Bulldogs have depth at WR but need to find a new QB
WEEKLY BLOG: 7/17/21
On April 15, just a couple weeks before Spring Ball was to begin, there was some surprising news from the Southeast Valley as Queen Creek head coach Joe Germaine left the Bulldogs to return to his alma mater at Mountain View. Just over a week later, QCHS turned to Travis Schureman, who served as the offensive line coach last season.
It's a spot of familiarity for Schureman, who was the head coach of the Bulldogs from 2013-2018 as he and Germaine swapped duties with Germaine becoming the offensive coordinator.
I spoke with Schureman earlier this week as he followed the team bus to Joseph City, where the team has held its camp since 2011. The Bulldogs were there from Monday through Saturday.
"Our summer went well," Schureman said. "The kids worked hard and did a great job adjusting with the changes and put in the time."
Last fall, the Bulldogs stood at 2-2 after a pair of close losses to Casteel and Liberty. What followed was a four-game win streak to close out the abbreviated eight-game season to finish 6-2. QCHS averaged 28 points per game and while it wasn't selected by the human committee for the Open Division, the Bulldogs were certainly in the discussion. Queen Creek was the No. 2 seed in the 6A playoffs and lost to eventual champion Chaparral in the quarterfinals.
Something the Bulldogs weren't originally planning for 2021 was making a change at quarterback. However, that became necessary when two-year starter Devin Brown, a USC commit, moved to Utah for his senior season.
While Schureman didn't want to disclose the names of those vying for the newly-open position, he said there will be a competition and there's a couple players he's excited about.
At wide receiver, junior Davey Morales took team-high honors with 34 receptions and 361 yards. Senior Kirice Blakley added 278 yards and a pair of '23s should also see action in David Hicks and Luke Gonzalez.
"Our depth at wide receiver is really good," Schureman said. "We have a lot of athletes out there we need to get the ball to so they can make plays for us."
The offensive line has been working hard during the offseason and returns two starters. Juniors Brody Curtis and Griffin Schureman line up at center and left guard, respectively. Senior Mack Taylor will be at the right tackle position. While there is competition for the left tackle and right guard spots, it's expected that senior Garrett Tanner will play somewhere on the line.
That line could generate big numbers for running back Payton Barlow. The senior rushed for 799 yards and five touchdowns while averaging more than six yards a carry. He was selected as First Team All-6A Fiesta Region. With the uncertainty at the quarterback position, Queen Creek could go back to being the ground-and-pound team it once was in 2013 and 2014 when Barlow's older brother, Weston, had a pair of 2,000-yard rushing seasons. In the Bulldogs' four-game winning streak last year, Barlow had runs of at least 44 yards in each contest.
And Barlow plays on both sides of the ball as well. He lines up at cornerback.
Last year's defense produced three players that went on to sign with Division I schools. Hunter Barth signed with California, Krew Jackson will be playing at Kansas State, and Trey Reynolds chose Utah. That means this will be a young team at Queen Creek that will play quite a few juniors.
One of those juniors is Trey's younger brother, Porter Reynolds. Porter is the Bulldogs' leading returning tackler with 68. The 6-foot, 225-pounder is moving to outside linebacker this year. In 2020, Reynolds was a First Team All-6A Fiesta Region selection on the defensive line. He also had 4.5 sacks, a pair of fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles. A starter from his freshman year, Porter has offers from Colorado and Washington State.
One of the returners to watch in the secondary is Sebastian Tomerlin. The senior had 30 tackles and intercepted three passes last season.
Helping in the transition of coaching duties was the return to a normal offseason. There was weight training, speed work, three weeks of spring practice, and 7-on-7 tournaments. The kids have bought in both in the weight room and on the field.
"It's being able to get back in the routine of our regular schedule," Schureman said. "There's not a whole lot of worry about this thing stopping (like it did on and off in 2020)."
Another thing that's been routine is Queen Creek winning most of its games. For 18 straight years, the Bulldogs have been in the playoffs. That streak dates back to 2003 when Queen Creek was in the 3A Conference. The school has grown and climbed up the ranks to 4A (2005), 5A (2015), and now 6A (2018).
"Our expectations are always high," Schureman said. "We expect to win football games."
The coaching staff includes Tommy Pace as the defensive coordinator and Dave Dobbs as the offensive coordinator. Former Florence head coach Scott Howard has joined the staff and will work with the defensive line and quarterbacks.
"It's an honor to be back as head coach," Schureman said. "I'm grateful for the coaches we have."
Queen Creek opens its season at home on Sept. 3 with a chance to get revenge from last year's playoff defeat against Chaparral.
