Senior Signing Spotlight: Brian Rodosta

This is the 23rd in a month-long series of profiles of Arizona high school seniors that signed with four-year colleges. Here's the full list (currently totaling 296) of players from within the state moving on to the next level.

SPOTLIGHT: 3/4/20

This Saturday morning, O'Connor HS will hold its annual Lift-A-Thon in North Phoenix. If people are sponsoring him by the pound, Brian Rodosta is going to rack up a lot of money for the Eagles' program.

Rodosta is already a member of the 1,500-lb. club (combining total weights of bench, dead lift, squat, and power clean). The offensive lineman will soon be a member of the Arizona Christian Firestorm.

Rodosta visited ACU's new campus in Glendale last January and came away impressed with the NAIA school.

"The atmosphere the moment I stepped on their campus was great and it was a place I felt connected and comfortable," Rodosta said in an e-mail interview. "The coaching staff there has very similar character traits as the coaching staff Coach (Steve) Casey has at O'Connor, which is a reason why I felt connected and comfortable there."

The 6-2, 285-pounder has played guard and center at SDOHS. Guard was his primary position as a senior, but Rodosta said he's a team player and will put his blocking skills on at any spot the Firestorm need him at.

"I honestly don't really know (what position I'll play), but I'll play wherever they need me to play," Rodosta said. "My job is to help the team accomplish its goals."

Rodosta began his high school years further to the west at Dysart in El Mirage. He was highly thought of by the coaches and teammates there. While Rodosta says he loved the coaching staff at DHS, he wouldn't change the way his HS career went. Due to the transfer to O'Connor, Rodosta had to sit out the first five games of his junior year due to AIA rules.

"That whole situation of transferring from Dysart to O'Connor was a humbling one, because I was used to getting all the reps and playing time to the point where I thought I was the best person on the team," Rodosta said. "That sounds bad to say, but I'm glad that the transfer made me think in a different way about how football works. I was forced into humility."

O'Connor may have gone just 7-13 over the past two years, but the school gets a lot of support from within and the Eagles have the type of program Rodosta liked being involved with.

"Even though we may not have had the best seasons over the last two years, it was all the coaches' wisdom they poured into us that made it all worth it," Rodosta said. "The best thing was everyone in the program bringing me in as if I was there since my freshman year."

Rodosta is especially appreciative of two seniors from the 2019 class - Ethan Moeller and Tanner Sharp - who took him under their wings and helped him learn both on the field and off of it.

Unlike skill position players, or members of the defense, offensive linemen don't have those stats you can point to when trying to get recruited.

"I have a little saying and it's 'trust the process'," Rodosta said. "Whether it is on or off the field, if you keep trusting yourself, so will other people."

Rodosta is a two-sport athlete that was the heavyweight wrestler at O'Connor. He is also active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes within the football program.

One of the most memorable moments of Rodosta's varsity career came last September when O'Connor boarded a flight to Honolulu to take on Campbell HS on Oahu.

"During that week, I finally realized that football was about more than just the game," Rodosta said. "I really liked this trip because it brought our team and the coaches closer.

While on the Islands, there were a couple of celebrations. First, Rodosta got to be a part of a baptism for one of his teammates and position coaches. His Mom was also there during the baptism of the Eagles' athletic trainer. The other festivity was the wedding for defensive coordinator Robert Latona. This was his last year of coaching and he wanted to share that special moment with the whole team. On Thursday night, the Eagles also played a football game.

It was a great offensive night for O'Connor as quarterback Dylan Simonton passed for 374 yards and accounted for five touchdowns. However, four passing TDs and a pair of pick-sixes were the difference as the Sabers prevailed 47-35. Still, it was much more than your ordinary road trip.

"That whole trip, from seeing Pearl Harbor, to the flight there, and back, was just amazing to spend time with my coaches and teammates," Rodosta said.

It was another big signing class for Arizona Christian last month. The Firestorm signed 66 players, including 18 from Arizona (11 of them high school seniors). ACU finished 6-4 overall and 6-2 in the Sooner Athletic Conference last season. The team played its home games at Cactus High School. The Firestorm improved as the season went on and won its last three games to register its fifth consecutive winning campaign.