HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL REWIND
Big hits. Telling tales. Incredible comebacks. Let's look at how Week 9 in Arizona high school football went down.
Biggest takeaway
With so many more schools in the Southeast Valley, sometimes it's easy to forget what is going on in the Northwest Valley, mainly in Peoria. There is some really good football being played out there, as well. Peoria Centennial is No. 1 in the state (all divisions included). Peoria Liberty had the second-best 6A team on the ropes, before Phoenix Pinnacle rallied from 19 down in the second half to pull out a 34-33 win. Peoria Sunrise Mountain has rolled up five consecutive wins since a 49-43 loss to Liberty. Centennial is coming off back-toback shutouts and has only allowed 48 points in eight games. There is no question Centennial has the state's best defense. And the program is not afraid to play anybody anytime. Ask Las Vegas Bishop Gorman and Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas the last two years. Yet Centennial can't seem to crack national Top 25s. That's OK because the Coyotes know who they are. And being slighted only adds to their swagger.
Biggest statement
Yes, defense is played at Glendale Cactus, a school forever known as an offensive machine during the long Larry Fetkenhier coaching era. In a 44-0 win over Lake Havasu, the Cactus defense didn't give up a first down, first-year coach Joseph Ortiz said. Ortiz said that is a first in school history. The defense took it personally last week after taking a pounding by Goodyear Desert Edge in a 33-22 drubbing. "Defense played 48 minutes and didn't give up a first down," Ortiz said. "To me, it's almost impossible." Middle linebacker Matthew Herrera had three sacks. Strong safety Nicc Quinones, called "our hustle guy" by Ortiz, was flying to the ball. The Cobras intercepted three passes and had a safety. "They were so gap sound and flying to the ball," Ortiz said. "They're going to be the side we ride all the way to the playoffs. If we play like this, we're going to make a deep run in the playoffs."
Biggest moment
Centennial junior Jaydin Young was absolutely not going to be denied the end zone against Glendale Ironwood during one series, in which he lined up at Wildcat and scored three touchdowns. The first two were called back by penalties. But on a second-and-50, Young hurdled a defender on his way to a 65-yard touchdown run. Big brother Dedrick, now a top linebacker at Nebraska, was a thunderous running back during his day at Centennial. Little brother has been lightning for the undefeated Coyotes at running back and safety this season.
Biggest comeback
Down 33-14 late in the third quarter, Pinnacle turned to its ace, senior quarterback Spencer Rattler, and a maligned defense to turn it up. Rattler threw a pair of TD passes in the final two minutes of the quarter and the defense finally found a way to derail Liberty quarterback Jonah Guevara in a 34-33 victory that left nobody in 6A undefeated. This was probably the best thing to happen to Pinnacle (7-1), which hadn't been tested since a 42-35 loss in California to JSerra Catholic on Sept. 8. The Pioneers did get a scare from Surprise Valley Vista, rallying from a deficit to pull away 41-25. But they didn't get tested in their last two games.
Biggest guts
Phoenix Mountain Pointe brought the house and Scottsdale Chaparral junior quarterback Jack Miller stayed in the pocket. After leading Chaparral to a 7-0 lead, Miller suffered an injury to his left knee as he drove the Firebirds to Tommy Christakos' range for a 49-yard field goal and a 10-0 lead. Coach Brent Barnes debated pulling Miller, but Miller wouldn't come out. Without his usual mobility, Miller became "a sitting duck," Barnes said. But he showed toughness getting through the game, playing basically the last three quarters on one leg and throwing for nearly 300 yards. "It was extremely gutsy," Barnes said. "It was a tough battle for him. They were bringing in more pressure. He handled it well." Barnes called it a bone contusion and will see how Miller gets through the week. ESPN has to be keeping its fingers crossed that Miller will be able to play Oct. 19 at Pinnacle, where the Chaparral Pinnacle game is being televised nationally. This game was set up because of the two quarterbacks -- Pinnacle's Spencer Rattler (an Oklahoma commit) is ranked No.1 at his position in the 2019 class; Miller (an Ohio State commit) is regarded as one of the top five quarterbacks in the nation in the 2020 class.
Biggest rebound
Just when it appeared Douglas' 5-0 start was looking like a mirage, the Bulldogs did something they hadn't done since 2009 -- beat Tucson Amphitheater. They held the Panthers to 34 yards offense in the second half of the 38-21 win. This came on the heels of 42-0 and 50-3 losses to Tucson Pueblo and Sahuarita Walden Grove, conjuring images of last season when Douglas went 0-10 in coach James Fitzgerald's first season. But there is fight in these Dogs, who will try to see if they can get their season-opening forfeiture to Bisbee overturned this week by the Arizona Interscholastic Association's Executive Board. Douglas' biggest beast has been Christian Estrella, who had two rushing TDs as the Bulldogs ran for nearly 300 yards.
Biggest emergence
This has been percolating since the beginning of the season at Phoenix Desert Vista. Freshman tailback Devon Grubb was given small doses of Friday night lights before he got turned loose for the first time in a 66-0 rout of an Anthem Boulder Creek. Grubbs took off, rushing for 231 yards and five TDs on 15 carries. Grubbs could be the next coming of former Phoenix Brophy Prep running back Mike Mitchell, one of the greatest high school running backs in Arizona history, who went on to play at Stanford. Grubbs has great vision, several gears and he is only going to become more powerful as he physically matures.
Around the state
Flagstaff Coconino secured its first winning season since 2012 with a 34-18 win over Kingman Lee Williams. The Panthers have scored 283 points in eight games. They scored 285 points combined in 20 games before this year. QB Ty Furr is generating interest from 10 colleges.
Phoenix Greenway senior QB Tyler Duncan shook off three interceptions and totaled four TDs in a 40-20 4A win over Phoenix St. Mary's. Duncan had 129 yards rushing on eight carries and passed for 209 yards, completing 9 of 19. The Demons are 7-1 and tied for first in the Skyline Region at 3-0 with Tempe. Tempe and Greenway meet on Friday for what figures to be the region crown and an automatic state playoff berth.
Tempe had two players run for more than 100 yards in a 66-49 win over pass-happy Phoenix Thunderbird, as Pharoah Leggette-Williams had 263 yards and three TDs on 23 carries and Bayyan Prince ran 30 times for 188 yards and two TDs. Tempe tied a school record for most points in a game. The Buffaloes amassed 526 rushing yards.
Senior Wyatt Jeffries became Tucson Empire's alltime leader for rushing yards in a 14-13 win over Tucson Cholla. He had 163 yards, giving him 3,249 in his career. It was a proud father-son moment. His dad, William, is Empire's head coach. "He has had to listen to the critics of his dad is the coach," William said. "Wyatt tuned out the noise, stayed humble, worked hard, and it has now paid off with this record."
Phoenix Barry Goldwater (5-3) continues to make big strides under coach Doug Provenzano. It leads 5A in rushing, averaging 309 yards in eight games. In a rout 40-3 win over Surprise Willow Canyon, Goldwater had 304 rushing yards on 36 carries with Rascheed Sterling gaining 172 yards on 13 carries.
Yuma Catholic junior Gage Reese was 19 of 29 for 302 yards and six TDs in a 3A win over American Leadership Academy Gilbert North, giving him 39 TD passes and 2,666 yards in eight games.
Mario Padilla returned to action in a big way for Tucson Salpointe Catholic. The senior running back needed only two carries for 95 yards, both TDs, in a 49-6 4A win over Oro Valley Canyon del Oro. Padilla has missed three games this season because of an injury. With Bijan Robinson doing his usual thing -- 123 yards and two TDs on eight carries -- Salpointe has perhaps the best one-two backfield punch in the state, at any level.
- Scottsdale Christian rallied from a 28-14 halftime deficit and beat Eloy Santa Cruz 43-40, jump-started by a 21-0 third quarter, in this key 2A game that could hurt Santa Cruz's playoff hopes.
Week 10 Game of the Week
Pinnacle plays host Chaparral on Friday in an ESPNtelevised game, featuring two of the nation's best quarterbacks -- Rattler (2019) vs. Miller (2020).