Cody Cameron is in his second year with ArizonaVarsity, and he brings a unique mix of playing, broadcasting and analytical experience to the team. Follow him on Twitter HERE, and make sure to Follow Arizona Varsity on:
Last Friday night, I drove down to Chandler to watch a 3A Showdown that featured the (7-1) Arizona College Prep Knights and the (4-4) ALA Gilbert North Eagles. ALA Gilbert dominated in all phases of this football game as they went on to defeat the ACP Knights 38-6, outscoring the Knights 24-0 in the second half. This win clinches the Eagles a 3A Metro East title.
Standout Players
2020 ALA Gilbert North DE/WR Malakai Williams (6’5, 205)
Williams made a huge impact making multiple big plays in the second half including an incredible pick-6 in the fourth Quarter. With a little over seven minutes left in the game, Williams came off a block and snagged an intended screen pass out of the air, cruising down the left-sideline untouched for an interception returned for a TD. Williams also trucked an ACP Punter as he fumbled a snap, a play that gave the Eagles great field position and lead to a scoring drive. Williams is one of the best two-way players on this Eagles team.
2020 ALA Gilbert North QB Jacob Mcaleavy (5’11, 180)
Mcaleavy impressed me the most out of any player on Friday night. The lefty dual-threat shredded the Knights defense as he finished the night with 304 total yards (208 through the air and 96 on the ground). He ran hard, made smart throws, and most importantly, did not turn over the football. Mcaleavy was the man on Friday night.
2021 ACP Safety Joel Diaz (6’1, 180)
Diaz is going to be a household name next season. He's a great athlete who can run well and make plays sideline-to-sideline. He came flying down the alley from his Free Safety position to make a few plays near the line of scrimmage on Friday night that were pretty impressive. The Junior DB finished with 8 total tackles. Diaz leads the team in interceptions and ranks second in tackles and pass deflections.
2021 ACP LB Kellen Gibson (6’2, 210)
Gibson's a big, physical player who has really improved from his Sophomore to Junior season in terms of size and strength. Gibson had a team high 13 total tackles on Friday night. The Junior LB has now eclipsed the 100-tackle mark in back-to-back seasons. Congrats Kellen, well done.
Eagles Soaring High
After starting the season 2-4, ALA Gilbert North has rattled off three wins in a row. After their big win on Friday night I talked to Senior captains Kade Thorley and Malakai Williams about their team’s performance as well as what the Eagles need to do to continue to win on Friday nights.
Up Next
(0-9) Coronado @ (5-4) ALA Gilbert North
(5-4) Gilbert Christian @ (7-2) ACP Knights
