Watson becomes breakout star at ALA QC
It might be the comeback of the year. American Leadership Queen Creek, trailing Pinnacle by 18 points in the final quarter of last week’s game, rallied behind quarterback Enoch Watson, punctuated by what is being called “The Play” with 13 seconds left to win 29-28.
Watson, under pressure, threw a pass as he was hit on the arm. The ball hit off a teammate’s helmet. Watson lunged to catch the ball, then ran through four defenders from 19 yards out for the touchdown that won it.
“It was a play that just happened, in slow motion,” Watson said.
It’s something kids dream about, realizing something like that happens maybe once in a million.
“I think the craziest part was our comeback from 18 points down,” Watson said. “Three touchdowns.”
But it shows the grit, the instincts, the toughness of the senior, who a year ago was running Wing T and mostly handing the ball off or running in Cococino’s offense in Flagstaff.
Nobody knew what ALA Queen Creek would do in the biggest conference (6A) four years removed from winning the 2019 championship in 3A. The Patriots (4-1) have held their own, knocking off Sandra Day O’Connor, an Open playoff team last year, and the 2022 6A runner-up, Pinnacle, in backto-back weeks.
Next up is 4-1 Phoenix Mountain Pointe on Friday.
The jury still was out on what kind of quarterback Watson would be because he never got a chance to showcase his passing abilities in Coconino’s runheavy offense. But that changed once he got to ALA Queen Creek in March, where he began working with two of the greatest quarterbacks in BYU history — head coach Ty Detmer and offensive coordinator Max Hall.
In the 4-1 start, Watson has passed for 1,432 yards and 19 TDs with two interceptions and has a 128 QB rating.
Watson came to Queen Creek last March for a variety of life reasons, Watson’s father said, including escaping the bitter winter weather, work, and having older siblings out of the house. It was just time to move. He was granted a transfer hardship from the AIA due to the long-distance (180 miles) move, which allowed him to avoid sitting out the first half of this season.
“It’s the coaching staff,” Watson said for his success at ALA QC. “They’re the best coaches in the state.”
Nate Watson, Enoch’s dad, said it’s been a blessing for Enoch to learn from what he calls two of the best high school coaches in the country.
“Not only are Coach Detmer and Hall
phenomenal coaches, they are great examples and life mentors to all the boys,” Nate said. “I think once the coaches saw firsthand Enoch’s serious talent, they were able to solidify a complex, prostyle offense leveraging his skills both throwing and running.
“And fortunately for Enoch, he has a stable of baller wide receivers that can get open and catch the ball,” his father added.
“Enoch is a student of the game. Whether on the field or in the film room he’s always finding ways to improve. Since the move down he’s put in hundreds of hours meeting with Max on the offense.”
Detmer won the Heisman Trophy in college. Hall became the winningest QB in BYU history, going 32-9 from 200709, after returning from a two-year church mission.
“Max worked a lot with him on footwork,” Detmer said. “Cleaning that up. Being in the pocket more than being on the edge and making plays. It’s great that he has that ability, too. We had to kind of dial in the drop, set and throw more for him. He hadn’t been accustomed to doing that.”
With his brother Pierson, a 6-3, 210pound linebacker, signing last year with BYU, before going on a two-year church mission in Argentina, Enoch was the last of the siblings at home with his parents, so they decided to leave the cool pines for the Valley desert.
They made the move in March. ALA Queen Creek was the perfect spot for Enoch to develop under Detmer and Hall. BYU is his dream college. He committed once he got that offer. But, like his brother, he’ll go on a church mission.
Detmer was not LDS when he came to BYU, where he converted there, before ending up winning the Heisman in
1990, breaking NCAA passing records with the Cougars. Detmer, 6-foot, 190 when he played, was the offensive coordinator at BYU in 2016 and 2017.
Taking those two years for the church can help a player with maturity once he starts college at BYU, but Detmer said, “I’ve seen kids come back and lose that edge a little bit.”
“I don’t worry about that with (Enoch) at the quarterback position,” Detmer said. “Max could talk more to it. He served a mission and came back and still had that edge.”
After graduating from Mesa Mountain View, Hall went on a mission.
Hall, 37, who didn’t have the long NFL journey that Detmer had, said it worked out for him once he got acclimated back to football at BYU.
“I made the decision to go to BYU not because of football but for the culture and my faith,” Hall said. “I went up there, worked hard. But it is hard when you’re gone that long. You get out of shape. You’re so focused on preaching the gospel.
“It always takes usually a year to get back into rhythm. The nice thing about BYU, they know how to handle that, because they have so many returned missionaries.”
Hall calls Enoch, who is 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, a workaholic, who digs into the playbook, watches film and is always wanting to work.
“The play, to catch it and get in (last week), it just showed his heart and determination,” Hall said. “He broke three of four tackles and got in. He’s a fun kid to coach.
“He’s more elusive than you think. You watch him run, he’s hard to tackle, he’s got good moves. He sees the field well. I’ve been super impressed with him. He’s a great quarterback.”