Senior Signing Spotlight: Josh Hovatter

This is No. 13 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 281) of players from within the state moving on to the next level.

SPOTLIGHT: 2/20/20

Lake Forest College, a Division III school located 30 miles north of Chicago, is considered a very high quality college at a good price. With less students (1,600) than most 5A high schools, the students boast an average GPA of 3.62. The school's football program has also long recruited Arizona.

There are currently 29 players from the state on the Foresters roster for this spring. And seven more are set to join them for training camp late this summer with head coach Jim Catanzaro. One of those is Josh Hovatter.

The 6-1, 260-pound center and long snapper at Centennial had several offers from Division III and NAIA schools. He visited Ottawa and Concordia College in Minnesota. In late January, he also checked out Lake Forest - and came away impressed.

"When I visited Lake Forest, I fell in love with the college and the vibes," Hovatter said in an e-mail interview. "It was everything Coach Cat said it was. I also loved what the college could do for me regarding internships and career opportunities after I graduate."

It was immediately after that visit that Hovatter committed to the Foresters. He signed a week later.

It was another successful season for Centennial as the team was one of just two from the 5A Conference to make the inaugural Open Division tournament. The Coyotes finished 9-2 and averaged 371 yards of offense and 39.8 points per game. They say practice makes perfect and that's what the CeHS linemen focused on from Monday through Thursday to make sure everything clicked on Friday nights.

"We (the offensive line) approached each play with a certain mentality," Hovatter said. "It didn't matter if it was a pass or run, we always worked as a unit. With our communication and knowing how we worked, it helped manufacture our success."

At the next level, Hovatter said he can see himself playing wherever the team needs him. He's been practicing at center, guard, and tackle.

Hovatter was on the varsity team last year when the Coyotes captured the 5A state championship. Everyone knows about the powerhouse program on the West Side (18 straight playoff appearances, 11 trips to the state championship, 7 titles). Lake Forest has been a winner as well. The Foresters (7-3) had their fourth straight winning season. The team's Rookie of the Year was Centennial alum AJ Jackson, a freshman wide receiver and kick returner.

Hovatter said it was exciting to not only keep up with the Coyotes' track record of success, but also to be entering a new one at Lake Forest. With his experience, he knows you have to put a lot into it.

"A winning season doesn't just happen," Hovatter said. "It takes hard work and dedication from all the players to be able to make that happen."

The Coyotes played that game against Mater Dei on Sept. 6. The Monarchs came into Peoria as the No. 1 team in the country (and ended up ranked #2) and . . . well, they showed why in a 71-21 victory. Yes, Centennial gave up more points that night than it did the entire 2018 regular season, but it learned from it and reeled off eight straight wins.

"After losing that game the way we did, it opened everyone's eyes," Hovatter said. "It helped us become the team we were at the end of the season. We saw what we needed to get better at, and that's exactly what we did."

Finally, Hovatter is appreciative of head coach Richard Taylor and assistants Ian Comes, Andrew Taylor, and Tim Thiele.

"I would just like to thank Coach Comes, both of the Taylors, and Coach Thiele for getting me where I am today," Hovatter said. "Without them showing me what hard work is, I would not be in the position I am today."