Big Horn junior Lucas O’Connor enjoys breakout success with three TDs in rivalry matchup
By Jack Reaney SENIOR EDITOR
The very last play offered a telling summary of Friday night’s rivalry game between Lone Peak High School and Ennis High School, when Big Horn senior and four-year varsity standout Ebe Grabow nearly shocked a couple hundred Mustangs on their home turf.
The Mustang kicker avoided Grabow all night to mitigate his explosive ball carrying ability, and after snatching a 37-34 lead on a thrilling field goal, he again kicked the ball away from Grabow as the final four seconds ticked off the clock.
But senior Will Helms received the kick and intentionally fumbled the ball back to Grabow, giving No. 7 a chance for a heroic moment.
He nearly got it, too, cutting back in the face of five Mustangs and sprinting 35 yards down the opposite sideline before being tackled from behind—quite possibly the last remaining defender who stood a chance to stop Grabow as he began cutting back toward the open field and a game-winning score.
“I thought I had it, and then I looked up and there was a guy there and cut back into him… didn’t end up going my way,” Grabow said after the game, smiling and apparently satisfied with his team’s unrelenting effort against the squad that beat Lone Peak 55-26 last season. “The environment was really fun, everyone was loud… Rivalry games—we’re just coming across the valley—it’s always fun, but wish we could have pulled it out.”
Grabow’s athleticism has made him a natural team leader for years. Now a senior, he said it’s rewarding to work with Lone Peak’s rising young talent, like freshman Jens Biggerstaff who caught passes, lined up at quarterback and nabbed an interception to help the Big Horns overcome a 28-14 deficit in the third quarter.
Head coach Dustin Shipman said Friday’s “up and down, and up and down” experience was a great example of eight-man, big-play football. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, he said, but that’s why you play the game.
“I can’t be prouder of the guys. They played 110% of the game, 110% of the plays with 110% of the effort. I mean, they did exactly what we wanted them to do,” Shipman said, adding that only 15 Big Horns suited up for the game against an Ennis team with two dozen players.
“Our program has come a long way… The guys left everything out there.”
One player exemplifies that progress: junior Lucas O’Connor is enjoying a massive breakout compared to his smaller roles in prior seasons, held back by injury.
‘Just trying to prove myself’
A wide receiver, O’Connor tortured the Mustang secondary, hauling in three touchdowns and eventually drawing double coverage.
O’Connor said the whole program has been working hard since January. As for his own breakout, he said injuries dragged down his freshman and sophomore seasons, and he feels gratified to reap the rewards of rehab and training.
“I’ve been putting the work in trying my hardest at practice and everything. Just trying to prove myself, and I’m glad I have the chance to,” O’Connor said.
Coach Shipman spoke excitedly about the junior’s work ethic.
“Lucas has been playing phenomenal, and that’s a testament to the hard work Lucas has put in since January. I can’t be more proud of the kid—he worked hard in the offseason, he works hard at practice, and it’s starting to pay off for him,” Shipman said.
In past seasons, O’Connor admired the deep routes run by Grabow—who took on a primary quarterback role Friday but previously spent more of his time at wide receiver—and O’Connor said he’s been trying to emulate the play-making senior. He said it’s fun catching passes from Grabow, a guy he’s known most of his life and a teammate since middle school.
“And he’s obviously an athlete, so he’s good to step up to the [quarterback] position even with minimal experience,” O’Connor said.
The feeling is mutual. Ebe enjoys hurling the ball toward a six-foot-two, sure-handed target.
“He runs good routes, runs crisp routes, he knows the plays,” Grabow said. “He’s a reliable guy for sure.”
It was a hard-fought loss, but Grabow looks forward to competing in hopes of better outcomes.
Ennis quarterback Brandon Foss, a junior, was an elusive presence in the Mustang’s victory. Foss passed for one touchdown and rushed for three, including a 65-yard score on the Mustangs’ first play of the second half.
Shipman said the team will need to eliminate mistakes and missed assignments to be successful as the season continues.
Other Lone Peak contributors were senior Will Helms, who came up with a key fourth-down sack in the fourth quarter and led the Big Horns’ rushing attack. Senior Aeneas Espinosa locked down his role at cornerback, including an all-out effort to thwart a big play before halftime. O’Connor said the defense was “great” after coaches made it a focus in practice.
“It was rough, we definitely tried our hardest,” O’Connor said, noting that the team has struggled with slow starts in the past. “We definitely stepped it up and came out strong… It’s just rough, we haven’t won against Ennis [since 2021], and this was a damn close one, especially compared to last year.”
The Big Horns carry a 1-1 record into their first home game on Friday, Sept. 12 against the Flint Creek Co-op (Drummond-Granite) Titans.
