Camacho quite the catch for surging Green Valley
Flag football force with INTS, catches as Gators hunt titles
Green Valley flag football coach David Torrez logs all the school records in the team’s official program, which he began assembling in 2017 as a means to commemorate each season.
Jazlyn Camacho is ensuring that it will need an update or two before next year.
Camacho, a junior linebacker and wide receiver, has a single-season school-record 16 interceptions and five interception return touchdowns.
She’s also top five in the state in tackles with 118, and on offense, she has 1,046 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Her dynamic, two-way play has helped the Gators, who improved to 18-1 with a 20-0 victory Wednesday at Tech, emerge as a top contender for the Class 4A state title after they lost to Coronado in the Sunrise Region championship last season.
In short, she wants to break records. And win championships.
“She’s just put together. She’s a phenomenal athlete in whatever sport she tries to do,” Torrez said. “Even as a freshman, I knew she was going to be something special because of her athleticism.”
Camacho is a natural athlete who tried practically every sport while growing up. She’s played soccer since she was 6 and scored a team-high 15 goals for Green Valley last fall.
But she didn’t discover flag football until middle school.
“I heard about the program, and I love sports,” said Camacho, a lifelong Raiders fan. “The game, it’s so fun, once you’re in it … it’s just like a different feeling. This is my favorite.”
Camacho excelled on the freshman team in 2016-17 and was called up to the varsity toward the end of the season.
She recorded seven interceptions and 128 tackles a year ago as a fulltime varsity starter and inherited more responsibility this season after the graduation of several key seniors.
Torrez also has used her on offense this season, and she’s thriving as senior quarterback Jennifer Haberstock’s top target.
“She’s one of the first people to look at,” said Haberstock, who is second in the valley in passing yards with 3,045, with 42 touchdown passes. “If the ball is up in the air, and I know it might be a tough spot, she’s going to go up and get it. She’s going to fight for it.”
Camacho acknowledged that she pays attention to her stats. And understandably so. She has the school’s single-season and career interception records and is on pace to break the single-season receiving yards mark. She led the valley in interceptions until Wednesday, when Whitley Brow of Foothill picked off three passes to give her 17.
The school tackles record (168) is also within her grasp. But the individual accolades are secondary to team success.
“She’s all over the field,” Torrez said. “She has a motor that never quits.
She never comes off the field for us and never asks for a break. She never looks tired or anything like that.”
Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Bysamgordon on Twitter.