Buckeye receiver Haskin headed to Rocky Mountain
This is No. 8 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 341) of players from within the state moving on to the next level.
SPOTLIGHT: 2/23/24
If Darius Haskin is back deep to return a kickoff or punt, he might already be in scoring position. The Buckeye wide receiver hardly leaves the field doing time as a cornerback and on special teams.
He fielded and returned 22 kicks last season and averaged a mindboggling 45.8 yards on kickoffs and 27.6 on punts. Haskin had a long runback of 96 in the Hawks' playoff game against Eastmark. His longest punt return came from 63 yards in a victory over St. Mary's.
So, it's probably no surprise that when award season came around, Haskin was atop several lists. He scored six special teams touchdowns (four on kickoffs and two on punts) and was named to Channel 12's All-Friday Night Fever Team and we honored him here at Arizona Varsity with our 4A Return Specialist of the Year.
But, perhaps the biggest recognition came from the local NFL team, which had him out at a game in December to present him with its distinction.
Despite having back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons on top of the special teams exploits, recruiting didn't go as fast as the 6-2, 175-pound athlete had hoped. Haskin garnered a total of six small-school offers with one from Rocky Mountain in Billings, Montana becoming the second in mid-November. He later visited the campus before committing earlier this month.
"When I went up to Montana for a visit, the hospitality was amazing," Haskin said in an e-mail interview. "What made me choose Rocky was because they were the only team that took a chance on me, really."
Back in October, lead analyst Cody Cameron broke down Haskin's film and raved about his route running, quick bursts, and elusiveness. One of the key's from his head coach in the Friday Film Session article was Haskin's mental strength improving to match the physical strength he already possessed.
Last season, Haskin made 78 catches for 1,198 yards and scored 18 receiving touchdowns. Add the six aforementioned return TDs plus four rushing scores and a pick-six and he crossed the goal line 29 times. With his return yardage, he gave defensive coordinators sleepless nights as he averaged 207 all-purpose yards per game.
In the last three years that Haskin was at Buckeye, the Hawks have gone 22-11with playoff appearances each season. The pattern for success begins with Head Coach Puni Ellis and the rest of the staff, which doesn't just look week to week, but long term.
"A big part of the success is just the coaches," Haskin said. "They not only prepare us for the game, but they also prepare us for life after."
Haskin put up some big numbers in various ways last season. Against Glendale, he ran the ball six times for 180 yards and three touchdowns. In the St. Mary's game, Haskin had 13 receptions for 275 yards and five TDs (plus a sixth with a punt return). Against Thunderbird, it was a 148-yard effort receiving plus 187 kick return yards. So many different ways to beat you.
The special teams prowess is what might get Haskin on the field sooner than later.
"During the returns, I get the ball and it's just me and the field," Haskin said. "I get to dig in my bag a little bit."
Accolades for Haskin weren't just limited to the football field. He's played on the Hawks' varsity basketball team the past three seasons. This year, on a team that won the 5A Central Valley Region with a 12-0 record (16-11 overall), Haskin was named the region's Offensive Player of the Year. He averaged 13.7 points, 6 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game.
A unique player in the West Valley that certainly left his mark on a pair of varsity teams.
"I will miss my teammates and the organization, in general," Haskin said. "They always treated me like family."
Rocky Mountain recruited Arizona heavily in this cycle and was quite successful at bringing them in. A total of 16 players from State 48 will be heading up to the Battlin' Bears. It's a big class of 60 overall for the NAIA school, which plays in the Frontier Conference. Rocky won its last three games last year to finish at 6-4. It was the Battlin' Bears' third straight winning season.
Make sure to follow ArizonaVarsity.com on social platforms for more daily content!
Twitter (Arizona Varsity Podcast Network)
Twitter (Arizona High School Sports)
Support our sponsor:
