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team has posted back-to-back 7-5 campaigns.
Defense will be relied on at the outset
with eight returning starters compared to
one returnee on offense. Three players getting
decent looks at the next level are Sr.
Chris Aguilar, Sr. Logan Bayus and Sr. Jake
Callaway. Callaway (45 tackles, 6 sacks)
and Bayus (49 tackles, 3 sacks) are D-linemen.
Aguilar (47 tackles, 1 INT) plays in the
secondary. Linebackers Sr. Trevor Quan and
Sr. Trace Isidro (30 tackles, 3 sacks) and
DB Sr. Eric Unverferth also made their presence
felt last season. Rodriguez wants the
unit to be more staunch against the run.
SOUTHWEST REGION
Copper Canyon: The Aztecs move back
up (two conferences) to compete in the
newly-formed 6A region. All of their region
opponents competed in either D-II or D-III as
well. Coach Shawn Kemmer has a schedule
that should lend itself to improving 2015's 0-
10 mark. Top returning players are Sr.
Xaveaun Morris, Sr. Tre Allen and Sr. Tim
Slone. All got playing time at receiver or running
back. So. Chase Pope got his feet wet
at quarterback behind a senior last year and
will look to mature with a set of experienced
skill players. Top lineman is stout Jr. Juan Ortega.
Defense needs work and time as the
Aztecs gave up 51 points a game last season.
La Joya Community: The Lobos
emerged from D-III last year with a 3-7
record. With progress they believe they can
contend for the region title, according to fifthyear
coach Josh Mitchell. La Joya needs to
settle on a quarterback, but other skill positions
are covered. Running back Jr. Davon
Jones rushed for 468 yards, 3 TDs. Sr.
Hunter Older, a wide receiver, led the team
with 30 catches for 488 yards, 4 TDs. Five
starters return on defense, which should
make that unit a plus. Sr. Devin Dourisseau
(DL-OLB), Sr. Aaron Murphy (LB-S), Sr. Alejandro
Ceja (C-DL), Sr. Maurri DeBerry (SS)
and Jr. Saafir Newton (LB) are the veterans.
Millennium: The Tigers were a respectable
4-6 last year and enter the new
season with a new coach in James Carter.
Carter piloted Sunrise Mountain the past four
seasons (11-2 and a D-III quarterfinal berth
last year) with a 47-20 record in six seasons
total. Carter gets his hands on seven offensive
starters and four defensive starters. He's
impressed with team speed, but is concerned
about depth. Returning on offense are QB Jr.
Ernie Pina, RB Sr. Romelo Johnson and Sr.
JJ Gayles, WR Sr. Cameron Taylor, TE Sr.
Raymond Pauwels, C Jr. Connor Roy and
OL Sr. Keith Tucker. Gayles and Johnson
combined for 1,800 yards rushing and 17
TDs. Pauwels and Taylor teamed up for 67
receptions and 800 yards. The defense
sports LB Sr. Charles Walker, S Sr. Mike
Garverick, LB Sr. Patrick O'Connell and T Sr.
Jeremiah Russell.
Creston Cooledge, Valley Vista (photo by
Mark Jones of maxpreps.com)
Tolleson: It was a competitive year for
the Wolverines in 2015. Just about every
week. They finished 5-6 and each game was
decided by two touchdowns or less save a
loss to D-II semifinalist Westview. Coach
Jason Wilke has six starters back on both
sides of the ball, a couple two-way. Top players
are Sr. Dallas Dixon, a receiver-defensive
back. Dixon caught 31 passes for 605 yards,
3 TDs. Sr. Lionel Suaza figures to be the lead
ball carrier coming up with 303 yards, 3 TDs
last year. Top lineman is Sr. Angel Torres.
Tolleson opens with three home games
among its first four contests -- Sandra Day
O'Connor, Agua Fria and Mountain Ridge.
Region play begins with the best team from
last year in this year's region, Westview, in
late September.
Valley Vista: The Monsoon broke even
at 5-5 last year. Josh Sekoch enters his fifth
season as head coach with a 24-18 record.
Every season has been .500 or better. Valley
Vista is experience heavy in the skill positions
on offense with defense needing a few
new faces. The running game will feature Jr.
Raymond Baquero, who rushed for 419
yards as the non-feature back last year.
WR Sr. Vodrey Gates (37 catches, 605
yards, 3 TDs), WR Sr. Ben Collier (37 receptions,
566 yards, 2 TDs) and WR Sr. Gavin
Smith (13 catches, 178 yards) are solid receivers.
Top O-lineman is Sr. Creston
Cooledge. He teams up with returnees Sr.
Guiseppe Simonesci and Sr. Alex Garcia up
front. The defensive stalwarts are safety Sr.
Darrin Perkins and nose guard Sr. Blake Relyea.
Westview: The Knights endured a head
page 8
coach stepping down for the second time in
three years, but don't expect results to
change much from one of the westside's
most consistent programs. Taking over
for Joe Parker, who replaced Jeff Bowen to
begin 2014, is Nick Gehrts. Gehrts completed
a four-year stint at Tonopah Valley and
led the D-V Phoenix to a 9-2 record last year.
The jump from D-V (2A) to 6A is hefty. Gehrts
is taking it with confidence with several assistants
still on staff and a good-sized group of
seniors who know the ropes. Westivew's
marquee player is Sr. Tyler Vasko, a workhorse
running back. Vasko was part of tandem
backfield last season -- each rushing for
better than 2,000 yards. Vasko finished with
2,018 yards and 22 TDs. Starting QB Sr.
Ryan Martinez is back. Martinez might get to
throw a little more this season. He passed for
1,164 yards and 10 TDs a year ago. Top returning
target is Sr. Daryl Stagger (18
catches, 316 yards). Seven starters have another
go-round on defense led by linebacker
Sr. Abram Chapa (72 tackles), lineman Sr.
Deonsaye Dean (44 tackles) and cornerbacks
Sr. Bryan Rodriguez (51 tackles) and
Sr. Delano Bryan.
SOUTHERN REGION
Cibola: The Raiders (8-3) were again the
best big-school team in Yuma, winning their
D-III section title before bowing in the opening
round of the playoffs. Cibola was hit hard
by graduation, losing two-big play threats at
quarterback and running back. Coach Lucky
Tyler Vasko, Westview (photo by Mark
Jones of maxpreps.com)