game only one real question had to be asked. Which Starks brother had the better highlight?

Each of the identical twins had incredibly strong moments during the game. Both returned interceptions for touchdowns – Alex had a 100-yard return, and Grant had two interceptions of his own, returning both for touchdowns (though the first was called back for an illegal block during the return). So which player was more valuable for the night? 

The first two interceptions were critical in shifting the tone and momentum for the players, the coaches and even the crowd. When Alex scored on his 100-yard return, Highland was clinging to a 33-9 lead – a touchdown could have turned the momentum in Cottonwood’s favor. Instead, Alex took the ball out of the air, and any hope from the Cottonwood sideline, all the way to the end zone. 

For Grant, his interception came on the first drive of the game, helping Highland get off to a fast start – something the team was desperate for after a few frustrating weeks.

“We were going out like, ‘we gotta start fast,’ because every week we’ve been starting slow. We would have won that game against Park City if we had started fast, so we were just like, ‘let’s get started fast,’” Grant said. “It was a game changer.” 

And despite the sibling rivalry, the brothers agreed that if they had to choose between a 100-yard touchdown and two pick 6s, they would choose the two picks, even with the added blocking penalty. 

“Two picks is better than one, and his picks probably added up to close to 70 yards, but I’d rather have two than one even though it was 100 yards,” Alex said. 

Highland moved to 2-5 on the season and is one step closer to securing a playoff birth.