8 Shining Stars - Week 2

STAT BLOG: 8/28/18

Everyone has played at least one game now. There have already been some spectacular athletic feats taking place!

This is a weekly look at where we look back at eight different categories from last Friday and find a 5A or 6A standout performer for each. The name isn't that complex, we just call it "8 Shining Stars".

QUARTERBACK - Gunner Cruz (Casteel)

The 6-5, 225-pound QB passed for six touchdowns at Apollo, tying his most for a single game (Fountain Hills in 2016). The Colts used that quick-strike offense to stake out an early lead in an easy 60-24 victory. He passed for a career-high 451 yards and completed 24 of 30 passes (80 percent). Cruz committed to Washington State last May becoming the first athlete in school history to pledge to a Division I college. The win over the Hawks was the first for Casteel in 5A competition. The victories have been plenty for the Queen Creek school, though. The Colts are 24-3 in Cruz's 27 varsity starts. I was there to witness it for myself and here's the recap of the evening in Glendale.
Next Up: Casteel (1-1) is on the road in Buckeye against Verrado (1-0) this Friday.

RUNNING BACK - Kohner Cullimore (Highland)

The 6-1, 195-pound senior running back found the end zone three times, twice on the ground and once on a touchdown reception. In addition, he passed for a TD in the Hawks' 49-28 win over Hamilton. Cullimore finished with 114 yards rushing (on just seven carries) plus 63 yards receiving. He is a two-way player that made eight tackles playing free safety. Highland stormed out to a 28-7 lead late in the second quarter. Then, the Arizona monsoon swooped in and delayed the game to Saturday morning. The teams were back at it in Gilbert at 9 a.m. to finish what they started 14 hours before. Chilly was there with his Sideline Vlog and you can review the action here.
Next Up: Highland (2-0) is home in Gilbert against Boulder Creek (1-0) this Friday.

WIDE RECEIVER - Jake Smith (Notre Dame)

The 6-foot, 185-pound athlete continued to torch defenses for a second straight week. You could have made a claim for him at running back, where he rushed for 237 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Saints' win over Sunnyslope. You could have placed him on the special teams line as Smith brought a kickoff back 79 yards to the house. But, we'll put him at WR after he pulled in eight passes for 117 yards and three touchdowns. The longest of his six TDs was a 93-yard run when NDP was in the shadow of its own goal line. I had a chance to see Smith in the opener (when he only scored five times) and the Texas commit is off to an incredible start to his senior season.
Next Up: Notre Dame (2-0) is on the road at Gilbert (2-0) this Friday.

DEFENSIVE LINE - Anthonie Cooper (Millennium)

The senior defensive end tallied 4.5 sacks and had nine tackles for the Tigers as they opened their season with a 26-21 win over Maricopa. Cooper was part of a monster Millennium defense that sacked the quarterback eight times. The Tigers also forced four turnovers, one of which was a fumble that was caused by Cooper. It was the first win in an opener by MHS since 2014 (vs. North Canyon). Cooper is 6-2, 270 pounds, and holds offers from Northern Arizona and South Dakota State.
Next up: Millennium (1-0) is on the road in Oro Valley against Ironwood Ridge (1-0) this Friday.

LINEBACKER - David Bertelsen (Marana)

The 5-10, 185-pound linebacker had 12 tackles (three resulting in a loss) in a 26-0 blanking of Fairfax. In addition to his play on defense, Bertelsen kicked two of Marana's extra points. The Tigers have started the season with a pair of wins over Phoenix-area competition. The teams had to wait out weather delays, but got the contest in late Friday, despite rain and a driving wind. In the summer of 2017, Bertelsen qualified for the finals in the NFL Punt, Pass, and Kick competition in Orlando.
Next Up: Marana (2-0) is at home against Catalina Foothills (1-1) this Friday.

DEFENSIVE BACK - Anthony Drew (Alhambra)

The Alhambra schedule in 2018 is particularly difficult. The Lions opened with Highland and faced Mesa in Week 2. Alhambra brought the defense last Friday and it was a happy bus ride home to West Phoenix after a 16-14 win over the Jackrabbits. Drew, a 6-foot, 150-pound safety had three interceptions in the victory, which was the first for Alhambra against a non-PUHSD school since 2015 (Kofa). He also caught a touchdown pass on offense. AHS begins 6A Metro Region play this week.
Next Up: Alhambra (1-1) is at home in Phoenix against Tucson (2-0) this Friday.

SPECIAL TEAMS - Ricky Pearsall (Corona del Sol)

The 6-2, 200-pound athlete made plays in all areas for the Aztecs in a 19-14 win over Mountain Ridge. Pearsall had a 98-yard kickoff return and his other two runbacks totaled 72 yards. On offense, the Arizona State commit had seven receptions for 111 yards and a game-winning TD grab with just three minutes remaining. Defensively, the free safety had a pair of interceptions. Last May, Pearsall competed in a Nike Opening regional and recorded a 40-inch vertical and was timed at 4.65 in the 40-yard dash.
Next Up: Corona del Sol (1-1) is on the road in Chandler at Basha (2-0) this Friday.

TEAM - Boulder Creek

The Jaguars opened their season in style with a 23-15 victory over a Skyline team that most pundits had in their top 10s. As a matter of fact, someone on this page may have written something about Skyline being "the toughest team in the state" last month that made it on to the Boulder Creek bulletin board during training camp. Tip of the cap to you, Jaguars! This 6A Desert Valley Region seems to be a very strong one this year and BCHS adds to the depth. Senior QB Caden Austin is an underrated signal caller. Linebacker Patrick Serrano came to play as he had 15 tackles and three sacks. Hunter Burkett is a lock down corner that also brings big hits. Hendrix Johnson, who started at quarterback early last season, lined up in shotgun and had a 35-yard run on a keeper. Later, out of the slot, Johnson caught a short pass (behind the line of scrimmage) and burned the defense with his speed for a 58-yard TD burst. It was a sweep for the Boulder Creek program last week as both the JV and Freshmen teams defeated Skyline as well.
Next Up: Boulder Creek (1-0) is on the road in Gilbert against Highland (2-0) this Friday.