Stopping the aerial attack
A young AWC football team returns with some key pieces in the defensive secondary
The Arizona Western football team has plenty of new and young faces this season, but one spot where there are some recognizable names is in the secondary.
With 17 players listed as defensive backs the Matadors will have some depth when it comes to defending the pass.
The secondary team will be led by the two returning starters, Bryce Beekman and Elijah Blades, who will look to fill the roles left open by Kaleel Gaines and Luca Vartic in the secondary. Beekman finished with 6 tackles and seven interceptions in 2017, while Blades had 22 tackles and one pick. Beekman is still weighing some of his options for where he goes after AWC, but Blades is committed to Oregon. Beekman was NJCAA All-American Honorable Mention.
“It’s our job to pull together with the new guys to show them what the route is and to show them how it was last year,” Blades said. “We’ll just continue to get better.”
Other returners include Willie Burns (6-3, 195) and DaQuirs Griffin (6-1, 185).
The Mats will also bring in a slew of transfers again starting with Tobias Gilliam (5-11, 190), who spent last season at Kentucky.
“He’s doing a real good job,” AWC defensive coordinator 2 Jerry Dominguez said. “He’s been going with the ones and twos. He’s with the ones. I think he’ll fill in really good.”
Freshman Jhevon Hill (62, 180) was originally committed to the University of Arizona, but he switched to AWC after some academic issues as a late qualifier. He was a three-star recruit out of high school. Dominguez thinks that it’s possible Hill could only be here for one season.
Zaire Webb (5-11, 180) , formerly of Washington State, and Jaylen Moore (511, 165), who redshirted last season, will also mix into the rotation.
The depth will allow AWC to use a variety of thirddown packages through the season.
“He (Webb) was here for spring ball, Dominguez said. “He’s giving us some good experience, and he’s fighting for the starting position.”
“He (Moore) knows his stuff really well,” Dominguez said. “It now just comes down to executing for him. That will help us in our sub packages. We’re obviously going to be bring