2014-15-aia-football-sollenberger-azpreps-report-highres

The 2014 Sollenberger ClassicBy Jose Garcia, aia365.comThe profile of the Sollenberger Classic presentedby Station Casinos and one of this year’s participantscontinues to grow nationally.Last year, the Sollenberger Classic, the 9th annualtwo-day football event that honors the late Arizonahigh school sports historian Barry Sollenberger, wastelevised nationally for the first time. What better wayto celebrate the growth of the Classic this year thanby watching the nation's No. 1 team play one ofPhoenix’s storied programs, Brophy.It’s the first time that a preseason No. 1, the rankingUSA TODAY gave Nevada Bishop Gorman, willplay in the Classic. The No. 1 ranking also is a firstfor Bishop Gorman.The Las Vegas school will host the Classic for thesecond consecutive year at its college-like stadium.Bishop Gorman will play Brophy Aug. 22, and MountainPointe and Reed will square off the following day.Arizona’s record against Nevada’s teams is 7-2 inthe Classic. Last year, Bishop Gorman was alsohighly touted heading into the Classic, but MountainPointe won 28-21, helping propel the team to a memorablenational top-10 undefeated season. Some offthe field issues hampered Bishop Gorman before lastyear’s game, but so far this year the team is just focusedis on its next Classic opponent.“Football is a funny game,” said Bishop Gormancoach Tony Sanchez, who’s won a state title everyyear since taking over Bishop Gorman in 2009. “Iknow it’s a cliché, but it is really a one game at a timedeal.”Sanchez’s 2014 team is explosive on each side ofthe ball and carries a couple of high-profile athleteswith big-time ties.Alize Jones is the top-rated tight end in the nation.Four star recruit receiver Cordell Broadus’ father isSnoop Dogg.Notre Dame-bound safety Nicco Fertitta’s dad isthe UFC CEO. Muhammad Ali is the grandfather ofthe fastest player on the team, running back BiaggioAli Walsh.But as Bishop Gorman found out last year, Arizonateams can also float like a butterfly and sting like abee. Like Mountain Pointe, the odds of pulling off aLas Vegas knockout also are against Brophy.The Phoenix school is coming off a season inwhich it suffered a handful of injuries.“Last year we had more injuries than any team I’vebeen around at any level,” said Brophy coachScooter Moolander, a former pro quarterback. “Wehad the worst luck.”Despite the injuries and a losing regular seasonrecord, Brophy’s strength of schedule helped it reachthe playoffs, as its young players matured while playingunexpected minutes.One of those players who stepped in was juniorquarterback/athlete Cade Knox, a junior with a bettergrasp of the team’s west coast offense. Defensiveend Connor Murphy (6-7, 240), a Stanford and ArizonaState recruit, also was injured but is ready to goand so is Ryan Velez, who rushed for 1,189 yardslast year.Mountain Pointe will dress 14 new starters, but theteam is reloading this season. A couple of the wellknowncommodities, Division I recruits Nick Carmanand defensive tackle Bruce Hester, are in thetrenches.Another D-I recruit, speedster Paul Lucas, will lineup in various spots, including running back, wherethere’s depth. Coach Ernie Howren helped turn Reedinto the dominant program in northern Nevada.The program made its third ever trip to a state finallast year and has had only two losing seasons sinceHowren was named head coach in 2001.Reed High’s linemen match up well against MountainPointe’s big boys.“It (Reed) will be one of the biggest teams we'llface this year,” Mountain Pointe coach NorrisVaughan said.page 26