Nightmare for defenses
YC’s Henderson had breakout campaign as wide receiver, punt returner
J.R. Henderson was a name bubbling just under the surface for the Yuma Catholic football team.
The backup quarterback as a freshman in 2015 got time under center last year, with mixed results, after the injury to starter James Stover.
As a junior in 2017 after being moved to full-time wide receiver on offense, Henderson was eyecatching all season long on offense, defense and special teams, capturing a breakout season and earning this season’s honor of the Yuma Sun/ Yuma Rotary Club Football Offensive Player of the Year.
Wide receiver, punt returner, safety, kick returner, even on the punt team — Henderson was always on the field for Yuma Catholic, which reached the quarterfinals of the 3A state playoffs.
“It’s nice to always have him on the field because you know you can have a gamechanging play anytime during the game,” Yuma Catholic coach Aaron Cheatwood said.
Henderson finished the season with 1,336 receiving yards, 326 kick-return yards, 412 punt-return yards and 74 yards on interceptions for a grand total of 2,188 all-purpose yards in 11 games.
“It definitely is a good feeling being on the field at all times, being able to help in any way possible,” Henderson said.
Henderson’s liftoff in 2017 began in the summer.
From the outside, it appeared Henderson would be taking the reigns as the quarterback, but Cheatwood saw the potential of Henderson at wide receiver. Sophomore Gage Reese’s play at quarterback also gave Cheatwood the notion of having Henderson be the young signal-caller’s top target.
The selling point came at a passing league in San Diego. Henderson was up against defensive backs from Chandler and big schools in the San Diego area. No one could stop this 5-foot-11, 160-pound kid from the 3A school in Arizona.
“He had a hell of a summer that just solidified and made that decision to run with a sophomore quarterback and leave J.R. at receiver, because he’s one of the best players on the field every time he steps on the field,” Cheatwood said. “They didn’t have a guy that could cover J.R.”
Henderson said that passing league was when he and Reese really began to build a rapport that would be evident later throughout the regular season.
“You think of Chandler,