Page 39 - 2020 Sollenberger

4. GILA RIDGE: The Hawks made it to the 4A semifinal round last year coming out of the Southwest Region, but the program has been shifted over to the West Valley Region this year along with Northwest Christian, Greenway, Peoria, Cactus and Cibola. The team will still spend the first half of the season playing in the Yuma area, including one game in nearby Brawley, California. The Hawks finished with an 11-2 record with a 22-19 overtime loss to Cibola and a 35-28 loss to Desert Edge in the semifinals being the only blemishes. Head coach John Ellegood has Sr.
QB CJ Wiggins (1,145 yards passing, 13 TDs) and Jr. WR Johnny Noriega (715 yards receiving, 9 TDs) returning on offense and Sr. DL Christopher Humphrey (3 sacks), Sr. LB Pono Renaud (53 tack- les) and Tyler Faber (70 tackles, 3 INTs) coming back on defense.
5. CACTUS: The Cobras graduated their top three offensive threats and top five defensive standouts, including QB Con-
ner Cordts (2,158 yards passing, 26 TDs; 841 yards rushing, 16 TDs), Anthony Flores (1,083 yards rushing, 14 TDs) and Nate “Doodles” Quinones (135 tackles, 6 sacks, 4 INTs). Head coach Joseph Ortiz still has weapons in Sr. WR Antonio Pratt (564 yards receiving, 6 TDs) and Sr. WR Justin Gomez (400 yards receiving, 3 TDs) and an impressive list of defensive standouts in Sr. DE Riley Davies (75 tackles, 6.5 sacks), Jr. OLB Justin Holmes (74 tackles, 6 sacks), Jr. DB Ryan Griswold (68 tackles) and So. DB Will Galvan (53 tackles). All five teams in the current configuration of the West Valley Region -- Gila Ridge, Greenway, Northwest Christian and Peoria, Cactus -- made the state playoffs last year.
6. GREENWAY: Ed Cook led the Demons to a 4A Skyline Region title last year and a No. 10 ranking. The program is looking for more this year, including a spot in the postseason for the third year in a row. Cook says he has a lot of experience coming back, beginning with Sr. RB Christian Johnson (1,700 yards rushing) and Jr. QB Aohdan Murphy (1,202 yards passing, 12 TDs). On defense, Cook says his whole secondary returns along with his big man upfront in Sr. NG Aaron Gerle (82 tackles, 13 sacks). Sr. DE/LB Ethan Slick, Sr. CB Anthony Kennedy, Sr. FS Caleb Wahner (5 INTs) and Jr. SS Milo Apodaca 6-1, 175 will help solidify the Demon defense.
7. POSTON BUTTE: The Broncos haven’t been in a playoff game since 2014, but Dain Thompson hopes to lead his program to the postseason with a talented cast that includes RB Zion Burns and QB Gavin Lloyd. Burns (6-0, 180), a University of Nevada signee, rushed for 1,542 yards with 20 TDs last year, and Lloyd (5-11, 170) collected 792 yards passing with 3 TDs along with 665 yards rushing with 7 more TDs. Thompson also looks to experience on defense, “Because of injuries last season, many returners were forced into starting roles and produced.” Burns also collected 39 tackles on defense and we will be joined by Sr. OLB/Nickel Nick Cocomello, Sr. SS Jimmy Brooks, Sr. FS Mattias Perez, Jr. LB Riley Nolan, Jr. OLB Justin Evans, Sr. DL Kalob Holzinger, Sr. DL Chad Huston, and Sr. DE Chris Fowler 5-9, 205 (36 tackles, 4 sacks).
8. ARCADIA: Vance Miller is in his first year with the Titans after coaching at Apache Junction since 2013. Miller replaces Kerry Taylor, who left to lead 2A Conference affiliate San Tan Charter in the program’s first year of competition. The Titans are coming off of a 6-4 season and a No. 18 ranking and three years re- moved from an 0-10 campaign in the 5A Conference. Miller says his team will have, “speed, agility and intelligence” with plenty of “hand and arm strength.” Sr. TE Trey Brown (Duke commit) 6-2, 215 and Sr. WR Crew Edwards 5-9, 150 (542 yards receiving, 6 TDs) return along with Sr. LB Nixon Nolan 5-7 165 (73 tackles) and Sr. DB Noah Richardson 6-2 170 (52 tackles).
9. COCONINO: Coach Michael Lapsley led Coconino to a 9-2 record and a region championship. And it was also a couple
of plays away from defeating eventual 2019 state semifinalist Gila Ridge in the first round. He returns Sr. RB/LB Zach Bennett (1,753 yards rushing, 22 TDs), Sr. LB/RB Manuel Cardoza (98 tackles), Jr. LB/RB Jonathan Jaramillo (56 tackles, 2 sacks), Sr. DB/WR Malcom Morris (42 tackles, 2 INTs), and Jr. DB/TE Andy Ruiz 6-1, 180 (46 tackles). The Panthers play three of their last four games of the regular season at home and, by that time, the playoff picture for 4A should be clearer with which teams might play in the Open Division. Lapsley says his program has a “better understanding of game day adjustments. Improve speed and quickness. More aggressive at the line of scrimmage. Explosive.”
10. ALA-QUEEN CREEK: From a 3A state title in 2016, to an 0-13 campaign in 2017 (with 11 of those coming via forfeit due to an ineligible player), to being ineligible for the 2018 playoffs, to an- other 3A state championship last year, that’s some roller coaster of emotions ALA-Queen Creek’s been on. The emotional swings didn’t stop this offseason when it learned that D-I recruit Aziya Jamison (1,761 yards rushing, 26 TDs) transferred and the pro- gram was moved to 4A along with 3A state runner-up Benjamin Franklin and 3A semifinalist Northwest Christian. Despite the ups and downs, and if the Patriots were to win the games in the dif- ficult Desert Sky Region, a spot in the playoffs might be available this year. That prospect would surely be par for the course for a program considering its recent history. Coach Rich Edwards will need to replace standout QB Rand Jensen and his 4,110 career passing yards and 56 TD passes. But returning are Sr. DE/OL Mi- cah Ferrin (100 tackles, 13 sacks) and So. CB/WR Ryan Meza (3 INTs). The Patriots host St. Mary’s to open their season on Oct.
2. Win or lose, there will be power points to be had.
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