Hamilton’s defense shuts down Saguaro
In a season of survival, on who can complete eight games without COVID raring its ugly head, there were big plays, big statements, big moments across Arizona in Week 4 of high school football.
Biggest takeaway
Second-ranked Chandler Hamilton unleashed a defense that might be the only one in the state that can slow down top-ranked Chandler in the Huskies’ 13-7 win at No.3 Scottsdale Saguaro. Saguaro scored its only touchdown on special teams. That’s a big statement in itself against a Saguaro team that held its own on defense. The Sabercats caused junior QB Nicco Marchiol to have his worst game since moving from Colorado. But that’s a great Saguaro defense that will only get better with transfers now becoming eligible. The ESPN2 game was bogged down by penalties. “They’re drive killers,” coach Mike Zdebski said. “One (penalty) is hard enough, let alone two.” But overall it was a good showing by both teams’ defense, and should work in Hamilton’s favor in the national rankings. Chandler deserves its top-10 national ranking. This might be Chandler’s best team ever. But Hamilton and Saguaro are still in the mix for the Open title run, based on how well their defenses played. And we haven’t seen the best out of either team yet.
Best reminder
If the Arizona high school football community didn’t already know, Hamilton cornerback and punt returner Cole Martin showed why he is the best sophomore football player in the state and has nearly 20 Division I scholarship offers. He put on a punt return clinic against Saguaro, including a 75-yarder inside a minute to play in the first half that led to a short field goal and a 10-7 lead. He had another long punt return earlier in the quarter that set up Marchiol’s 8-yard touchdown run that tied Saguaro at 7. Now the rest of the nation got to see how special a talent Martin is. Martin picked up his first college offers even before playing a high school game his freshman year at Hamilton.
“It was something special,” Martin said of his punt returns on national TV.
Biggest adjustment
Phoenix Horizon was without 30 players, including five offensive starters, but, with 29 suiting up, the Huskies blew out Gilbert 49-7. Coronavirus kept players out, according to coach Ty Wisdom, who said contact tracing was used to know who could play or not. “Our team found out 24 hours prior to our game last night,” Wisdom said. “Credit to our kids and coaches for making the necessary adjustments for us to be successful. Our defense played great throughout, creating five turnovers. And with five offensive starters out, we had some guys step up when needed.”
Wisdom, whose team has won three straight since opening with a 52-13 loss at Phoenix Pinnacle, said he is not sure if he’ll be able to field a team next week against Saguaro.
“Right now, it’s still up in the air whether or not we will have enough players to safely play the game next week,” he said.
Biggest producer
Anthem Boulder Creek senior Jacob Cisneros continues to show up, put up big yards, and score touchdowns every week. In four games, he has scored a state-leading 14 touchdowns. On Friday in a 35-21 win over Gilbert Mountain Ridge, Cisneros ran 29 times for 250 yards and four TDs and had 113 yards receiving. He might be the most underrated player in the state on the season. But, as Boulder Creek assistant coach Justin Simons said, “This is nothing new, he did it last year.”
Last year, the 5-foot-10, 195-pound Cisneros scored a total of 19 touchdowns in 10 games, running for 1,474 yards and 12 TDs and catching 48 passes for 524 yards. So far Cisneros’ only offers are from Pennsylvania, San Diego, Cornell and Yale. None of those schools give athletic scholarships but academic aid. Northern Arizona has been touching base.
Best freshman output
Gilbert San Tan Charter is new to AIA football this year, but a freshman is starting to emerge from coach Kerry Taylor’s team. Freshman quarterback QB Zayden Neill had his breakout moment in a 42-15 win at Holbrook, competing 21 of 39 passes for 401 yards and three TDs. He also ran for a score. After losing its first two games to two of the top 2A teams -- Eloy Santa Cruz and Morenci -- the defending Canyon Athletic Association champions have won two in a row and are getting their confidence back. Especially Neill, who will go through some growing pains but has the potential to be very special before his high school career is over.
“Zayden Neill’s biggest strength is his poised demeanor on the field,” Taylor said. “He never gets ahead of himself. He is doing a better job each week with his progression in reads and identifying defenses. At only 14 years old, this kid is one of the top freshman in the country, in my opinion. Over the next four years, people will see this kid has legit Power 5 potential.”
Best effort in a loss
Glendale Independence fell to Surprise Willow Canyon 45-35, but junior receiver/kick returner Valentin Gbafore put on a show for the Patriots. He had 282 allpurpose yards, including four catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns. He had an 82-yard scoring run and a 95-yard kickoff return for a TD.
Biggest statement
Not long after Chandler blew out Gilbert Higley Chandler 63-7, scoring four touchdowns in the opening quarter, coach Rick Garretson posted on Twitter, “WORRY ABOUT US... I’LL LEAVE I IT AT THAT! #STRONGERTOGETHER”. Nobody has forgotten that four-time defending state champion Chandler has won 30 games in a row, is the best team in Arizona and is a top-10 team in the nation. USA Today had the team ranked No. 8 nationally coming into the week. MaxPreps had it at No. 5. The Wolves have three more quality opponents in Peoria Centennial next week, and back-to-back games to close the regular season against Gilbert Highland and Hamilton. Assuredly, they’ll all be worrying about the Wolves.
Best comeback
Since being shut out for the first time in a long, long time, in the 42-0 loss to Hamilton, Centennial is rolling again. The Coyotes beat Mountain Pointe 37-0, Williams Field 14-8 and Pinnacle 31-21. The key has been coach Richard Taylor getting senior wide receiver/ safety Rashon Adams loose. He had three touchdowns, including a 60-yard catch that gave Centennial a 24-21 lead late in the third quarter, and had an interception. But the Coyotes run into another litmus test in their next game, going up against Chandler. Centennial could have a couple of key transfers ready to go that might help. But they’re still a long way from being the dominant team they were the past five or six years.
Best opening act
Scottsdale Chaparral waited longer than anybody on the current AIA football schedule to play a game. Because two positive COVID-19 cases caused the Firebirds to quarantine 14 days starting two days before their scheduled opener against Saguaro, they opened at home Friday, on Senior Night, with a 35-0 rout of Phoenix Brophy Prep. Senior running back Jared Williams had to wait a month to show why he should be in the All-Arizona conversation, running for 99 yards and a 64-yard score in the game’s first nine minutes. Chaparral wanted badly to be able to play Saguaro, but it can only compare their games against Brophy. Saguaro shut out Brophy 27-0 in what became Saguaro’s opener.
Best night to be a coach/dad
From Yuma to Gilbert to Lakeside, there were reasons for coaches to be proud of their quarterbacks’ performances. They are also their sons. Lakeside Blue Ridge went to Chandler and gave 3A Arizona College Prep its first loss of the season in a 42-37 win with P.J. London, son of head coach Bob London, passing for 257 yards with TD passes of 44 and 63 yards, on 14 of 17 completions. He also ran for 96 yards. At Yuma Catholic, in a 54-21 win over El Mirage Dysart, Richard Stallworth, son of head coach Rhett Stallworth, was 32 of 40 passing for 559 yards and five TDs. He also ran for two more scores. Richard Stallworth, a sophomore, is just 15 years old and has limited tackle football experience, Rhett said. But he has a good arm and size at 6-2, 210. “He is getting better each week and that is all I can ask for,” Rhett said.
Around the state
● Queen Creek Casteel nearly pulled off another miracle comeback, but fell short to Gilbert Williams Field 31-28, after outscoring the Black Hawks 14-3 in the final quarter. Casteel came into the game 3-0 with two come-from-behind wins.
● Maricopa Sequoia Pathway, a 2A school, lost its first game as an AIA member, falling to Phoenix Veritas Prep 48-6.
● Logan Hubler passed for 275 yards and five TDs in American Leadership Queen Creek’s 59-28 win over Tempe Marcos de Niza. ALA-QC won the 3A title last year, before the football program was promoted to 4A.
● Gilbert Arete Prep beat Globe 34-26 behind junior QB Matthew McClelland, who had 261 total yards (122 rushing, and 139 passing) in the first 11-man victory in school history. He is averaging 402 total yards a game.
● Prescott sophomore Cody Leopold had 142 yards rushing and two TDs and more than 10 tackles in a win over previously unbeaten Flagstaff. Senior Brayden Nelson had a TD catch and two interceptions, returning one back 74 yards for a score.
Looking ahead
In the Week 5 Game of the Week, Chandler (4-0) travels to take on Centennial (3-1) next Friday night. This is a chance for Centennial to make a move toward the Open Division.