STAT BLOG: 11/17/22

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

QUARTERBACK - Deion Conde (Sunnyside)

The 5-7, 145-pound senior closed out his varsity career with his most productive game of the season for the Blue Devils. His six touchdown tosses in a 47-0 shutout of Flowing Wells put Conde at 24 for the season and 55 for his career. Conde started the 2019 season as a freshman, had to sit almost all of his sophomore year as Sunnyside played in just one game during the pandemic season. He returned to start each of his last two years. On Thursday, he was very accurate at 20-of-27 for 379 yards (a career high). Despite the victory, Sunnyside was kept out of the 5A playoff bracket due to its strength of schedule.
Sunnyside (7-3) has completed its season. The seven wins were the most in a regular season for the Blue Devils since 2011.

RUNNING BACK - Marcus Hernandez (Tolleson)

The 5-7, 175-pound senior did all he could to end the Wolverines' three-game losing streak. Hernandez had a workhorse 33 carries and turned them into 289 yards and six touchdowns in a 43-7 win over Westview. It was the third time he went over the century mark. Hernandez entered the game with four TDs scored on the season and left the field with 10. It was quite a game to put a bow on his high school career.
Tolleson (3-7) has completed its season. The Wolverines scored a total of 80 points in their final two games.

WIDE RECEIVER - Jack Freeburg (Desert Mountain)

Desert Mountain finished the season with an 8-2 record behind a strong offense that averaged more than 35 points per game. The Wolves dialed it up to their biggest output of the year with a 61-14 win over Cactus Shadows. Freeburg, a 6-1, 175-pound junior, caught nine passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns. It was his sixth 100-yard game of the season and pushed him over the 1,000-yard mark. Last year, DMHS made a run to the semis. Losing a lead against Horizon last year will drive this team to another long postseason run.
Next Up: Desert Mountain (8-2) is home in Scottsdale against Verrado (5-5) this Friday in a first-round 5A playoff game.

DEFENSIVE LINE - Ahmed Saleh (Apollo)

Apollo will miss the postseason, but the Hawks finished the year with back-to-back wins to finish in a three-way tie in the 5A Northwest Region. Saleh, a 6-foot, 205-pound senior defensive end, had seven tackles, two sacks, and forced a fumble in a 35-14 victory over Ironwood. For the year, Saleh had six sacks for a Hawks team that finished with back-to-back winning records for the first time since 2011-12.
Apollo (6-4) has completed its season. The Hawks were just outside the playoffs at No. 18. AHS lost games to Sunnyslope (by 7) and Willow Canyon (by 5).

LINEBACKER - Nathan Bilski (Verrado)

The 6-1, 210-pound senior is a part of the Vipers' defense that had to step up in a must-win situation to reach the 5A playoffs. Verrado did just that with a 21-14 win on a 60-mile road trip to Casa Grande. Bilski, a team captain, made a game-high 15 tackles, recorded 2.5 sacks, and forced a fumble. He was named a 5A Desert West Region First Team linebacker and carries a 3.9 GPA. With 253 tackles in his three-year varsity career, he became the school's all-time leader.
Next Up: Verrado (5-5) is on the road in Scottsdale against Desert Mountain (8-2) this Friday in a first-round 5A playoff game.

DEFENSIVE BACK - Trevor Auerbach (Notre Dame)

Notre Dame capped off a 9-1 regular season and earned the top seed in the 5A tournament with a 31-14 win over Gilbert. The play of Auerbach was one of the reasons why. Auerbach, a 5-10, 175-pound senior cornerback, intercepted three passes for the Saints and had four tackles. The game marked Senior Night at Bemis Field in Scottsdale and also earned NDP the 5A Northeast Valley Region title.
Next Up: Notre Dame (9-1) is at home against Paradise Valley (9-1) this Friday in a 5A first-round playoff game.

SPECIAL TEAMS - Matthew Krneta (Hamilton)

The Battle for Arizona Avenue between Hamilton and Chandler came down to the wire. Every point counted and Krneta booted four field goals, including the game-winner as the final seconds ticked off the clock in the Huskies' 19-17 victory. The senior provided all of the scoring for Hamilton in the second half with field goals of 27, 35, 21, and 28 yards. As the Huskies' starting kicker for the past two seasons, Krneta is 24-of-28 on his field goal attempts (86 percent).
Next Up: Hamilton (8-2) gets this week off and will host Saguaro (7-3) in the Open quarterfinals on Nov. 25.

TEAM - Central

This year provided for some positive stories from the Phoenix Union District with winning seasons for Camelback and Carl Hayden along with five-win seasons for South Mountain, Fairfax, Cesar Chavez, and Trevor Browne. But the biggest turnaround was engineered by Chandler Hovik at Central. The Bobcats defeated Camelback, 27-19 to win the 5A Metro Region. Just four years ago, in Hovik's first season, Central played Paradise Valley, McClintock, Maricopa, Fairfax, and South Mountain and was outscored by that group by a combined 198-40 (and went 0-5). This season, the Bobcats played those same five schools and outscored them by a combined 170-99 (and went 5-0). Senior quarterback Dominik Bagchi completed 64 percent of his passes for 2,195 yards and 32 touchdowns (with just three interceptions). The receiving combo of Breon Ballard (659 yards, 12 TDs) and Kohnor Roque Brown (687 yards, 10 TDs) made defenses guess who would be getting the ball. On defense, senior Aaron Francis led the Bobcats with 68 tackles and six sacks. Junior Bryson Ballard had 56 tackles and intercepted four passes. He also scored nine touchdowns in a multitude of ways (4 rushing, 1 receiving, 2 interception returns, a punt return, and a kick return). For the first time since 2009, Central is in the playoffs.
Next Up: Central (9-1) is on the road in Goodyear against Desert Edge (7-3) this Friday in a first-round 5A playoff game.