The Miami Vandals’ varsity football opener, a home game versus the Scottsdale Preparatory Academy Spartans, was a back-and-forth affair that came down to the fourth quarter.

In a low-scoring non-conference match, Miami went into halftime down 6-0. The Vandals rallied to tie it 6-6 in the third quarter. However, the Spartans outscored them 7-0 in the fourth quarter to pull out a 13-6 win.

Scottsdale Preparatory Academy’s scores came via a touchdown pass from senior Ben Bubar to junior Will Ryken and a rushing TD by senior Judah Mizysak. No statistics for Miami were available at press time.

The Vandals’ next game is August 30, facing the Veritas Prep Falcons on the road in another non-conference match.