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

Football Division III Previewplayers, but many of them are experienced. They will needit as they attempt to turn things around after finishing 1-9.The Caballeros’ top players are RB/DB Dionte Flores,QB/DB/WR Julio Sandoval, WR/DB Cody Liddeke, LB/WRFabian Felix, RB/LB Nick Mason, OL/LB Justin Hejl,OT/DT Michael Hall, WR/DB Tyler Steiner, WR/DERichmond Zavalza and WR/DB Danny Contreras.Marana: Coach Andy Litten gets directly to the point whenassessing his team’s chances in 2014. “I think we can be atop 10 team,’’ he said, “but I don’t think we deserve to beplaced there until we start winning big games.’’ Start withtwo-way lineman Christian Lopez, who is a three-yearstarter; and go with TE/DE Travis Howard and RB BradleyGonzalez, who hopes to surpass the 1,000-yard barrierthis season.Maricopa: The departure of coach Cory Nenaber forTempe Corona del Sol opened the door for Chris McDonald,and he wants to take advantage of it. “I like the wayour team is responding so far to the new coaching staff,’’he said. “We have a core group of kids who have bought inthis past off-season and we look to build upon last year.’’The team’s top players are QB/DB Isiah Pedro, OL/LBChad Cochran, DT/OL Kenny Ball, RB/DB GeovanniWalker and WR Elisha Donaldson.Sabino’s emilio Araiza guides the Sabercat offensive attack(photo by Mark Jones/maxpreps.com).erase some of the clouds from a 1-9 finish in 2013.Holmes says his team has a lot of good senior leadership.Players looking to step up are QB Harry Stevenson, DEMalik Garrett, OG D.J. Dorantes, RB/LB Jason Urquiza,WR/CB Nick Smith, SS Xander Perry and TE MichaelPrince.Prescott: Coach Cody Collett has a handful of experiencedplayers, but overall, the Badgers must grow up in ahurry. The team’s top players are TE Elijah Smith and WRSkylor Clinton.Section ViAlhambra: Frank Lautt has endured many ups and downsin his 20 seasons as the coach of the Lions, and he is hopingfor an upward trend this fall. Lautt appears to have asolid wall forming in the trenches and will go from there.Top players are Zyair Joyce, who is moving from LB to SS;RB Emmanuel Sterling, RB Lakel Davis, OL AngelHernandez, OL Mike Gutierrez and OL JiovanniHernandez.Moon Valley: Coach Sam Jacobs has a combined 17 returningstarters, which should bode well for the Rockets.The JV team only lost one game in 2013 and should providedepth. “We feel like we are on the edge of turning thecorner,’’ Jacobs said. His top players are QB/DB ShannonBurton, WR Tim Adams, WR/DB Devin Knight, WR/DBBrett Voss, DB Nick Carlon, OL C.J. Lockwood and DLDavion Grey.Section VCanyon del Oro: Coach Dusty Peace figures to have astrong running game and will employ the Dorados’ usualhard-hitting defense. The top players are OL JaredMcElmell, LB Walker Padilla, WR Tommy Sawyer, OL JoshCronk, LB Tristan Peterson and RB Max Smith.Flowing Wells: Coach Mark Brunenkant has some youngpage 31Tempe: Coach Brian Walker has good skill players and asolid offensive line, but not much depth and youth in otherkey positions. The transfer of all-purpose player Kam’RonJohnson to Scottsdale Saguaro certainly doesn’t help matters.Still, the Buffaloes have a big, strong QB in EmanuelGant, two-way lineman Robbie Acosta, C Mario Salas-Cano, WR/DB Quntion Garrett, LB Daniel Taylor, DEJordan Davis and LB Joey Savage.