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2016 4A Football Preview
By Andy Morales
azpreps365.com
REGION I: DESERT SKY
Higley: Eddy Zubey is entering his sixth
year with the Knights. The team went 4-7 last
year. Zubey sees the passing game as the
team’s strength but defense is something
that needs attention. “Running game for offense
and getting off to a quicker/more efficient
start to games,” Zubey said when
asked about improvements this year. “Defensively
would be getting more stops and holding
opponents to under 20 points a game.”
WR/DB Bryce Gilbert has drawn attention
from Arizona and ASU according to Zubey
He went for 1,056 yards receiving last year.
QB Mason Crossland (3,190 yards passing
and 38 TDs) returns for his senior year. WR
Chris Crescione (860 yards) and WR
Drayecn Hall (788) also return.
Seton Catholic: Gary Galante is starting
his second year with the Sentinels. The team
finished 2-8 last year, breaking a string of
four consecutive years of at least 11 wins.
Seventeen starters return and Galante lists
WR/DB Jacob Terrell, WR/DB Michael Marx,
TE Dominic Sycamore, OL/DL Chris Rodriguez,
Zachery Muchinski, Roman Decaro,
Thomas Kenny and WR Kevin Lawlor as the
top returners.
Tempe: Brian Walker is entering his
eighth year with the Buffaloes. The team finished
6-5 in last year. Walker has some high
expectations for his young team: “To
progress and get better each day,” Walker
wrote. “Obviously the goal is to compete and
make the playoffs. It is going to be an uphill
battle because of our youth, but if anyone
can do it, these young men can.” His top returners
include DE My-King Johnson, DB De-
Andre Hughes, DB Ivory Williams, DB
Aureleo Flores and OL Damian Triana.
REGION II: WEST VALLEY
Cactus: Larry Fetkenhier is in his 33rd
year with the Cobras. He has qualified for the
playoffs every year since 2001, finished 8-3
last year. Fetkenhier points to declining enrollment
as a factor in creating more depth
on his team. He lists the following players as
his top returners: WR Matt Eberhardt, DB
Chandler Jennings, Punter Azer Duliman,
Kicker Tyler Combs, RB Damaria Norris, SS
Trent Davis, DL Luis Ochoa, Daniel Herra,
Adam Taylor, OL Evan Helitzer, WR Noah
Martinez and DL Scott Jones.
Greenway: John Becktold is starting his
first year at the school. He came from Washington
where he was an assistant/head
coach for the last 24 years. He inherits a
team that went 3-7 last year and has not
been to the playoffs since 2010. According to
Brock Hall, Casa Grande (photo by Doug
Owens of maxpreps.com)
Becktold, pretty much everything is a mystery
right now. He lists Sr. lineman Ian Fox as
his top returner.
Moon Valley: Sam Jacobs is starting his
fifth year with the Rockets. The team went 2-
8 last year after going 10-2 the year before.
“With a lot of returners on defense we expect
to be fast and sound,” Jacobs wrote, “Offensively
the key will be to control the ball.” He
lists DT Malik Clark, LB Lanny Glenn, OL
Zachariah Southwick, WR Tim Knight, WR
Cam'Ron Davis and LB Randy Grivel as his
top returners.
Peoria: Will Babb is starting his fifth year
with the Panthers. The team went 4-6 last
year after finishing 9-2 the year before and
11-1 the year before that. Babb would like to
run the ball better and don’t turn ball over on
offense this year and he lost his top QB, top
two RBs and his top three WRs to graduation
but lists Nathan Torres OL, Tyrell Aponte OL,
Isaiah Veal WR, Robert Duque DE, Jevon
Alexander DL, and Zach Bingham DE, and
Ray Cortez WR as his top returners.
REGION III: SOUTHWEST
Buckeye: Kelley Moore starts his third
year with the Hawks. The team finished 7-3
last year. QB Art Bojorquez graduated (1,582
yards passing) as did top RB Andrew Gomez
(469 yards rushing). The team also lost WR
Jordy Casado (1,037 yards receiving). Seven
of the top defenders also graduated including
LB Robert Aceves (124 tackles). In short,
Moore has to fill almost every top postion.
Gila Ridge: Tyler Kossel is in his first
year with the Hawks. He would like to win the
page 24
Yuma City Championship and the section
championship. In order to accomplish his
goals Kossel feels his team needs to do a
few things: “Being more consistent on offense,
cutting down on turnovers. Defensively
eliminating the big play and cause
more turnovers.” He lists DT Brandon Hultine,
LB Chance Morland, OL/DL Rafael
Duarte, OL/DL Chris Femia as his top returners.
Youngker: Kelly Epley is starting his second
year with the Roughriders. The team
went 3-7 last year, which is more wins than
the program has had in the last two years
combined. Sr. QB Alex Rodriguez is slated to
return. So. RB Greg Dotstry (742 yards rushing)
and Sr. RB Rashad Griffis (612) are also
set to return.
Yuma: Curtis Weber is starting his fifth
year with the Criminals. The team finished 3-
7 last year and the program last went to the
playoffs in 2009. Weber would like to run the
ball and be able to stop the run on defense
and, to accomplish his goal, he lists several
returning players: DE Adrian Madrid (5
sacks), RB/DB Joe Herrera, OL/DL Nate
Hand, OL/DL Shane Garcia and WR/DB Alex
Guerra WR/DB.
REGION IV: SKYLINE
Cactus Shadows: Michael Hudnutt is
starting his third year with the Falcons. The
program went 6-4 and have been to the playoffs
since 2010. “Our expectations for this
team are to get into the playoffs and host a
home game,” Hudnutt wrote. “We will need to
do this by winning on special teams and controlling
the ball on offense.” He lists the following
players as his top returners: Andrew
Young QB, Tyler Collins OL, Joe Emnett OL,
Nick Kuhlmann OL, Sam Covert OL, Payton
Kuehn RB/LB, Hayden Rummell RB/LB,
Gavin Stapely LB, Dylan Speirs S and Sam
Nollette CB.
Shadow Mountain: Brock Farrel is in his
third year with the Matadors. The team finished
4-6 last year. “At Shadow Mountain we
embrace the concept of the renaissance
man,” Farrel said. “We have four players on
our team that were on the state champion
basketball team, as well as multiple players
who run track and play baseball as well. Not
only do we embrace multi-sport athletes, we
also embrace the well-rounded young man.
Tyler Lithgoe not only plays football, but is an
all-state choir singer.” His top returning players
include: QB Darion Spottsville, WR Jordan
Pace, TE Tony Rodriguez, CB Nick
White, C Alex Motley, LB Matt Schilling and
LB Hamilton Mee.
St. Mary's: Tommy Brittain starts his first
year with the Knights after a long run at
Tempe Prep. The Knights finished 3-7 last