Video: Top 25 Preseason Early Contenders - No. 23 Mountain Pointe
View images by photographer Mark Jones from his preseason photo shoot with the Pride.Mountain Pointe football coach Norris Vaughan has been around the block. A couple times.
Winner of 253 games, mostly in Georgia where he grew up, Vaughan has reached the state playoffs 20 times and in 2013, his Pride were 14-0, won the school's first state title and finished No. 6 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 final national rankings.
Head coach Norris Vaughan
Photo by Mark Jones
He knows his football.
And he likes the 2016 version of Mountain Pointe.
"This team has a chance to be real special," he said. "Frankly, we're loaded."
Eight have been offered Division I rides and at least four others will secure ones after junior college stints, Vaughan said. "And we got a whole lot of D2 kids as well," he said.
See Mountain Pointe Early Contenders photo shootWith 13 returning starters, lots of speed, a promising new quarterback and lots of brawn, Mountain Pointe figures to fight it out with No. 33 Chandler and Hamilton for a Division I title in a state that is gaining reputation as one of the West's best.
"We play good, hard, fast football out here," Vaughan said. "It's getting better every year."
He would know.
The Players
Quarterback Noah Grover
Photo by Mark Jones
It's a good thing to be a new quarterback on the Pride as
Noah Grover will soon find out.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder looked sharp in leading his team to a Nike 7-on-7 championship last week in Scottsdale. He has two of the state's top receivers to throw to in
Isaiah Pola-Mao (6-4, 195), the nation's No. 220 recruit overall at his first position safety, and
Jaydon Brooks (5-10, 160).
Pola-Mao has 11 offers, but appears to be leaning toward Washington.
Lineman Matthew Pola-Mao
Photo by Mark Jones
"He's one heck of an athlete," Vaughan said. "His little brother might even be a bigger prospect."
"Little" brother
Matthew Pola-Mao is definitely bigger at 6-2 and 300 pounds. The two-way lineman is considered one of the top prospects in the country for the Class of 2019.
Mountain Pointe has plenty of beef with top linemen
Eddie Rivas (6-3, 298) and
Mason Honne (6-2, 260). Rivas already has offers from Northern Arizona and UTEP, "but I expect him to get plenty more," Vaughan said. Honne was MVP of the Dallas Cowboys camp recently.
Complimenting the big boys are loads of skill kids, including fleet running backs
Anthony Stephens (5-10, 168) and
Gary Bragg (5-10, 165). "Those guys can fly," Vaughan said.
Leading the defense in the middle is linebacker
Rashie Hodge and defensive back
Antwaun Woodberry (5-11, 173) along with Pola-Mao leads a strong secondary.
"We have a lot of pieces," Vaughan said. "Just have to put it together."
The Keys
The Pride has 13 returning starters from a team that finished 12-1 last season.
Photo by Mark Jones
This would be a good time to do it. Mountain Pointe, which started 12-0 last season before losing in the state semifinals, has added a new field and training complex to the program.
It's added to a lot of excitement around the campus.
The development of Grover quickly, will be key. Also getting strong play from its linebackers.
See more Mountain Pointe football video
The Pride will find out early where it stands, playing a formidable Southern California squad Upland in Week 2 before a showdown at home with Chandler on Sept. 9.
"We have talent and speed and we play with physicality and the kids play hard," Vaughan said. "We're trying to balance the offense and mix it up a little. We can't wait."
