Poston Butte justified their #1 ranking last Thursday with a big win over Apache Junction, 49-6. TeamAZV's Chilly was in attendance, and brought the Sideline Vlog with him to chronicle the action.
Here are my notes from the action that I witnessed:
-This was my first time seeing Zion Burns up close. Is he a DB, like University of Nevada sees him? Is he a RB? WR? I have no idea. All I know is that he has next-level acceleration, and a good frame. I'm sure you could make him into whatever you need him to be. On an early 75-yard TD run, he shook one tackler a couple yards past the line of scrimmage, and then 3-4 steps later, he had created 15 yards of distance between himself and everyone else. That speed is as real as it gets, and he reaches top speed as quick as anyone in the state. The fact that they can spell him and keep him fresh by feeding the rock to other talented runners like Nick Cocomello is an extreme luxury for this team.
-Poston Butte QB Gavin Lloyd reminds me a lot of Hamilton alum and former Simpson College starting QB Sam Sasso. He might be an inch shorter, and has a little more of an ability to break tackles as a runner, but the moxy and winning pedigree is there. We'll see what happens if one of these teams gives Poston Butte an early challenge and the Broncos are forced to throw the ball a little more than the current average of 6 attempts per game. When/if they do, I think you'll see some good things out of ATH Jimmy Brooks.
-I did not expect to see multiple high level prospects that I was previously unaware of at a Poston Butte game. First and foremost, the sky is the limit for 6-4, 205 sophomore TE Connor Lopez. He already presents a matchup nightmare downfield, and the fact that he knows what he's doing as a route runner, has a little bit of speed, very solid hands, and spends his time in a system that is honong his skills as a blocker... there's zero reason that his recruitment shouldn't already be taking off.
-I'm also intrigued by 6-5, 270 offensive tackle Cade Alisa... who I learned just now as I'm typing this is also a sophomore. Yikes. Poston Butte could be building something very special, and sustainable, out in the far southeast valley.
-Sometimes at these games a player jumps out at you for any given reason. Maybe it's their speed, or size, or effort, or the fact that they always seem to be involved in a big play. Sometimes a player checks all the boxes. That player last Thursday was junior DB Amari Gilmore, who according to our own Andy Luberda, is a transfer from Chicago.
On Apache Junction's first drive, Gilmore flew to the ball to make a play on the RB from the starting point of being the opposite side corner. He had two interceptions, and absolutely stifled every attempt by Apache Junction to get back in the game. What's better is it's not his only dominant performance of the year so far.
Check out his film below and see what he's done this season for yourself:
-One of my favorite players in the state last year was Apache Junction QB Gibson Limongello. He was fast, physical, and super intelligent. Now, his younger brother Gavin Limongello has taken the reigns of the offense, with Gibson on the sideline coaching him up. Gavin has a lot of the same traits, but he's just raw and inexperienced. Withhis brother there to guide him, we could see some really special things out of Apache Junction's QB over the next 2.5 seasons. Stay tuned.
-Chilly and I have been following the progress of young Apache Junction safety Jordan Digos for a while now. He's compact, listed at only 5-6, but the kid is absolutely fearless. It was fun to watch him haul in an interception on Thursday, and take down multiple ballcarriers. He's already squared off against the best 4A has to offer, in Mesquite and Poston Butte, so it should be interesting to see how he performs against some of the more equally yoked competition in his division.
-Chilly listed his top 2024 players in our subscribers-only TeamAZV forum, and included Apache Junction RB Isaiah Savoie, so I was definitely curious to see what he'd be able to do against some high level competition. I'll say this much- he got up from about 3 different hits that would have knocked any other freshman out of the game. His versatility in moving back and forth from RB to WR is something not many freshmen could master at the varsity level, and he's definitely got the size to hang with the big boys. I'll be watching his progress closely.
-Someone worth watching is Apache Junction senior LB Brody Bullard. He has good size, is involved in every play defensively, and even scored a couple of TDs against Mesquite early in the season.
