Over 200 yards for Guevara as Liberty cranks up scoreboard to 74
STAT BLOG: 9/7/21
The 2021 season has officially begun! For most of the 82 schools in 5A and 6A, the first of (hopefully) 10 regular season games have been played (the rest should get going this Friday).
I launched this review back in 2017 where we look back at eight different categories and find a 5A or 6A standout performer for each. The name isn't that complex, we just call it "8 Shining Stars".
QUARTERBACK - Nicco Marchiol (Hamilton)
The 6-2, 215-pound signal caller started eight games for the Huskies in his junior year and had 11 touchdown passes. After just one game in 2021, Marchiol is nearly halfway there as he threw five TD passes in a 56-7 win over Desert Ridge. He was accurate, completing 15 of 20 passes for 345 yards. Marchiol connected with six different receivers mostly featuring senior Christian Anaya (10 catches, 189 yards, 3 TDs). Tre Spivey and Michael Masunas also grabbed touchdown receptions. Marchiol added 63 rushing yards to the cause as well. Hamilton was within a whisker of capturing the Open Division championship last year and is driven to get back behind the leadership of their West Virginia commit at QB.
Next Up: Hamilton (1-0) plays on the road this Friday at Casteel (1-0) in Queen Creek.
RUNNING BACK - CJ Greer (Trevor Browne)
The 5-10, 175-pound athlete found the end zone three times and finished with 176 yards on the ground in a 41-36 victory for the Bruins at Yuma. The game didn't end until 11:30 as the Trevor Browne bus pulled in right at 7 and the game was delayed by 45 minutes. Greer, a junior, only got to play in two games last season and rushed for 152 yards in the last of those against Alhambra. He had more than half of the Bruins' carries as the team rushed for 257 yards. Greer also caught a touchdown pass from Alex Rivera.
Next Up: Trevor Browne (1-0) plays on the road this Friday at Maryvale (0-1) in West Phoenix.
WIDE RECEIVER - Jordon Guevara (Liberty)
The 5-8, 150-pound senior was a part of several big plays on a night that the Lions spread the ball around and scored at will. During a 74-27 victory over Mountain Ridge, Guevara caught five passes for 207 yards (41.4 average) and scored two touchdowns. He added 52 yards in the rushing department. Liberty showed some serious depth with quarterbacks Dom Ochoa and Navi Bruzon completing passes to nine different receivers. Guevara was one of the standout players that Arizona Varsity's Jacob Seliga pointed out in his recap of the game.
Next Up: Liberty (1-0) plays on the road this Friday at Boulder Creek (0-1) in Anthem.
DEFENSIVE LINE - Porter Sweet (Desert Mountain)
The senior defensive end helped the Wolves put on a defensive clinic against Gilbert. In a 34-7 win, Sweet (6-3, 225) had a team-high 10 tackles (five for a loss) and three sacks. The Desert Mountain team limited GHS to 11 passing yards and scored three times on defense. Sweet is difficult to keep away from ball carriers with his 79-inch wingspan. He is set for a full season in 2021 after only being able to play in half of the games his junior year (transfer from Fountain Hills).
Next Up: Desert Mountain (1-0) is at home in Scottsdale against Chaparral (0-1) this Friday.
LINEBACKER - William Stemler (Buena)
The Colts' defense started the year with a 41-0 shutout at Goldwater. Stemler led Buena in tackles with 10 and also had an interception (which was returned 35 yards). He is a team captain, stands 6-2 and 225 pounds, and also plays tight end. On offense, Stemler had a 25-yard catch and even got into the scoring mix with a run up the middle late in the third quarter. With his size, he has been getting recruiting attention from Drake.
Next Up: Buena (1-0) is home in Sierra Vista against Cienega (0-1) this Friday.
DEFENSIVE BACK - Jaylen Huckaby (South Mountain)
The 5-8, 165-pound senior intercepted three passes against Fairfax. In a 19-6 victory, the Jaguars forced four turnovers. One of those three picks was taken back for a score by Huckaby. In addition to the heroics on defense, he played some quarterback for SMHS and had 70 rushing yards with a pair of touchdowns, so in the end, Huckaby accounted for 18 of the Jags' 19 points. He is playing his third year on varsity for South Mountain.
Next Up: South Mountain (1-0) is home in South Phoenix against Sunnyside (0-1) this Friday.
SPECIAL TEAMS - Javen Jacobs (Saguaro)
The 5-11, 185-pound senior showed why he is one of the top athletes in the state right out of the gate. Saguaro destroyed McClintock, 63-0 and managed to do it while running just 26 plays from scrimmage. Jacobs was a force with three punt returns that totaled 144 yards with two of those going to the house. He also had a 20-yard run and a 37-yard reception for the Sabercats.
Next Up: Saguaro (1-0) is home in Scottsdale against ALA-Queen Creek (1-0) this Friday.
TEAM - Verrado
The Vipers kicked off the coaching debut of Dustin Johnson with a big 21-14 victory at Notre Dame. Quarterback Erick Santiago shared time at the position in his sophomore year, but he took all the snaps last Friday and completed 10 of his 17 passes and had a couple touchdowns. With Logan Gingg having graduated, VHS had seven different players run the ball and the group combined for 117 yards. Seniors JD Alicea and William Oster hauled in the TD passes. On the other side of the ball, defensive back Colin Tibbs had two interceptions. Senior Cameron Coronado was in on the action with 16 tackles. In our Arizona Varsity Forum picks, we installed NDP as a 13.5-point favorite and Verrado didn't just keep it close, it earned the outright win. In our minds, that's the shocker of the week!
Next Up: Verrado (1-0) plays on the road this Friday and has a long trip, heading to Tucson to face Desert View (1-0)
