YC’s Reese named Cardinals’ HS POW

Junior QB threw for 609 yards, 7 TDs at American Leadership-QC

This has been a big week for Yuma Catholic’s junior quarterback Gage Reese.

Reese, who threw for 609 yards last week and seven touchdowns last Friday, was awarded the Arizona Cardinals’ Arizona High School Player of the Week on Thursday.

During the visit he was presented the award by Nicole Bidwell, the daughter of Arizona Cardinals owner William Bidwell, the mascot “Big Red” and Cardinals cheerleaders.

“It’s huge when they send one of the owners, cheerleaders, mascot and all of that,” YC coach Rhett Stallworth said. “It’s a good thing for Gage.”

During the game where Reese broke the school record for single-game passing yards, he led his team from a two-score deficit to defeat the American LeadershipQueen Creek 49-27. He was 26 of 43 for 609 yards with seven touchdowns and two picks.

Oddly enough, the record-setting performance didn’t earn him his highest quarterback rating of the season. On Friday he had a QBR of 124.8, but two weeks earlier during a 36-30 win over Northwest Christian he had a rating of 154.8.

In that game, he was 14 of 19 for 236 yards and four touchdowns.

Through four games this season Reese had 20 touchdown passes to six interceptions for 1,445 yards.

“I think he finally just sat back and let the things unravel,” Stallworth said. “He trusted the system. In our system you just have to trust the process and know that it’s going to work. He’ll have a certain read and when that read happens he was ready to pull the trigger. He didn’t try to force to an individual or a spot.”

Reese is the second player from YC to win the award and the third from Yuma. In 2015 Yuma Catholic quarterback Stetson Stallworth given was the award after passing for 413 yards and seven touchdowns in a 56-14 win over Bourgade Catholic, and in 2010 Cibola running back Jordan Mitchell won it after rushing for 321 yards and three touchdowns in a 20-14 win at Basha.

The Shamrocks (3-1 AIA) will be back tonight at home against River Valley (1-3 AIA).

Buy this photo at YumaSun.com PHOTO BY RANDY HOEFT/YUMA SUN YUMA CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL junior quarterback Gage Reese (left) receives a glass trophy from Arizona Cardinals mascot “Big Red” during Thursday morning’s presentation honoring the Cardinals’ Arizona high school Player of the Week selection inside the gym at Yuma Catholic. Reese received the award after passing for 609 yards and seven touchdowns during Friday night’s 49-27, come-from-behind win at American Leadership Academy-Queen Creek.