ArizonaVarsity's Alec Simpson will be hitting high school sidelines this year, looking for standout performers on the gridiron. Alec is a former D1 recruit, who played football at University of Nevada before hanging up his cleats and pursuing the remainder of his education at Arizona State. You can follow Alec on Twitter HERE.

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On 8/23, Alec Simpson took in the first half of the matchup of Pinnacle and Perry, who split last years two meetings, with the Pumas getting a big win in the 6A semifinals. This time, Pinnacle dominated the second half to give the Pioneers a 39-14 win on the road. Here are Alec Simpson's standouts:

What we as a staff saw from Chubba Purdy is he that is clearly a dual-threat guy, and he put both skillsets on display by escaping the rush, and throwing across his body to Jorden Young for a 40-yard gain in the second quarter. Even though Perry came out with the loss, keep an eye on the Louisville commit to have a bigtime senior season.

Zavier James' athletic ability really stood out on Friday night. He was able to highpoint a few balls and make some big catches. He also showed solid route running ability. At 6-2, the 2020 receiver could give Purdy a reliable option for 50/50 balls.

Jorden Young really impressed me last night with his shiftiness and quickness, as well as with his ability to catch the football. At 5-8, he is a smaller receiver, but makes up for it with how shifty he is, and with his ball skills.

Jackson Ford for me personally really proved himself last night and put himself in the conversation for one of the top linebackers in the state of Arizona. He was a true sideline to sideline player, and his willingness to sacrifice his body to shoot gaps and make plays definitely stood out. Keep an eye on the Princeton linebacker commit this season.

Andrei Mayberry was a player that definitely entered my radar after watching him last night. Very aggressive player with good size for a safety, and he flies to the football on a consistent basis.

Michigan commit JD Johnson really came into his own at the end of the first half, using his legs to keep Perry's defense honest, and ultimately proved why he’s one of the best QBs in the country. Expect his connection to his receivers like Cade Horton, who is dangerous running slants, to continue to blossom throughout the season.

Marcus Libman is a true Power 5 talent. He proved that last night against a solid Perry defense. His playmaking ability is there and Marcus’s route running really caught my eye. Expect a big time senior year from the Pinnacle wide receiver.

Matt Goodlow really caught my attention with his first few runs of the game. He is a very physical runner, and on top of that his combination of size and agility while coming off an injury was eye-popping.

Pinnacle's entire defense deserves credit for their effort in the first, third and fourth quarter of Friday's game, but the player I feel set the tone for that effort as linebacker Sam Terpstra. His aggressiveness caught my eye, and if the Pioneers match that energy in their upcoming game against Mountain Pointe, there will be a lot more individual players on the defense getting attention from the media.