Week 2 opened up on Thursday, October 8th at Casa Grande Union High, as the home team registered a dominant win over Lake Havasu, 52-7.
Here are my five standout players from the game:
Casa Grande 2022 QB Angel Flores (6-1, 210)
Angel Flores looks bigger, stronger and faster than he was as a sophomore, and he used his physical gifts to rush for 142 yards against Lake Havasu. He's got quick feet, and is agile enough to find running lanes and minimize contact, but even if the average high school defender does manage to square him up, he's strong enough to often power out of the tackle. I really like his deep ball, and if he improves his timing and accuracy on intermediate routes, he could make a strong case for being the best in-state QB of a very talented 2022 class.
Casa Grande 2021 RB RJ Keeton (5-10, No Weight Listed)
If Casa Grande had RJ Keeton available for their season opener against Salpointe Catholic, they may very well have won the game. Keeton has a quick first step and deceptive speed. He's a north-south runner who punishes defenders who attempt to go up high with their tackles. Keeton rushed for three scores and 139 yards against Lake Havasu on just 7 carries.
Casa Grande 2022 WR Anthony Flores (6-0, 160)
Anthony Flores on the outside makes Casa Grande a multi-dimensional offense. Especially within the context of sophomore Deandrey Kelley and junior Demetrius Garrett using their blazing speed ot make plays after the catch. Flores give Angel Flores a bigger target on the outside, and he was able to go up and get two receptions for touchdowns against Lake Havasu.
Casa Grande 2021 OL Gerald Keeton (6-3, No Weight Listed)
Angel Flores' big left tackle left me impressed after the Cougars rushed for 376 yards and 5 TDs against Lake Havasu. He's aggressive at the point of attack, moves well, and has strong hands. If he can gain consistent leverage on smaller defenders, he might catch the eye of some coaches at the next level.
Lake Havasu 2021 QB Donny Fitzgerald (6-1, 180)
You might think that Lake Havasu losing by 45-points would preclude them from having any impressive performances. I was, however, highly entertained by Donny Fitzgerald's escapability and gambling tendencies. Did he turn the ball over a couple of times because he was trying to do to much? Yes. Was it entertaining to watch him get Lake Havasu their only TD by throwing into triple coverage. Absolutely. It'll be interesting to see if the Knights can keep Fitzgerald out of harms' way against their upcoming opponents, and how that affects his ability to help move the team downfield.
Honorable Mentions
Defensively for Lake Havasu, I felt like LB Aaron Bracamonte and DL Dane Burnett played with a lot of heart. They'll be a big part of any success the Knights have moving forward. On the Casa Grande side, It was a lot of fun to watch the Cougars feed giant RB Derrick Kuykendall toward the end of the game. He's probably around 6-2, 230, and it was the last thing an already tired defense wanted to see coming at them. He runs hard, and had 48 yards on 4 carries, with another long run called back for a penalty.
