Gleash leads Centennial D-Line in shutout victory
STAT BLOG: 10/14/20
Most teams now have two games in the books. There have already been some spectacular athletic feats taking place!
This is a weekly look at where we look back at eight different categories from last Friday and find a 5A or 6A standout performer for each. The name isn't that complex, we just call it "8 Shining Stars".
QUARTERBACK - Seth Gallardo (Shadow Ridge)
The 5-7, 140-pound QB passed for five touchdowns against Westwood in just his second varsity start. Gallardo got it started on the Stallions' first drive completing a 40-yard TD pass to Zachary Sutton. The Gallardo-Sutton combo struck again before the first quarter ended, this time on a 56-yard play as SRHS went on to a 48-21 win. Gallardo passed for 305 yards and completed 17-of-26 passes. Through two games, he is hitting on 71 percent of his passes and the Stallions are 2-0 for the first time since 2013.
Next Up: Shadow Ridge (2-0) is home in Surprise against Mountain Pointe (0-2) this Friday.
RUNNING BACK - Eli Sanders (Chandler)
The 6-foot, 190-pound senior running back found the end zone four times - all in the first half - against Pinnacle. Sanders, a Boise State commit, finished with 213 rushing yards on 12 carries. Chandler stormed out to a 37-0 first-half lead at home on its senior night, and crushed the Pioneers, 64-0. The Wolves showed their depth at the position in the second half as the team rushed for 422 yards. Sanders has 100-yard games in each of the first two weeks and has scored five touchdowns.
Next Up: Chandler (2-0) is at home against Perry (0-2) this Friday.
WIDE RECEIVER - Isaiah Newcombe (Casteel)
With Casteel trailing 14-3, the comeback both started and finished with long scoring plays to Newcombe. First, Dane Christensen connected along the sideline with the 6-1, 185-pound UCLA commit for a 61-yard touchdown. Then, with less than three minutes remaining, it was a 90-yard play that gave the Colts the lead for the first and only time on the night, 25-24 (which was also the final). Newcombe had seven catches for 206 yards. The senior also had 56 yards in kickoff returns and punted four times.
Next Up: Casteel (2-0) is home in the QC against Queen Creek (2-0) this Friday.
DEFENSIVE LINE - DJ Gleash (Centennial)
The senior defensive tackle tallied a pair of sacks and had 10 tackles as the Coyotes defeated Mountain Pointe with ease. The shutout (37-0) was the 72nd in the career of head coach Richard Taylor. Gleash also caught a 16-yard pass in the game as a tight end. It was the first reception in a HS career that has seen the 6-4, 215-pounder record 17.5 sacks.
Next Up: Centennial (1-1) is on the road in Gilbert against Williams Field (1-1) this Friday.
LINEBACKER - Eli Mackowski (Desert Mountain)
The 6-1, 180-pound linebacker had eight tackles and an interception in a 24-10 win over McClintock. The interception by Mackowski was brought back 25 yards for a touchdown to give the Wolves a cushion late in the third quarter. Coming off back-to-back 3-7 seasons, Desert Mountain can equal that win total with a victory this week.
Next Up: Desert Mountain (2-0) is on the road in North Phoenix against Goldwater (1-1) this Thursday.
DEFENSIVE BACK - Jordan Ginnis (Saguaro)
The junior safety made an impact in Saguaro's first game of the season. Ginnis had five tackles, a sack, a pass breakup, and an interception in which he sprinted 52 yards untouched to the end zone in the Sabercats' 27-0 win at Brophy. Saguaro's defense held Brophy to just nine rushing yards (on 31 carries) and 14 yards of total offense. The 5-10, 180-pounder, who can also play running back, played in half of Saguaro's games as a sophomore after transferring into SHS from Chandler after his freshman year.
Next Up: Saguaro (1-0) is on the road at Maricopa (1-1) this Friday.
SPECIAL TEAMS - Carson Bachmann (Basha)
Trailing 7-0, Basha needed a spark and Bachmann gave the Bears one with a kick return. Bachmann fielded it at the 5, eluded a few tacklers in the middle of the field near the 30-yard line, and then took off. It was all speed for the last 65 yards as no Corona del Sol player could touch the 5-11, 170-pound athlete. The Aztecs may have remained undefeated with a 28-24 win, but Basha gave CdS all it could handle. Bachmann also plays cornerback and made a tackle, plus he brought another kickoff back for a 32-yard return.
Next Up: Basha (0-2) is at home in Chandler against Desert Vista (0-2) this Friday.
TEAM - LIBERTY
For a team that lost 40 seniors due to graduation, playing Chandler in the opener was a tall task. After a 44-10 loss to the Wolves, some may have thought Liberty would be in for a down year. But, the Lions recovered from that and playing the speed of Chandler helped them be game ready in a rematch with Red Mountain. Just like last December, the Lions from the West Valley won again. This time, it didn't go overtime, and Liberty left no doubt in a 30-0 shutout. LHS held Red Mountain to just 125 passing yards and 84 on the ground. It was the first time RMHS was blanked in 10 years. On offense, Brock Mast completed 70 percent of his passes for 221 yards and connected with six different receivers. Cail Knapp had a pair of touchdowns lining up as a Wildcat QB. Sam Wolfer caught a TD pass for the second week in a row. Arizona Varsity's Cody Cameron was there and provides info in Cameron's Corner. He took a look at the top players in the game and also shares his postgame notes.
Next Up: Liberty (1-1) is at home in Peoria against Sunrise Mountain (2-0) this Friday.
