Page 53 - 2020 Sollenberger

4. SABINO: An overtime loss to Ben Franklin in the regular sea- son, along with a loss to Safford in the final regular season game of the year, cost the Sabercats a higher seed. That put the team on a collision course with ALA-Queen Creek in the state playoffs after the team took out revenge on Safford in the first round. The Sabercats lost RB Andrew Owen (515 yards rushing and 3 TDs), Diego Armijo (768 yards receiving, 8 TDs), Sam Valenzuela (507 yards receiving, 3 TDs) and Jayson Petty (351 yards receiv- ing, 5 TDs) to graduation and Michael Masunas transferred to Hamilton. But Sr. QB AJ Skaggs (2,495 yards passing, 25 TDs) re- turns. With 4,119 career passing yards, Skaggs could be the 12th player from southern Arizona to pass for more than 5,000 yards. Also returning is Jr. RB Kenny Blackman (356 yards rushing, 5 TDs and Sr. WR Dawson Szarek (313 yards receiving, 5 TDs). Four starting offensive linemen return along with top defenders Sr. LB Luke Thompson (102 tackles), Sr. DE Beau Chaney, Sr. DT Adam Brauer (6-5, 300), Jr. DB Derek Sanchez and Sr. DB Korbin Mukle- bust (42 tackles).
5. PHOENIX CHRISTIAN: The Cougars beat Round Valley in the 2019 regular season and played 3A state champion ALA-Queen Creek close last year. A late-game collapse against Round valley in the 2A final denied the team its first state championship since 2004. The Cougars lost Man-Man Freeman (2,237 yards rushing, 37 TDs) to graduation but almost every other starter on offense returns, including breakaway threat RB/WR Howard Russell (683 yards rushing, 8 TDS; 733 yards receiving, 13 TDs), QB Adrian Fleming (833 yards passing, 13 TDs) and QB Jose Herrera (718,
9 TDs). The offensive and defensive lines are experienced, and head coach Brian Cole is 145-44 in his career and could get to 150 in November. Cole led North Canyon to a 5A state champi- onship in 2005 and Joy Christian to state championships in 2012 (8-man) and 2015.
6: VALLEY CHRISTIAN: The Trojans made the jump from the Metro West Region to the Metro East Region after winning their region in 2018 and taking second in 2019 to Yuma Catholic. Val- ley Christian will be going up against ALA-Gilbert North and most likely AZ College Prep in the new region configuration. Kirk Sund- berg (17-7 in his two seasons with the Trojans) returned home to coach in Michigan. But in stepped the team’s former defen- sive coordinator, Jake Petersen, who’s been at the school since 2014. He will return Jr. QB Jadon Hanzal (1,073 yards passing, 9 TDs., 540 yards receiving, 4 TDs) and Sr. RB Tony Gomez, Jr. (672 yards rushing, 13 TDs.) on offense and Jr. LB Justin Regehr and
Jr. LB Treyten Hortsman on defense. The Trojans’ biggest tests of season will come on Oct. 9 vs. Phoenix Christian in a non-region matchup and on Oct. 30. That’s when the Trojans will travel to play a very experienced Arizona College Prep team in a game that might determine the region championship.
7: THATCHER: The Eagles jump right into the 3A Conference with an away game at Pima and then at home vs. Snowflake. The team will go with new head coach Daniel Jones. A former DE/TE on two state championship teams from Blue Ridge, Jones spent the last few years as an assistant at 6A Desert Ridge. Thatcher reeled off championships from 2016-2018 with a combined record of 39-3 before making it to the semifinal round last year. Thatcher returns Sr. QB Mark Wren (242 yards passing, 4 TDs.), Sr. RB Michael McBride (367 yards rushing, 4 TDS.) and Sr. MLB Michael McBride (15 tackles). The Eagles will contend also with Pusch Ridge, ALA Gilbert, Florence and San Tan Foothills. It will end its regular season against rival Safford in one of the biggest 3A games of the year. Don’t remind Safford, but Thatcher has a four game win streak against 3A Safford.
8: ALA-GILBERT NORTH: Randy Ricedorff is 23-10 in his three years at ALA-Gilbert North. The Eagles won the 3A Metro East Region in 2018, but the program was not eligible for postseason play. The team cruised through region play last year after going 2-6 in “freedom games” before losing to top-seeded Benjamin Franklin 35-28 in the state quarterfinal round. As mentioned before, Benjamin Franklin moved up to the 4A Conference along with Northwest Christian and ALA-Queen Creek. The Eagles will get tested in non-region games vs. Snowflake and Thatcher. It’ll end its regular season against sister school ALA Ironwood. Sr. QB Jack Ricedorff (1,907 yards passing, 15 TDs) returns along with Jr. RB Easton Webster (541 yards rushing, 7 TDs) and Sr. slot Tillman Willis 5-8 140 (272 yards receiving). Jr. LB Spencer Nielson (43 tackles, 2 INTs) and So. LB Luc Asay (47 tackles, 2 INTs) return on defense.
9: YUMA CATHOLIC: Rhett Stallworth has 121 wins and three state championships with the Shamrocks, but a 37-34 loss to state nemesis Northwest Christin in the quarterfinals last year ended another shot at the top. Yuma Catholic’s ultracompetitive rivalry with NW Christian will take a break this year for the first time since 2008. The Shamrocks are stacked on defense with Sr. DB Jonah Leon, Jr. DB Mario Martinez, So. LB Jarred Marquez,
Jr. LB Devon Schmidt-Black, Sr. DL Jacob Bernal and Jr. DB Austin Priest returning. But the program will have to replace QB Gage Reese and his 10,621 career passing yards. Three returning QB’s are battling for the top spot. Sr. WR Jona Leon (723 yards re- ceiving, 10 TDs) returns but 1,000-yard rusher Jamar McFarlane graduated.
10: SAFFORD: The Bulldogs won the 3A South Region last year after struggling to get past the No. 2 spot, but the team fell to region foe Sabino in the first round of the state playoffs. The pro- gram returns Sr. RB CJ Scrivner (813 yards rushing, 10 TDs) and Sr. RB Eduardo Ogaz (485 yards rushing, 5 TDs) on offense and
Sr. DB Jared Garcia (39 tackles), Sr. DB Angel Atencio and Sr. LB CJ Scrivner (4 sacks) return on defense. Former Eastern Arizona head coach John O’Mera takes over after leading the Gila Hanks for 15 years.
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