Rattay pinch-hits in Chaparral’s opening victory

Jim Rattay, who has the secondmost wins in Arizona high school football history, was just looking for a good game to watch in Week 1 when he became part of it at Chandler Hamilton.

Scottsdale Chaparral offensive coordinator Tim Kohner -- who was Rattay’s son, Tim Rattay’s favorite target in high school at Phoenix Christian -- spotted his former coach on the track before the game.

“Our box guy didn’t make it and video didn’t work,” Kohner said. “I handed him a headset and said, ‘I need ya.’ ”

Rattay, who stepped down at Laveen Cesar Chavez two years ago with 332 career wins (second to Paul Moro’s 334 in state history), went to the press box and became Kohner’s eyes on the field, looking for tendencies and openings that might work in Kohner and head coach Brent Barnes’ playbook.

Chaparral got 453 passing yards from junior quarterback Jack Miller with junior receiver Tommy Christakos catching 12 passes for 238 yards and a touchdown and senior receiver Marcus Norvell II gaining more than 100 receiving yards and making the overtime catch in the corner of the end zone to beat Hamilton 36-33.

Barnes, making his Arizona coaching debut, was grateful for the assist from one of the state’s coaching legends. Tim Kohner and Tim Rattay, a former NFL quarterback who is now offensive coordinator at his alma mater Louisiana Tech, are good friends.

“Tim has a close relationship with (Jim Rattay),” Barnes said. “We were having trouble with sideline video. We were relying on that. We felt we needed to put someone else in the box.

“He just happened to be there. We didn’t know if he would take us up on it but he did. Obviously, it’s great to have someone who knows what to look for.”

There is a chance that Barnes and Kohner could ask Rattay to help in future games.

“From the acceptance of our staff to the willingness of him to help out in a quick pinch was really something fun and special,” Kohner said.

Record broken

Hamilton senior quarterback Brandon Schenks, making the transition from wide receiver this year, broke Terrell Suggs’ 1999 single-game school record for total offensive yards in the overtime loss.

Schenks had 496 yards, 323 passing and 146 rushing. He broke Suggs’ record of 393.