There’s not much the Sunrise Mountain senior football players have not experienced. The Mustangs boasted the lone Arizona-based-team win over eventual 5A champion Williams Field in 2019, but suffered a blowout loss months later to the same team in the quarterfinals. From consecutive winning seasons to a stressful spring and offseason of COVID-19-filled scares, the class of 2021 for the Mustangs has been through it all.
Now the 30 or more fourth-year players, the most coach Steve Decker has had in his time with the Mustangs, are looking to end their high school football careers on a high note with success in whatever form the AIA presents the 2020 regular season.
Most of the seniors have played together since freshman ball, many even further back. Senior offensive lineman Robbie Maple said it has been a pleasure watching himself and everybody grow as people and football players. If that growth leads to production, it could spell trouble for opponents.
“We can see how much bigger everyone has gotten, stronger, and how much harder we can hit. It’s awesome,” he said.
On the field, Decker said the trenches – with Maple at the center – will be strength. There are knowledgeable players with big frames all over. They hope to push down the field and open space for a stable of talented skill players.
“We have a veteran offensive line: Three returning starters, two that got some playing time last year. And two of the three starters are returning for their third year,” Decker said.
“And we have three really good running backs. It kind of goes hand-in-hand.”
Maple agreed.
“That will be our main goal this year, just running it down people’s throats and getting down the field with the running backs,” he said.
The Mustangs have not yet named a starting quarterback. Decker said there is a legitimate three-way battle for the job. Whoever is decided, though, will lead a unit that has high hopes.
The returning players, including senior running back and linebacker Tommy Arnold, remember some contests in which the Sunrise Mountain offense did not put up the numbers it was expecting.
Thus, a balanced attack with the traditionally-effective defense boasting nine returning starters, could mean plenty of wins.
“In the past our offense couldn’t always do it, and the defense had to stick in. But this year they’re going to be surprised that the offense can score a lot and the defense can get stops, so we’re going to be tough,” Arnold said.
Like every team in the state, preparation was scattered at best and extremely difficult at worst in the wake of the Coronavirus shutdowns across Arizona. While coaching over Zoom, leaving the onus on the players to stay fit and ready all season, Decker was proud of the way his seniors showed their maturity in their preparation. Their leadership and camaraderie with the newcomers is a positive sign in which coaches everywhere are grasping for anything resembling help.
“They just know the culture and they’ve kind of been a part of this thing for a long time, so they know what it takes to do well,” Decker said.
“And that makes this situation a little easier.”
