By Stephen Spiewak
MaxPreps.com
With Arizona’s 5A-I division ripe with serious title contenders, valuable late-season momentum will be on the line this Friday as Desert Vista (Phoenix) challenges Corona del Sol (Tempe) in a game televised nationally as part of MaxPreps High School Football presented by Burger King.
Corona del Sol enters the game undefeated at 8-0. The Aztecs beat perennial contender Chandler two weeks ago and held off Mountain Pointe last week.
While Desert Vista’s season features two blemishes, the Thunder may be better than their record indicates. After getting upset in the season opener by Gilbert, head coach Dan Hinds called on quarterback Cody Sokol to lead the offense. Since then, Desert Vista has only lost one more game, to 5A-II favorite Centennial, 20-7.
Sokol has completed nearly 55 percent of his passes for 969 yards and 12 touchdowns against six interceptions. His best outing came Sept. 12 against Mesa when he completed 14-of-20 attempts for 203 yards and two touchdowns.
Hamilton, Mountain View, Salpointe Catholic and Brophy Prep have only four combined losses. All four are in the title hunt, and represent one example of Arizona’s meteoric rise to prominence onto the national high school football scene.
Hamilton and Brophy have done their share in enhancing the image of Arizona football with victories in big out-of-state games this season.
In a Labor Day weekend affair in Miami, Hamilton defeated Florida’s defending 4A state champion Booker T. Washington 37-19. One week earlier, Brophy beat Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas – Nevada’s reigning 4A state champion – 16-6.
While both of those victories acted as statement wins for Arizona, neither had the wide reach that Friday’s nationally-televised affair between Desert Vista and Corona del Sol will likely enjoy.
Desert Vista enters the game without star defensive end Devon Kennard, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the team’s third game. Despite being relegated to the sideline, he has been an integral part of the team’s success.
“Even though he’s hurt, he’s still there every day at practice,” Hinds said. “He gives us a lot of inspiration.”
A torn ACL has not scared off colleges from continuing their recruitment of Kennard, who ranks as the nation’s top defensive player according to Tom Lemming of CBS College Sports.
“The very next week after the injury, Mack Brown called me, told me they were still very interested,” said Hinds, who also mentioned USC and Cal as teams still wooing Kennard.
Even opposing coach Gary Venturo sang the praises of Kennard.
“He’s really a top-notch athlete,” Venturo said. “He’s hard to block. Everyone had problems with him. We had problems with him last year.”
Another recruit furthering the reputation of Arizona football is a freshman playing 5A-I football. Cesar Chavez wide receiver Devonte Neal, much ballyhooed as an eighth grader, has made the transition to varsity high school football look easy. He has already accounted for over 500 yards receiving.
When Kennard graduates in the spring, Neal will make certain to keep a stronghold on the attention of college recruiters. He’s already netted offers from both Boston College and Arizona State.
While Corona del Sol does not have the star power of a Devon Kennard or Devonte Neal, they have something much more important than any individual player – a highly efficient group of hardworking players that has succeeded as a unit.
“I think the kids have done better than they thought they could do,” Venturo said. “They’ve done a fine job running, passing and catching.”
While the team is short on blue chips recruit, there are plenty of contributors on offense, led by running back Michael Lange, who has 15 touchdowns to go with his 1,054 yards. He is one of 10 Aztecs who have recorded rushing touchdowns this season.
Such a potent ground attack will be invaluable against a Desert Vista team that has really clamped down on defense, even without Kennard.
“If we can run on them, we can throw the ball when we want to,” Venturo said. “We have to keep their offense off the field.”
Reinforcing how deep the field of teams in 5A-I is, Venturo said that the slightest miscue could cost either team the game.
“It comes down to who puts the ball on the ground, or who throws an interception,” he said. “Chandler, Desert Vista and us are about the same. We’re all good teams.”
