Photo by Mitchell B. Reibel
Austin Blom, Mountain Pointe
More than a few Arizona prep fans scratched their heads when the 5A Conference lumped powerhouses Chandler Hamilton, Phoenix Brophy, Chandler, Phoenix Desert Vista, Mesa Red Mountain and Mesa in one super region to start this season.
All six football teams made the 16-team, 5A-I playoff field last season, while Hamilton, Brophy and Red Mountain have won eight of the nine biggest-class state titles this decade. Once region play begins, the Fiesta teams will start beating up on each other, but in the opening week, it was the rest of the state that took its lumps. The Fiesta six went a combined 6-0, outscoring opponents 224-59.
The only thing missing from the Fiesta? Mesa Mountain View, which owns the other state title this decade, and eight overall. We can’t help wondering if the Toros pulled some strings to stay out of this lion’s den.
Other top storylines from the week
2. Two is greater than 3: Two-time defending 2A state champ St. Johns stretched its winning streak to 26 games with a 19-7 victory over defending 3A champ Payson in St. Johns. The bad news for the Redskins was an injury to QB/S Steve Lindsey (foot) in the fourth quarter. Both Garrett Anderson and Cade Ashton ran for more than 100 yards for St. Johns. Anderson broke a 7-7 tie in the third quarter with a 12-yard scoring run.
3. Carey-ing the load: Despite his 5-foot-9, 184-pound frame, Tucson Canyon del Oro junior RB Ka'Deem Carey carried the Dorados to a 27-13 win over rival Tucson Ironwood Ridge. Carey had 300 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns. He totaled 190 yards on 25 carries and had an 80-yard kickoff return on which he initially fumbled the ball.
4. Back on top: Following a 21-0 shutout of Marana, Tucson Amphitheater coach Vern Friedli now has a state-record 310 wins, one more than former Mountain View and Gilbert coach Jesse Parker, 70, who is currently an assistant at Red Mountain. Parker would love another crack at head coaching, so this feud may not be over yet.
5. Freshmen phenoms: Peoria Liberty and Gilbert Perry each won their first games as Arizona Interscholastic Association members. Liberty beat Peoria Sunrise Mountain and Perry beat Casa Grande. Gilbert Williams Field plays its first game as an AIA member Friday against El Mirage Dysart. All three first-year programs are contenders for region titles this season.
The Fab 5
1. J.C. Baker, Yuma: The senior running back/receiver scored seven touchdowns in a 50-45 victory at Lake Havasu. He had four others called back by penalties. He amassed 345 total yards, 237 of them on 11 carries.
2.De'Andre Currie, Phoenix Mountain Pointe: The senior ran for 190 yards on 13 carries and scored on runs of 3, 48 and 40 yards in a win over Mesa Dobson.
3. J.T. Slade, Heber Mogollon: The senior linebacker scored 18 points in the second quarter of his team’s 72-36 win over Phoenix Valley Lutheran. He returned an interception 79 yards for a touchdown, a punt 65 yards for another and caught a 55-yard touchdown pass.
4. Tyler Rutt, Chandler Hamilton: The junior had 10 tackles, an interception return for a TD and a fumble recovery in a rout of Phoenix St. Mary’s.
5. Clint Imlay, Skyline: The senior linebacker had 13 tackles and an interception in a loss to Chandler.
On deck
The girls volleyball season is just getting underway, with last year’s state champs all wearing the mantle of favorites again. In order, they are: 5A-I, Phoenix Xavier Prep; 5A-II, Peoria Centennial; 4A-I, Phoenix Sunnyslope; 4A-II, Chandler Seton Catholic; 3A, Kayenta Monument Valley; 2A, Thatcher; and 1A, Phoenix Veritas Prep.
The best bets for the first full week of football games this week are: Defending 5A-II champ Peoria Centennial at always entertaining Chandler; Mesa Red Mountain and its loaded coaching staff at Tempe Corona del Sol; and defending 5A-I champ Chandler Hamilton at Avondale Westview, last year’s 5A-II runner-up.
The badminton, boys and girls golf and boys and girls cross country seasons all began this week.
Recruiting news
Peoria Centennial guard Nick Rowland, one of the nation’s top-rated linemen and one of Cal’s top offensive line recruits, cancelled his Berkeley trip this week and said he has no interest in playing at Cal or Stanford. Both schools had made him offers. He will visit Washington on Sept. 5 and Oregon on Halloween… Tempe Corona del Sol linebacker Kyle Benson has narrowed his list of schools to Arizona, Colorado, Oregon and Utah… Scottsdale Notre Dame center Blair Tushaus has committed to BYU.
Craig's cranium
Jesse Parker received no head coaching offers this offseason. That’s a shame.
While his old-school methods have rubbed some parents, administrators and kids the wrong way, there is no question Parker can still coach and teach.
Look at his resume: five state championships and AP-level classroom instruction.
Yes, Parker can be gruff, demanding and harsh. He is the son of a poor, Texas sharecropper and was brought up in a tough, no-nonsense, roll-up-your-sleeves household. That background is a vital and unbending part of the man.
But anyone who knows Parker has also seen a genuine devotion to kids that is evident in everything he does. Talk to his former players at Mesa Mountain View – Parker founded that program, which is still Arizona’s most storied – and they speak glowingly of the impact he had on their lives.
Parker is currently serving as an assistant coach at Mesa Red Mountain after being passed over for several jobs in the wake of his departure from Gilbert.
He is 70, but his wit remains sharp, his mind remains analytical and logical, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a better-read man. He also took a once-inconsistent Gilbert program to two state semifinals in his 10 years there, posting a 65-48 record.
So what’s at play here? Is it age discrimination? Are his methods so outdated? Or is Parker simply a victim of a society where personal accountability has taken a backseat to self-promotion?
Parker won’t fit with just any program, but in the right situation, he can still make a significant and positive contribution to the lives of young men.
Craig Morgan is a freelance writer who has covered professional, college and high school sports in the Phoenix area for the past 17 years. He currently covers the Arizona Cardinals and other pro and college teams in Arizona for CBSSports.com. He also writes a weekly column and other features for The Arizona Republic. You can reach him at craig@thewordsmithonline.com.