Introducing the '22s

WEEKLY BLOG: 11/22/18

The growth of Arizona high school football is very real. Last February, a total of 16 players signed with Power Five schools. It is almost definite that the current crop of seniors will top that as 24 have already committed to Power Five colleges (with more than two months remaining). Looking ahead to the junior class, there are 35 with college offers, which is more than I can remember at this phase of the game. Of that total, 29 members of the '20 class have received offers from the Power Five (Big Ten, Pac-12, ACC, SEC, and Big-12 schools).

But today, we're not talking any more about them. Each week, I cover the seniors that receive offers and commit to colleges. Every Friday for the past 14 weeks, I've gone out to a varsity game to take in the action under the lights and report on what I saw both in article form here on Arizona Varsity, on Twitter, and in the Gridiron Scroll podcast.

We're going to look a few years ahead and dive into the Class of 2022. Those players just completed their first seasons of football and are close to capping off their first semesters of high school (keep them grades up!).

I've heard a lot of good things coming out of this group, and leading the charge from the media aspect of it has been Arizona Varsity's own Chilly. He's gone out and seen several of these kids, either during the summer, in 7-on-7 tournaments, at preseason practices, or for Wednesday night games.

So what prompted the interest in taking his Sideline Vlog out to the Frosh games? There aren't any bands, raucous student sections, or television cameras. The referees are still gaining experience so that one day, they might get those coveted Friday night assignments.

"Our 2019 class is special and I had a chance to get close to some of them," Chilly said. "I thought it's a good idea to get a look at them before most of the media gets out there and gets to know them."

I asked Chilly about some of the players he's seen this year. We'll break them down by position.

At quarterback, it starts with Adryan Lara, who didn't play freshman football. The 6-foot, 170-pounder at Desert Edge took the varsity snaps from Game 1 at Prescott. In the Scorpions' first-round playoff victory over Walden Grove, Lara completed 10-of-15 passes for 234 yards and four touchdowns.

"Just getting that little dose," Chilly said. "You have to wonder if he can play at the next level."

As for the rest of the signal callers, Chilly mentioned Devin Brown of Casteel, who still made it a point to introduce himself despite having a subpar game against Williams Field. Highland's Gage Dayley had complete control of the Hawks' offense in the huddle. Chilly called Saguaro's Ridge Docekal "masterful" and said he was in tune with the running backs and linemen with the Sabercats. Trenton Bourguet has finished his varsity career at Marana, but younger brother Treyson is one to watch. Chandler played two quarterbacks this season with Jalen Daniels and Gavin Reetz. Finally, Chaparral's Brayton Silbor was called up to varsity and made the start for the Firebirds' playoff game against Desert Vista due to a pair of injuries.

In Desert Vista's run-heavy offense, Devon Grubbs got his name out there with a five-touchdown, 237-yard effort (on just 14 carries) against Boulder Creek. He spent the entire year on varsity and scored 13 TDs.

"You just know that kid is special when he has the ball," Chilly said. "Follows the holes perfectly and is fluid."

At the 3A level, Aziya Jamison led ALA-Queen Creek's varsity team in rushing with 672 yards. He has size at 6-foot, 185 pounds and can move. Williams Field's Kaden Cloud was the star player in the Black Hawks' freshman team victory over Casteel (see Sideline Vlog below). Casteel also has an RB to watch with Mason Wolf. Horizon's Brian Bogardus is a strong runner that can bench 285 pounds. Finally, QuaRon Adams of Chandler can flat out fly.

The talent at Saguaro doesn't end with the current crop of juniors. In addition to Docekal, the Sabercats have the versatile Shawn Miller at receiver.

"He's a talented athlete that can probably play any position on the field he wants to," Chilly said.

Other receivers include Ethan Whitmore of Highland, Kyion Graves of Chandler, and Gavin Smith of Notre Dame. Smith is the younger brother of senior star Jake Smith. Chilly said Gavin is similar to his older brother in terms of his aggressiveness and ability to move around. He also plays safety.

One to mention on the offensive line is Gavin Broscious (6-3, 280) at Desert Edge. The Scorpions had a few of their big men sign with colleges last February and seem to have more in the pipeline.

On defense, Chandler has a pair with defensive end Amar Elmore and safety Franky Morales. Chilly said Morales "comes up and hits hard". Saguaro always has big dogs up front and a future one is developing with defensive end Tristan Monday.

The most important part of freshman football is getting the opportunity to take the reps and learn the game, whether it's as a first-time player, or one that has Pop Warner experience.

"The instruction and the coaching are key," Chilly said. "A lot of the strong programs are such because they have good coaching all the way through.

Some schools have their varsity coaches show up to home games. Not to play big brother to the coaching staff, but to monitor the program and help motivate the young players.

For current middle schoolers interested in playing at the HS level, Chilly advises treating it like high school prospects search for colleges, but not with the varsity teams.

"Go watch the freshman team play and see how they're coached," Chilly said. "I would advise them to take some visits to schools nearby."

One of the things I noticed in Chilly's Sideline Vlogs for the freshman games is the presence of varsity teammates on the sideline to offer encouragement and advice. Passing that knowledge on to individuals that the ninth graders look up to is invaluable in keeping this cycle going.

"We've got some amazing talent," Chilly said. "They're being very well coached by not just the varsity coaches, but from their varsity peers."

Here's a couple freshman games that Chilly took his Sideline Vlog out to this year. The first one (EP 9) features Saguaro and Chaparral. The one below it (EP 11) was in the Southeast Valley for Williams Field and Casteel.

Next, we're going to shift the focus to the 6A level and take a look at seven teams from seven different districts that all had successful seasons. Each won at least seven games. Before getting to those, I want to give a shoutout to Highland (8-1). Unfortunately, I don't have any more information on the Hawks because phone calls and e-mails to the freshman head coach were not returned.

I'm not going to rank the top freshman teams, so instead they'll be listed in alphabetical order.

CESAR CHAVEZ

Record: 9-0
Key Players: S Tavian Dennis, RB Oliver Walker, QB Xavier Castillo, WR Breshaun Braun, OT Bruce Crawford, DE Jacob Holmes, LB Daniel Serpa, WR Gabriel Soto, WR/S Dwayne Waithe

Castillo is a 6-4 drop-back passer. The Champions' perfect record included wins over Red Mountain, Queen Creek, Perry, and Brophy. Chavez gave up just 33 points all season and recorded five shutouts.

Gilbert Porche has led the freshmen since 2008 and also coaches the girls' basketball team at CCHS (both varsity and freshmen).

"The kids are coached up," Porche said. "That's probably the best team I've ever had at Cesar Chavez."

One of the important things the coaching staff stresses is how to play on the offensive line. Another facet is teaching both offense and defense to all of the freshmen. There are five position coaches at Chavez and each coaches one offensive position and one defensive position. Players go to their specific position coach to get work in before coming together as a unit.

"We want freshmen to learn both sides of the football," Porche said. "We might have a kid in the wrong position."

CHANDLER

Record: 9-0
Key Players: RB QuaRon Adams, WR Kyion Graves, WR Nason Coleman, QB Gavin Reetz, QB Jalen Daniels, DT/OG Micah Lutu, DT/OG Leo Tuituu, DE Samari El-Amin, CB Travis Roberts, CB Alfred Smith, LB Markye Wheaton

If we were ranking teams, the Wolves would be in the No. 1 spot. CHS outscored its opposition 557-68 this year. The Wolves scored 56 or more in every game and never allowed more than 18 points. Keith Taylor is in his sixth year of coaching with the freshmen and this is the fourth straight season that his team was undefeated.

"Early on, I could tell this would be the best defense we've ever had," Taylor said. "The kids buy into the program and what we're doing."

Adams ran an electronic 10.78 in the 100 meters in eighth grade. Reetz and Daniels split series throughout the year. The starters were out by halftime of most games. Wheaton is the younger brother of Markus, who played in the NFL for Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Philadelphia.

Chandler had one game this season against Liberty where on three consecutive series, it scored on a punt return, a fumble recovery, and an interception. That can make it a task to get the offense some quality reps.

"Games are difficult," Taylor said. "A lot of times we stress that the best competition you get will be in practice."

CHAPARRAL

Record: 8-1 (loss was to Saguaro)
Key Players: QB Brayton Silbor, TE/S Jacob Franze, RB/LB Alejandro Echavarria, OL C.J. Eastwood, OL Ethan Leigh, DE J.J. Holmes, WR/S Drew Boxwell

The key to success for the Firebirds wasn't necessarily with star power. CHS won three games this season by a touchdown or less.

"More than any year I can remember, we had a team comprised of a lot of average to above-average players who sacrificed the 'what's in it for me' attitude for an attitude that cared more about the success of their team and their teammates," head coach Scott Ruby said in an e-mail interview.

Chaparral is known for its academic standards and that agenda is pushed at the freshman level along with character.

"Freshman football at Chaparral strives first and foremost on molding a bunch of young boys into responsible, mature, tough young men who care about each other and their team more than themselves," Ruby said. "The priorities of faith, family, and education come before football, even at the expense of winning games."

It's during the summer that the team concept is emphasized. At Chaparral, it's typical that more than half the freshman team has played one year or less of football, so technique is continuously worked on.

"Summer programs begin the process of burying 'me' and raising 'we'," Ruby said. "We introduce multiple offensive and defensive schemes."

PINNACLE

Record: 7-2 (losses were to Chaparral and Boulder Creek)
Key Players: QB Zach Wren, RB/LB Cole Franklin, OL/TE/DL Zone Wierenga, WR/DB Ryan Meloche

The 2022 class wasn't just talented on the field starting the year at 7-0, they have a path for developing high character as student-athletes as well.

Pinnacle has a Character Matters program that focuses on four pillars (Work, Connect, Think, and Believe).

"These pillars are the foundation of our football program and our players are introduced to these pillars the moment they become football players at Pinnacle," offensive coordinator Justin Burke said in an e-mail interview.

Another feature at PHS is a college recruiting committee. They take a strong interest to help give any of its student-athletes a chance to play beyond the high-school level laying out the steps and educating them along the way.

"As we have said in the past, 'coaches don't get players scholarships, players earn them'," Burke said. "However, we want to help educate and be a resource for anyone who wants and needs help with the process to earn a chance to play at the next level."

Many coaches want to see their athletes in the weight room. The Pioneers encourage their players to play multiple sports.

"We want our players to find other ways to compete and become better athletes," Burke said. "These players only have a four-year window to experience high school athletics."

Taking advantage of these other opportunities could develop a passion in that sport. If players aren't involved in other sports, they are encouraged to lift with their teammates at Pinnacle.

"Every year, it is proven that our strongest players are the ones that lift at Pinnacle with their teammates and that has been our selling point for many seasons," Burke said.

QUEEN CREEK

Record: 7-2 (losses were to Chandler and Cesar Chavez)
Key Players: RB Payton Barlow, QB Brandon Wettstein, DB Kade Farrell, DB Sebastian Tomerlin, DB Jack Blakeman

More than half the kids on the freshman team have played some football before. The tough hard-nosed mentality that many associate with the Bulldogs begins at the lowest level.

"Kids are pretty new and not familiar with a lot of things," head coach Randy Gardner said. "We try to instill a strong work ethic, which determines a lot of success."

Queen Creek rebounded from an 0-2 start by reeling off seven straight wins. Part of its strong season comes from being healthy and avoiding season-ending injuries. Gardner said the most common injury he's season over the past two years at QCHS have been with the shoulder. Sometimes, it becomes separated and players are in rehab for a few weeks or longer.

The school day at Queen Creek ends at 2:00 and practice doesn't begin until 3:30. Many of the Bulldog players take advantage of this time by staying at school and using the coaches' rooms as a study hall to get the homework done.

"Our emphasis is also in the classroom," Gardner said. "We try to emphasize it as well."

RED MOUNTAIN

Record: 8-1 (loss was to Cesar Chavez)
Key Players: RB/LB Parker McClure, RB Josiah Villanueva, QB Brayden Grantham, DT/OT Javier Pinon, OL Max Bray, LB Skylar Edmonds

After a season-opening loss to Chavez, the Lions rolled to eight straight wins with each by double digits (average margin of victory was 38 points). McClure was moved up to varsity in Week 7 after averaging 16 tackles per game at middle linebacker. Villanueva shattered the school's freshman rushing record with more than 1,500 yards and 25 touchdowns. Grantham not only has a big arm, he's a USA Baseball team member. Bray is the younger brother of junior Ben Bray, who was an All-Region selection on the O-Line. Edmonds was the team's MVP.

"We are excited for the future," head coach Leo Aviles said in an e-mail interview. "Our participation numbers have been 75+ for the past two seasons, which is nearly triple the previous year."

Red Mountain might have a stranglehold on the East Valley Region for a while. Last year's freshman team was 9-1. Aviles also said the current group of eight graders is very talented as well.

The offensive coordinator at RMHS is Joe Timpani, who was a former state champion at Seton Catholic. Aviles called him a "great asset".

There is a marked difference in coaching freshmen versus seniors.

"Learning the systems initially, is tough for some," Aviles said. "Establishing dedication and toughness while trying to create the love of football is the constant battle for most freshmen. As they get older, it seems to get easier because there are more conditions."

WESTVIEW

Record: 7-1 (loss was to Red Mountain)
Key Players: FB Nicholas Mejia, LT Edgar Mendoza, LB Terrence McGary, LB Gabriel Gonzalez

Mario Renteria is in his 19th season of coaching at WHS and in that time he has mostly worked with the freshmen. In their seven wins, the Knights allowed just 32 points, taking three by shutout.

Like the varsity team does, the frosh squad at Westview runs the single-wing T offense. It's a tradition that has been at the Avondale school for many years and whether the kids have three years of experience or none, it's what is taught from the start.

"The ones that have played do grasp the fundamentals," Renteria said. "I like to make it as easy as possible for both groups to learn."

The varsity Knights reached the playoffs for the 14th consecutive season in 2018. While there is no postseason at the freshman level, the attitude of being able to compete is instilled as some in the West Valley feel Westview gets overlooked.

"Some don't think we have enough size in our players to play with other programs," Renteria said. "We're starting to get more kids with size."

One of tasks at the introductory level is to rally others to join in on the fun and dedication of football. Kids like doing activities with their friends, so coaches encourage them to communicate to others and see if their peers are interested in joining the program.

Westview feels it can play with anyone in the state, whether it's at the varsity level or with the freshmen. It goes along with the philosophy.

"We don't expect to be handed things," Renteria said. You've got to go and take it from them."