2A #1 Santa Cruz stepped up and scheduled 4A #3 Casa Grande for some Saturday night lights action when Desert Mountian was forced to pull out last week. I went out to Eloy, Arizona, and took in what was a much closer game than the 35-14 score indicates.
Here are my notes from the action that I witnessed:
-This is my second time seeing Angel Flores this season, and I have to say that he showed me he's ready for the big stage yet again. I left the last game impressed with his deep ball, and blown away by his physicality and decisiveness as a runner when he breaks the pocket. Both those observations were re-enforced on Saturday, but the one area where I wanted to see improvement- the medium range passes, and hitting receivers in mid-route with accuracy, was greatly improved. If the Cougars are going to challenge for a 4A championship, he's going to need to be able to move the chains with dinks and dunks in the event that other teams spy him in the running game.
-Because I've already evaluated Casa Grande, I'm going to spend most of my time on Santa Cruz here, but I will say that the thing I enjoyed most about this game is that both head coaches were completely unsatisfied after the game. That's my favorite kind of football- the kind that ends with mututal dissatisfaction.
"I don't like that moral victory stuff," said Dust Devils Head Coach Rishard Davis after the game.
I also talked with Casa Grande Head Coach Jake Barro after the game, and his team looked determined to improve after Santa Cruz completely hijacked the momentum in the third quarter to stop what looked like a sure route. After giving a pep talk to his team, Barro told me, "They're a good team, and they'd beat a lot of teams in higher divisions, but we know what we're capable of."
-Speaking of third quarter momentum, I'm not sure I've seen anyone have a better 10-minute stretch than senior TE/LB Dylan Hukill. In talking with Coach Davis after the game, I found out he missed the 2019 season due to a spring track injury, and he's been a huge addition to the 2020 squad. The 6-2, 175-pounder caught a long touchdown pass in the third quarter, which was called back due to a penalty, so he responded by laying some huge blocks that led to a rushing TD. Then on defense, hauled in a fantastic interception in coverage, which left him a little dinged up, but he stayed in the game and helped move the pile on the Dust Devils ensuing drive. This kid plays his heart out, and he'll be a force in Santa Cruz' upcoming championship drive.
-One of the primary reasons I went out to see Santa Cruz was to see what the hype surrounding RB/LB Hunter Ogle was all about. I went in thinking he was the typical 2A back who logs large stats from being force-fed the ball, and boy was I wrong. He simply makes plays within the offense, breaks multiple tackles on almost every carry, and when he replaces his brother Wyatt in wildcat packages, makes decisive runs that move the chains. Where he really wowed me, however, was on the defensive side of the ball. Hunter Ogle might very well be a college safety with the way he crashes down on the ballcarrier. I'm confident, without any hyperbole whatsoever, that he could start on any defense in the state. He reminds me a lot of 2019 Highland graduate Kohner Cullimore, who won ArizonaVarsity 6A two-way player of the year for the 2018 season.
My favorite play of the entire game was when he met Angel Flores head-to-head at the goal line and stopped him short.
-Two additional players that stood out for me are 2022 DB/RB Ricardo Alaniz, who was physical on both sides of the field. Don't let his slight frame fool you, you're going to need multiple tacklers to get the job done. On defense, he plays fearlessly, and adds a little extra pop with each hit. It was also hard not to notice 2022 OL/DL Tanzor Gil, whose height and weight aren't listed on MaxPreps, but has to tower above most 2A players. If I had to guess, he's at least 6-3, and around 250-pounds, and is a fluid athlete with solid blocking ability.
