BJ Media founder Brandon Jones will be going around the valley to different schools and showcases for photo & video content as well as interviews for the following story throughout spring football. I hope to make at least one trip to Tucson and possibly Northern Arizona as well. To book photo/video content or invite me to a practice for digital coverage, DM @bjmedia1 on Twitter/X or @bjmediallc on Instagram. Digital coverage will be limited, but photo & video coverage is available at all times. To view our most up-to-date spring football tour schedule, go to the tweet pinned to our Twitter profile.
Cesar Chavez
2023 Record: 3-7, missed playoffs
Key Returners: '25 WR Peyton Stokes, '25 WR Nevin Reed, '25 DB MJ Woodberry, '25 DB Marcus Newman
Lower Level Players to Watch: '27 TE/DE Mekhi Hodge, '27 WR/DB Tyvous Spencer
Key Transfers: '26 ATH Nevin McClain (Camelback), '27 QB Mason Penrod (Camelback), '27 RB/DB Pharis Jenkins (Camelback), '27 WR Austin Ferguson (Camelback)
Key Departures: '24 ATH Phil Braxton (Maricopa Mustangs), '24 RB/DB Thomon Milligan (Southwest Minnesota State), '24 DB Prince Roberson (Montana Tech), '24 OL Anthony Peeples (Ottawa U AZ), '24 LB Keivon Davis (Papago Pumas)
2024 Playoff Seed Prediction: 14-16 seed in 6A bracket OR miss playoffs
After a season of heartbreak, uncertainty, and major changes at Cesar Chavez this past season, there is a new era in Laveen. Former Central HC Chandler Hovik accepted the offer to become the new head coach at his alma mater.
Hovik went 17-4 in his last two seasons at Central, including a playoff appearance against Desert Edge in 2022. The Bobcats missed the playoffs last season despite going 8-2.
I caught up with Hovik during the May 6th Phoenix Union Showcase hosted by the school and asked him about the culture he will build for the Champions.
"Our mindset right now [is what we call] being Chavez-made. We talk about toughness, we talk about the grit, we talk about being extremely physical," Hovik said.
"We want go into every game having a chance to win. We're gonna be nasty, we're gonna be physical, we're gonna get up in you and punch you in the mouth."
The latter half of that quote really resonates with the type of players he has in his locker room and former Chavez assistant Clifford Mann, who is now at Montana Tech, said he sounded like Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell on twitter.
Hovik did not come alone when he made the move over to 43rd Ave & Baseline. Many media members were speculating about '27 QB Cam Allen possibly transferring over, especially if Hovik brought Allen's father Matt over to Chavez to be his offensive coordinator again like he was at Central.
However, Allen decided to go to Chaparral and fellow '27 QB Mason Penrod (from Camelback) is the underclassman gunslinger who is expected to take the reigns as QB1 in Week 6.
Hovik is very high on Penrod and said he expects him to "do big things these next three years." Joining Penrod as transfers from Camelback are '26 ATH Nevin McClain, '27 RB/DB Pharis Jenkins, and '27 WR Austin Ferguson.
As far as crucial returners, the Champions bring back their top two receivers - '25s Peyton Stokes and Nevin Reed - as well as starting '25 DBs MJ Woodberry and Marcus Newman. Another player that Hovik is excited about is '27 TE/DE Mekhi Hodge, who recently received his first D-I offer from Arizona State.
It won't be long before Cesar Chavez is back to being a contender again, but as for the 2024 season, I have them right on that playoff bubble. If they do get into the 6A bracket, I don't see them getting higher than a 14 seed due to strength of schedule. Missing the playoffs again is also a possibility for such a young team, however it will be a different story in a year or two.
Camelback
2023 Record: 5-5, missed playoffs
Key Returners: '25 DE/TE Da'jieon Carter, '25 DB Dontre Gammage, '25 WR/DB Khamon "KK" Knight, '25 ATH Aken Logan, '25 LB Tyler Warchol, '25 RB Murray Crump, '25 LB Siope Pulu
Lower Level Players to Watch: '27 DB Dae'ziar Roper, '25 DT Remi Adrier, '26 OL/DL Dylan Sims
Key Departures: '26 ATH Nevin McClain (Cesar Chavez), '27 QB Mason Penrod (Cesar Chavez), '27 RB/DB Pharis Jenkins (Cesar Chavez), '27 WR Austin Ferguson (Cesar Chavez), '27 DB Hassan Smith (Desert Mountain), '24 WR Jaylen Gillis, '24 LB Tali Maafu, '24 TE Nate Wingfield
2024 Playoff Seed Prediction: Miss playoffs
Camelback brings back a good amount of talent from last year's team. Murray Crump was the team's leading rusher last season, Siope Pulu led the team in tackles and TFLs and was second in sacks, Da'jieon Carter second in TFLs and third in tackles as a nose tackle last season, and Dontre Gammage and KK Knight were the top players in interceptions.
However, the Spartans do lose a good amount of talent, especially in their youngest classes. With the head coaching change, they lost four players to Cesar Chavez, Hassan Smith to Desert Mountain, and a few others to various schools in addition to players that graduated.
Coming in from Interlake High School in Bellevue, WA (which happens to be my alma mater), new HC Dante Foster likes the guys he still has in his locker room and is optimistic about what his team can accomplish this season.
"[I want to] bring back that culture of winning, [being a] family/brotherhood, and our kids are so focused and determined to do better," Foster said. "That's going to be our biggest thing."
'25 DB Dontre Gammage also set some expectations for himself and his team.
"Some goals for me [and my team] this season [are] to help my team get better, make playoffs, and win [the 5A Metro] region this year. We got a long way ahead of us... we got [three] months before the season comes and we just [have to] work."
It is going to be an uphill battle to try to make playoffs for the Spartans. They only face two playoff teams from last season: 5A runner-up Desert Edge and 4A semifinalist Arcadia. If Cesar Chavez (a 6A opponent) improves, that game can help them powerpoint wise and an improving Cactus Shadows team could give a slight boost if they ascend into the playoffs.
It will likely take an 8-2 campaign to get the Spartans into the postseason due to weak strength of schedule, especially within the region. If both Cesar Chavez and Cactus Shadows make the playoffs, a 7-3 season with a win over one of those two teams or Arcadia could be enough to squeak in as well. But even a 6-4 season with a region title would be a success for the first year of the Dante Foster era in my opinion.
Trevor Browne
2023 Record: 3-7, missed playoffs
Key Returners: '25 DL Raevonta Hill, '25 DB Mannie Campos, '25 WR Miguel Fierro, '25 WR Carlos Quinonez, '25 LB Damion Gallegos, '25 DB Oswaldo Martinez, '25 OL Adrian Zarate
Lower Level Players to Watch: '26 DL Elijah May, '26 OL Mario Barajas, '26 WR/CB Jeremiah Fisher
Key Departures: '24 WR/DB Eric Washington, '24 LB Jose Ramirez, '24 DB RJ Strickland, '24 QB Nico Alvarez, '24 QB Andrew Romero
2024 Playoff Seed Prediction: Miss playoffs
2023 was a struggle for Trevor Browne with a wide range of ups and downs. Despite their 3-7 record, they were not that far from being 6-4. They lost to #9 Kellis and Camelback by one point each and they lost to North by 4 points, giving them an 0-3 record in one-score games and 3-4 record in all other games.
However, with most of their key players back, including all-5A Metro Region players headlined by region Defensive Player of the Year Raevonta Hill, the Bruins have a lot of promise for this upcoming season.
Hill had an absolutely monster season last year for the Bruins, recording 12 sacks, 21.5 TFLs, 76 total tackles, and 3 fumble forces. During the May 6th Phoenix Union Showcase, I caught up with 5A Metro Region Defensive Player of the Year.
"This season as a team I really want to improve upon our record overall," Hill said. "I really want us to improve [with] us getting down on ourselves easily, which I feel like we've [already] been improving on alot [this offseason]."
He also talked about some of his personal goals.
"I would like to improve my leadership [skills]. I feel like I could excel in my leadership a little bit more. On the field, I want to get faster."
Hill has switched from an edge rusher to a linebacker this offseason and talked about what he's been doing to prepare for the change.
"Since I switched to 'backer, I've been running hills, training speed and resistance two times a day, I've been getting a feel for footwork and pass coverage, and [I've just been] overall trying to perfect my technique."
As one of the most under-the-radar players in the state, becoming an All-5A conference selection is a reasonable benchmark for Hill.
HC Francisco Rangel also talked about some his goals for the Bruins this season. One of them was getting more players in the program, which has been successful thus far. They had roughly 70 players at the Phoenix Union Showcase on May 6th, which obviously doesn't even include incoming freshman (Class of 2028).
"We've made a lot of changes in our weight room. I thought we were not at the strength we needed to be at to be competitive. That's been a huge part. The commitment's been there. We're going to be competing in 7on7s and big man [challenges]."
"I think the next thing for my program in the offseason is I [need to] start getting those incoming freshman in the weight room. Once we get these guys in there, they enjoy it, they like being with each other, and they like to see that fact that they're growing physically and that bond [with their teammates] is growing... even after a 3-7 season, the commitment has never been higher."
Assuming their schedule will be the same as last season with home & away games flipped, I think it is reasonable to say that the Bruins will win a minimum of 4 games. With their strength of schedule, it's probably going to take 8 wins to get into the playoffs and I just don't see that happening. I think 5-5 or 6-4 is vast improvement and reasonable prediction.
Pinnacle
2023 Record: 7-5, lost in 6A quarterfinals
Key Returners: '25 QB Wyatt Horton, '25 WR Jace Pina, '25 LB Dean Vincent, '25 DB Xavier Sanders, '25 DB Dom Polito, '26 WR Josh Pinder
Lower Level Players to Watch: None
Key Transfers: '25 LB Owen Pimbert (Saguaro)
Key Departures: '24 RB Mason Hughes, '24 WR Maclane Richards, '24 LB Cooper King, '24 DB Spencer Halvorson, '24 DB Dylan Fricke
2024 Playoff Seed Prediction: 7-8 seed in Open OR 1-3 seed in 6A
Last season was somewhat of a disappointment for Pinnacle. They came up short against #12 Red Mountain in the 6A quarterfinals after playing in the 6A title game with Wyatt Horton as QB1 as just a sophomore in 2022.
The three-star QB threw for over 2,000 yards, 18 passing TDs, 7 rushing TDs, and just two interceptions as a junior last season. He holds D-I offers from Utah State, Washington State, Eastern Washington, Idaho State, Army, Navy, and San Diego. I asked Horton about his recruitment and if any specific schools stuck out to him.
"To be 100% transparent, all 9 teams that have offered are different in their own way," Horton said. "Which is why I like them all. But I do love Utah State and Coach Anderson. Washington State, Eastern Washington, and Idaho State recently have also been some to stick out these past few weeks."
I also asked him about the goals for himself and for his team this season.
"A state championship. All the offers and attention and recognition is great, but I came to Pinnacle to win a championship and have yet to do that. So as the leader of this team, I will do anything to get that, and as seen, the individual stuff gets swept under that."
Horton also expressed his excitement for close his team is, calling it the closest team he's been a part of in his three years at Pinnacle.
"It’s really exciting stuff. To see the week [of spring practice] we had and know what we are doing that the people don’t see, it gives me the upmost belief in the guys in our room and what we are going to accomplish."
Other key returners for the Pioneers include '25 WR Jace Pina, '26 WR Josh Pinder, '25 LB Dean Vincent, and '25 DBs Xavier Sanders and Dom Polito.
Pina is a three-star recruit and the 29th-ranked player in the Arizona 2025 class by 247sports. He caught 29 passes for 459 yards and three TDs in his junior season.
Vincent was one of the best edge rushers in Arizona last season, as he recorded 18 TFLs, 15.5 sacks, 71 total tackles, and 22 QB hurries as a junior.
A huge addition for the Pioneers was former Saguaro LB Owen Pimbert transferring over this semester, making him and Vincent arguably the best LB duo in the state.
Pimbert recorded 106 total tackles, 4.5 TFLs, and six pass breakups last season to help lead the Sabercats to the 6A title.
I am expecting a big year for the Pioneers, and likely a 7-3 or 8-2 record, which would put them on the bubble of the Open. Should they land in the 6A bracket, I expect them to not only be a strong contender to win it, but possibly be the frontrunner.
Desert Vista
2023 Record: 2-8, missed playoffs
Key Returners: '25 OL Carlos Gutierrez, '25 DT Offi Okon, '25 LB/RB Lucas Schiermeyer, '25 WR/DB Isaac Price, '25 WR/DB/QB Aeneas Redmond, '26 OL Cole Graber, '26 RB Kyler Drunasky, '27 WR/DB Maxwell Sprott
Lower Level Players to Watch: '26 LB/FB Andrew Hoyt, '26 DB Andrew Shaw, '26 WR/DB Curtis Johnson
Key Departures: '24 ATH Victor Sosa, '24 CB/WR Mekhi Toms, '24 DB Stewart Gibson, '24 OL/LS Owen Lee
2024 Playoff Seed Prediction: Miss playoffs
After the sudden departure of HC Scooter Molander after just one season with the program, Desert Vista is now on their fifth head football coach in 5 years after naming assistant Jake McSpadden as the new HC to replace Molander.
The Thunder are now 4-16 in the last two seasons and have won a playoff game since beating Perry 70-63 in the 6A quarterfinals in 2019 after being one of the state's premiere programs throughout the 2010s.
After former HC Nate Gill stepped down after the 2022 season, the program saw nearly two dozen players transfer, with 12 of them going to Mountain Pointe. Of those transferring to Mountain Pointe is '25 three-star ASU commit Rylon Dillard-Allen, who is a top-five prospect in the state across all major recruiting sites.
Despite all the changes the program has seen and the negativity surrounding it, McSpadden hopes to give the kids some continuity and to start to turn the program around.
"One of the things that's been constant here is myself," McSpadden said. "I've been here for the past two years, I've gone through the coaching changes with them. It's a struggle. It's something you just have to get through and get over, but one thing I've tried to my best about is to bring those kids who were on the fence about playing [football] to [keep playing]... [the players] trust in me and trust in this program."
The Thunder had a relatively young team last season and only had a few key players graduate, primarily on the defensive side of the ball.
Some top key returners include '26 RB Kyler Drunasky, '27 WR/DB Maxwell Sprott, and '25 LB Lucas Shiermeyer. Drunasky was the team's leading rusher as a sophomore, Sprott was the team's second-leading receiver on varsity as a freshman, and Shiermeyer logged in 36 tackles as a junior last season.
Their biggest departure will definitely be OLB Victor Sosa, who recorded over 100 tackles, 6 TFLs, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, and blocked three kicks last season.
The biggest question marks going into the season are going to be offensive line depth and who is the next quarterback. Their passing game struggled last season, only putting 135 YPG and scoring 10 times through the air the entire season.
With a brutal schedule last season that slightly eases up this year, I think an improvement from 2-8 to either 3-7 or 4-6 is realistic for the Thunder. I don't think either record will be enough to get them into the playoffs.
North Canyon
2023 Record: 1-9
Key Returners: '25 OL Zion Carillo, '25 RB/LB Javon Hearod, '26 WR/DB Dominic Dampier, '27 RB AJ Garcia
Lower Level Players to Watch: None
Key Departures: '24 RB/DE Adrian Montgomery, '24 DB/WR Alex Serrano, '24 OLB Diego Parra, '24 DT/TE Joshua Jaffe
2024 Playoff Seed Prediction: Miss playoffs
After leaving 2A Heritage Academy-Laveen, new North Canyon HC Anthony Johns will be taking on the rebuilding of another program.
At Heritage, Johns led the Heroes to their first-ever playoff appearance and an 8-2 record in just his second year at the helm in 2022. The program had won a combined 2 games in three seasons prior to his arrival. The Heroes took a step back in 2023 but still finished with a respectable 5-5 record and just two spots shy of another playoff appearance.
For North Canyon, they are coming off a 1-9 season where they were the 4th worst team in 5A and they are in serious danger of being demoted to 4A.
All six of their wins in the past three seasons combined have been against teams that are now in 4A or lower. Their last win over a current 5A team was a 16-0 win over Kellis on Oct. 16, 2020. They have not eclipsed 3 wins since 2017, have not had a winning record since 2016, and have not made the postseason since 2011. To put those numbers into perspective, next year's senior class was all four or five years old the last time the Rattlers made the postseason.
However, back in the 2000s, when Coach Johns was in high school, the Rattlers were one of the teams to beat and won a state title in 2005. The AIA archives don't go far back enough for me to talk more about those teams, but Johns is looking to get North Canyon back to where it was two decades ago.
Doing our conversation before the interview, one of the things he was ecstatic about was having a young team without a ton of seniors so that he could have a lot of continuity in the 2025 season after laying the ground work for the rebuild this fall.
One of the cornerstones of the young core of this team is '26 WR/DB Dominic Dampier. He is the younger brother of New Mexico QB Devon Dampier and Utah WR Dorian Singer. I asked Dampier what it was like growing up with not one but two brothers that are now doing big things at the D-I FBS level.
"They put in the extra work," Dampier said. "Out of practice, they'd go to camps. Sometimes, they'd take me with them and make me throw and catch with them for a little bit... since I'm youngest one they'd bully me a little bit."
As a sophomore last season, Dampier caught 12 passes for 232 yards and three TDs while recording 17 tackles, an interception, and five pass breakups in the Rattlers' first four games before going down with a season-ending injury. He will definitely be looking to make up for lost time this fall.
Three other key returners for the Rattlers will be '25 RB/OLB Javon Hearod, '25 OL Zion Carillo, and '27 RB AJ Garcia, who appeared in eight varsity games as a freshman last season.
As for how I would expect the Rattlers to perform next season, I would say being better than last year should be the goal for them in 2024. It will probably be a season of a lot of growing pains, similar to Heritage's first season under Coach Johns, where they went 2-8 but matched their entire 2020 season point total in the first two games.
Playoffs are going to be highly unlikely for the Rattlers in year one of the Anthony Johns era.
Desert Edge
2023 Record: 11-3, lost in 5A championship
Key Returners: '25 DB Jamar Beal-Goines, '25 WR David Cabrera, '25 RB Aryon Thomas, '25 LB Joshua Hopphaus, '25 DL I'yod Selph, '25 S Tony Brydie, '25 DB Will Rodgers, '25 OL Josh Campbell, '26 OL Jalayne Miller, '26 LB Antonio Para
Lower Level Players to Watch: '27 DB Mikyal Davis, '27 WR Zerek Sidney
Key Transfers: '25 QB Elijah Sherbin-Fox (Saguaro), '27 QB Blake Roskopf (Liberty), '25 ATH AJ Burnette (Canyon View), '25 EDGE Jerry Washington (Independence), '26 DB Camren Hamiel (Northrop {IN}), '27 WR/DB Aiden Honeywood (Shadow Ridge)
Key Departures: '25 QB Hezekiah Millender (Clarke Central {GA}), '25 QB/WR Tyrell Husband (Clarke Central {GA}), '26 WR/DB Julian Moncivaiz (Cactus), '24 EDGE Deshawn Warner (Kansas Univ.), '24 LB Jonathan Kamara (Kansas Univ.), '24 DB Aundre Gibson (Kansas Univ.), '24 WR Kez Dia-Johnson (UMass), '24 LB Jaylen Dawson (Fordham Univ.), Shaun Aletor (Univ. of San Diego), '24 RB Markhi McKinnon (Univ. of Idaho), '24 Darius Luvera (Snow College), '24 DB Julian Gregory (Feather River College), '24 DB Mikey Bryant (Feather River College), '24 LB Dreylan Dobbin (Southwestern College), '24 WR Jaqua Anderson (Southwest Baptist Univ.), '24 WR Johnny Arvallo (Western New Mexico Univ.), '24 OL Duncan Igbokwe (Western Colorado Univ.), '24 OL Johnny Blue (Ottawa U AZ), '24 EDGE I'Zion Holland (Ottawa U AZ), '24 OL/DL Dylan Ambrosio (Ottawa U AZ), '24 DB Brody Willis (Southwestern Minnesota St)
2024 Playoff Seed Prediction: 1-3 seed in 5A bracket
There's plenty to talk about when it comes to Desert Edge this offseason. Their season came to a controversial ending as their game-winning two-point conversion run was negated by a holding call that much of the community did not agree with. The Scorpions elected to go for two again and the 11-yard pass was batted down by Higley to give the Knights a second straight 5A title.
Despite the heartbreak in the 5A Championship, the Scorpions began their offseason with some good news as 18 players from their '24 class signed to play college football with several signing in December's early period.
Then, just a few weeks ago, co-head coach Mark Carter was suspended for the 2024-25 season by the school for alleged "recruiting" violations in a Facebook post comment section. The AIA then handed Desert Edge football and track a 2024-25 postseason ban the following Monday. A day after that, Mark and his brother Marcus stepped down as co-head coaches of Desert Edge football and track & field and later in the week the AIA lifted the postseason bans.
Since then, DBs coach Henri MacArthur has been named the new head coach for the Scorpions football program and a new track & field coach should be announced soon after the Open State Meet on May 10-11.
MacArthur told me about what this offseason has been like for him, his staff, and the players.
"It's definitely been a whirlwind, it's definitely [had] adversity for the team as a whole, but I think we're doing a great job of trying to push through it. That's what we always preach here, about fighting through adversity and coming out on the other side on top of it."
MacArthur added that the "uncertainty" may have been the biggest challenge. However, it appears that the situation has been resolved and the case is closed with the AIA.
"I think we're in a place now where the AIA has made its decision, everything is now kinda settled, and now we just have to move forward and keep this thing going. Mark and Marcus have both been great to me during the transition, which I really feel blessed about."
"They were there for me when we coached together and they helped me grow. I'm really grateful for those guys and the four years that I got to grow under them. Our relationship hasn't changed with everything going on. That's been a blessing to me as well."
The Carter twins are unapologetically themselves. They allow their players to do the same. They brought in boomboxes for pregame warmups. The culture that they built was loved by their players and families, but hated on by a lot of outsiders. MacArthur talked about the components of the culture at Desert Edge that he wanted to continue.
"We're going to be continuing alot of the same things. Desert Edge is Desert Edge and this is a unique place. It works when the kids are happy and when the kids are allowed to be themselves. That's a really important component. I just think we need to find that balance... we're [going to work on] not ruffling too many feathers along the way."
As to what to expect from the Scorpions on the field this fall, there is still a lot of talent in the building. Losing 18 seniors that will be playing college football is obviously big as well as starting QB Hezekiah Millender moving to Georgia.
However, there is plenty of talent returning to this team and there's a talented group of guys that transferred in as well as guys that may not have seen a lot of time that will be key contributors this season.
The key returners for the Scorpions is headlined by '25 three-star Texas A&M DB commit Jamar Beal-Goines. He is ranked fifth in the Arizona Class of 2025 recruiting rankings by 247sports. He is this year's Division II State Champion in the 100M and a member of the Division II State Champion 4x100M relay team alongside '25 WR David Cabrera, '24 Kansas LB commit Jonathan Kamara, & '26 LB Antonio Para.
There has also been six other players that have received at least one D-I offer. For the '25 class, Cabrera holds an offer from San Diego State and Independence EDGE transfer Jerry Washington holds offers from Navy, Cornell, Air Force, and Army West Point.
For the '26 class, Northrop (IN) DB transfer Camren Hamiel holds offers from UNLV and Kansas and OL Jalayne Miller holds offers from Kansas, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Arizona State, Boston College, UNLV, Georgia Tech, & Nevada.
For the '27 class, DB Mikyal Davis has an offer from UNLV and WR Zerek Sidney has offers from Arizona, Colorado State, and UMass.
At the QB position it will be difficult to replace Hezekiah "Buddha" Millender, but HC Henri MacArthur is confident about the abilities of '25 QB Elijah Sherbin-Fox and '27 QB Blake Roskopf. First, he started off by wishing the best for Millender and Husband.
"I got a lot of love for Buddha [Millender] and a lot of love for Ty[rell Husband] and I wish those guys the best. I hope that everthing works out for them the right way. Those guys are both really good kids, were good teammates, did the right thing here, left a legacy at Desert Edge, and had a big part in the success that we've had. I wanted to give those guys their credit because they did a heck of a job for us."
MacArthur then shifted the focus of the conversation to the QBs that are currently on campus.
"I'm really excited about the quarterback room that we have. I think that EJ [Sherbin-Fox] is primed to have a really big year. He's got a quick release, he's mobile, he can make all the throws, he's got a great personality that's infectious, and his teammates love him."
"And then [for] Blake [Roskopf], he checks all the boxes. He's got elite arm talent, elite size, and he's going to be a really special player for us. We're really excited about not only the current state of the [QB] room, but also the future of the room."
With many of the top teams in 5A graduating and/or losing most of their talent and some also losing their coaches, I think it will be Higley and Desert Edge once again at the top of 5A. I also think there is a very possible scenario where we're looking at Higley playing in the Open and Desert Edge being the top team in the 5A bracket and the 5A title favorite.
Tolleson
2023 Record: 3-7, missed playoffs
Key Returners: '25 RB Tyeshon Howard, '25 LB Xavier Moreno, '25 ATH Amari Mitchell, '25 WR/DB Johnny Rogers, '25 EDGE Zion Lancaster, '26 WR Rico Blassingame, '26 DB Clarence Tucker, '27 TE/DE Judah Lancaster, '27 QB Kristian Escebedo
Lower Level Players to Watch: '27 RB Anthony Scott Jr
Key Transfers: None
Key Departures: '26 WR/DB Hamisi Juma (Chandler), '26 WR Asad Ali (Centennial), '25 QB Tagg Harrison (Simi Valley {CA}), '24 LB Misael Gamez, '24 WR/DB Auggie McCabe
2024 Playoff Seed Prediction: 13-16 seed in 6A bracket
The 2023 Tolleson team was very young and it showed. The Wolverines got off to a very rough start, going 1-4 in the first five games that included losses to Agua Fria and Shadow Ridge, both teams that did not make the playoffs. They were also Shadow Ridge's only win.
Starting in Week 7, although they lost to Desert Ridge, it was a one-score game against a playoff team, which was something they hadn't done all season. Some coaches will tell you there's no "moral victories" but that game turned the tide on the Wolverines' season. They wrapped up 2023 with wins over Westwood and Cesar Chavez by a combined score of 64-15.
Tolleson returns the majority of their core, including three-star '26 recruits Rico Blassingame at WR and Clarence "CT" Tucker at DB. TE Judah Lancaster also may be the biggest recruit in the loaded Arizona 2027 class. At the very least, Lancaster is a top 3 prospect in that class.
Blassingame is ranked ninth in the Arizona 2026 class in the latest 247sports rankings. I expected him to be in at least the top five given how many offers he has. He acknowledged that he was surprise by the ranking:
"That was a big motivation for me going into my junior season. I try not to focus on that too much because I know what I can do and what I want to produce on the field and those rankings have nothing to do with that."
Blassingame holds offers from Texas A&M, Kansas, Northern Arizona, Arizona, Washington, Arizona State, UConn, Louisville, Colorado State, and UNLV. There are already a few in that group that stand out to him.
"I like Arizona a lot, Washington, Louisville, and Arizona State. I like those schools because of their coaches. I like to build strong relationships and they showed their interest as well as me."
Arizona State has been making a big local push recently, with three-star '25 DB Rylon Dillard-Allen (Mountain Pointe) and '25 ATH Dajon Hinton (Saguaro) making verbal commits as well as '22 three-star EDGE Zac Swanson (Brophy) transferring to the Sun Devils after two seasons with Texas. The Sun Devils are also in the top five remaining schools for '25 four-star OL Logan Powell (Brophy) and were in the top three for '25 four-star WR Cooper Perry (Notre Dame Prep).
Blassingame is liking what he sees from Dillingham's staff, which includes new WRs coach Hines Ward, who played with the Pittsburgh Steelers for 14 seasons.
"I'm seeing a big change in the receiver room. I'm just looking forward to this season and seeing how they do. Looking for some big adjustments for sure."
Blassingame comes from an athletic family, which includes his brother, Trevon, that plays basketball for the University of Idaho.
"He's one of the hardest workers I know. Just seeing him wake up every morning before school in high school [to] go work[out] [and] at night work[out], he was always the hardest worker. Just [him] showing me that really inspired me to be who I am too."
The Tolleson player that has more recently jumped onto the recruiting scene is '26 DB Clarence Tucker. He holds offers from Bowling Green, Western Kentucky, Maryland, Northern Arizona, Georgia State, Texas Southern, and UNLV. He is the #13 prospect in 247sports' Arizona rankings.
Meanwhile, Judah Lancaster has had P4 schools from all over calling his phones before he even starts his sophomore season. He received offers from Arizona State and Northern Arizona the summer before he began high school and received offers from Arizona, UNLV, Alabama, Texas A&M, and Kansas after his freshman season.
The Class of 2027 in Arizona has been considered by many to be the most talented class that the state has ever seen.
Lancaster and Basha's Jake Hildebrand are already national recruits approaching double digit offers, Chandler's Jai Jones and Basha's Noah Roberts also have several offers, and I've seen at least nine other '27 players receive at least one D-I offer before their sophomore season.
I asked Lancaster about his thoughts on being part of such a special group of talent in this state.
"It's a good feeling... I feel like I'm doing something that will impact the game of football."
In addition to their three big recruits, the Wolverines bring back '25 RB Tyeshon Howard, '25 LB Xavier Moreno, '25 ATH Amari Mitchell, '25 WR/DB Johnny Rogers, '25 EDGE Zion Lancaster (Judah's older brother), and '27 QB Kristian Escebedo, all guys who HC Rich Wellbrock described as "overlooked."
Wellbrock also had simple expectations for his team for the remainder of the offseason and into next season.
"They just need to get better every day, embrace the process, and come together as a football team. That's what's been the most impressive part so far these three days, you've just really seen them helping each other and being positive to each other."
"That's something that every football team needs. It's fun to watch and makes it a lot more fun to coach them as well."
Mountain View (Mesa)
2023 Record: 8-3, lost in 6A Round of 16
Key Returners: '25 LB Beckham Barney, '25 WR Mikey Sumko, '25 OL/DL Tavita Ta'ase, '26 QB Brady Goodman, '26 TE/EDGE Caleb Larson
Lower Level Players to Watch: None
Key Transfers: None
Key Departures: '24 QB Jack Germaine, '24 WR Hodden Marks, '24 WR Gunner Gornik, '24 DL Brigham Mckown
2024 Playoff Seed Prediction: 1-4 seed in 6A bracket
The Toros have a really good amount of talent returning. They will be losing their QB1, WR2, WR3, and a key defensive lineman and that's about it. New HC Andy Litten is very confident in '26 QB Brady Goodman, who will be the next gunslinger for the Toros.
"He's 6'6", he moves well, he's got a rocket arm, and he's super smart."
Litten recently took over the head coaching job for the Toros this offseason after previous HC Joe Germaine left the school for the head coaching job at the new ALA Mesa school opening in Fall 2024. Litten led Horizon to a 10-3 record last season, falling to Desert Edge in the 5A Semifinals.
The biggest returner for the Toros is '25 LB Beckham Barney, who was a first-team All-6A selection last season after recording 145 total tackles, 13 TFLs, 4 sacks, 6 QB hurries, and 5 pass breakups as a junior. He holds offers from Cal, Dartmouth, and CoIumbia.
I asked him about what the head coaching transition from Germaine to Litten has been like.
"There was a period of time without a coach where it took some of the leaders on the team to bring the team together. We spent those times in the weight room building a relationship [with each other] without a coach."
"Now, we're transitioning to spring ball with Coach Litten, it's been cool seeing the way he wants to run our team and we're all really liking the way that we're playing right now and the way that we're headed."
Another key returner for the Toros is '25 WR Mikey Sumko, who caught 43 passes for 812 yards and six touchdowns last season. He holds offers from Army, Air Force, and Dartmouth. Sumko agrees that it's been a transition for the team with the coaching change.
"It's a hard transition [just before] my senior year of course, [but] I'm excited. I think he's done a great job transitioning, we're getting the new playbook installed, and I'm just trying to learn through it. I'm excited for this season."
On the other side of the sudden coaching change for the Toros is Coach Litten, who made tough decision to move on from Horizon, where he had a lot of success at the 5A level.
"It wasn't easy, Horizon's a great school, a great community, and I really liked coaching those guys. My biggest influence is my family and I live in the East Valley, [so Mountain View] is much closer to home."
"Mountain View right away made me feel like I was a part of their community. Their excitement that they've had around football, the eight state championships, the legacy, the alumni, I'm just really blessed to be able to be the head coach."
Centennial
2023 Record: 11-2, lost in Open Championship
Key Returners: '25 OL Camren Durfee, '25 RB Levi Johnson, '25 LB Aaron Alvarez, '26 QB Kainan Manna, '26 RB Owen Reynoso
Lower Level Players to Watch: '27 RB Derrion Batholomew
Key Transfers: '25 WR Nikko Boncore (Cactus), '25 WR Shamar Berryhill (Sabino), '26 OL Jesus Diaz III (Cactus), '26 OL Drew Coronado (Shadow Ridge), '27 WR/DB Romeo Berryhill (Sabino)
Key Departures: '24 EDGE Noah Carter (Alabama), '24 DB Kenny Worthy (Washington St), '24 OL Brady Bakke (Northern Arizona), '24 DB Iverson Small (Livingstone College), '24 DB Hayden Allen (Hastings College), '24 WR/DB Damien Jenkins (Hastings College), '24 OL Caden Gabbard (Central College), '24 RB Tony Greer, '24 DB Marcus Logan, '24 LB Aaden Nguyen, '24 TE/DE Gage Galbreath, '24 WR Ricky Muñoz
2024 Playoff Seed Prediction: 1-4 seed in the Open
Yes, a lot of guys from last year's team have graduated and gone on to college. However, there is one thing that Centennial has that Open contenders like Liberty, Basha, Brophy, Chandler, Hamilton, and ALA Queen Creek don't have: continuity at quarterback, the most important position in football.
The Coyotes bring back '26 QB Kainan Manna, who threw for over 2,000 yards with a 21-1 TD-INT ratio as a sophomore in 2023. The Coyotes have also welcomed three new wide receivers and two new lineman to campus. Among those wide receivers is former Cactus star Nikko Boncore, who finished second in BJ Media WR of the Year voting last season, only behind Univ. of Arizona WR Brandon Phelps.
Boncore caught 92 passes for 1,214 yards and 15 TDs while also rushing for 2 TDs and passing for 2 TDs for the Cobras last season. He holds a D-I offer from Iowa State, but multiple media members and other local players and coaches have questioned why he hasn't received more offers and attention from college coaches.
In the most recent 247Sports Class of 2025 rankings, Boncore was given a three-star rating and ranked 16th in Arizona and fourth out of receivers in the state, only behind Oregon commit Cooper Perry, UNLV commit Cassidee Miles, & Marana three-star and Tucson Turf 7v7 teammate Dezmen Roebuck.
However, Boncore said a few colleges have shown increased interest in him. Among those are North Dakota State, Hawaii, and UNLV.
In an interview during the Coyotes' Apr. 30 practice, Boncore also outlined his reasoning for making the move from Cactus and sacrifice the first five games of his senior season.
"I just wanted to play the best of the best in AZ. I feel like to show that I'm one of the best receivers in AZ that I needed to compete in the 6A level. Centennial was the move, they just went to the Open State Championship, and I felt like it was a good fit for me."
Boncore said, however, having just one offer has been motivation for him.
"Coaches overlook me because of my size, weight, [and things] like that. This offseason I've put on a lot of weight [and gotten] bigger, faster, and stronger. I'm just trying to prove to everybody that I can compete at a high level."
Also among key transfers were the Berryhill brothers, the younger brothers of former University of Arizona star WR Stanley Berryhill. Shamar is a three-star '25 recruit with an offer from his brother's alma mater. He caught 75 passes for 1,392 yards and 19 TDs for 3A champion Sabino. Romeo is his younger brother that appeared in 13 games, mostly at DB, and recorded 31 tackles as a freshman on varsity at Sabino.
The Coyotes' transfer class also features former Cactus OL Jesus Diaz III, who has D-I measurables and was one of the best linemen in 5A as a sophomore and former Shadow Ridge OL Drew Coronado, who was under-utilized during his sophomore season with the Stallions.
Centennial HC Richard Taylor is also pleased with how his freshman and JV team performed last season.
"Our freshmen [team] went undefeated, our JV [team] lost one game. We expect five or six [rising sophomores] to come up and contribute [on varsity] this season."
"Now that Kenny [Worthy] and Noah [Carter] are gone, that leaves up space for other kids that have been very diligent, have worked very hard, have paid their dues, and now it's their time. I tell that every day. 'You did the right thing, you didn't complain, I wish you well and want you to do well.'"
Liberty
2023 Record: 12-1 (12-0 in AZ), won Open Championship
Key Returners: '25 OT Nick Spence, '25 OL Cam Uresti, '25 OL Jace Gardner, '25 DL Caden Branston, '25 QB Hayden Fletcher, '25 WR Drace Wadlington, '26 LB Hudson Dunn, '26 DL Paz St. John, '26 DB Cannon Garday
Key Transfers: '26 QB Jayden Pico (Shadow Ridge), '26 DB Zeth Angel Thues (Saguaro), '26 TE Kamden Seagall (Saguaro)
Key Departures: '27 QB Blake Roskopf (Desert Edge), '24 QB Navi Bruzon (Arizona St), '24 OL Kaden Haeckel (Arizona St), '24 TE Ryan Wolfer (San Diego St), '24 WR Ryan Jezioro (Idaho), '24 WR Braylon Gardner (Northwood), '24 RB Jon Wilson, '24 DB Daveed Umoren, '24 LB Zane Tallman (West Point), '24 LB Keaton Stam (Butte College)
2024 Playoff Seed Prediction: 1-3 seed in the Open
It is going to be a big reset button for the defending Open champs in 2024. They bring back a surplus of talent, but it would be silly to downplay the loss of the two-time Gatorade Player of the Year, arguably the best LB duo in the state, three D-I guys and other key players from that big 2024 class.
However, Liberty has become such a well-oiled machine that they make the "next man up" mentality look easy. The Lions return three starters from an OL unit that proved to be the best and most dominant in the state, they bring back the three most important players of last year's pass rush, and they bring back most of their secondary and have added to that secondary with Zeth Angel Thues transferring in from Saguaro.
For the returners, three guys have bursted on the recruiting scene. In the most recent 247Sports rankings, OT Nick Spence and DL Caden Branston have debuted at #10 and #22 in the Arizona Class of 2025. Spence has raked in seven offers this offseason while Branston has added four FBS offers this offseason to add to his Arizona State offer from last summer.
Meanwhile, LB Hudson Dunn checked in at #4 in the state for the Class of 2026. Dunn has received seven offers this offseason after a stellar sophomore campaign. '26 DL Paz St. John also received a D-I offer from San Diego State in January.
In addition to the returning talent from last year's roster, the Lions have brought in three key transfers.
Safety Zeth Angel Thues, who should have been in the initial 247Sports Class of 2026 rankings, comes in from Saguaro after being a 2-year starter for the Sabercats. Thues holds D-I offers from Arizona State, UNLV, Nevada, Wisconsin, Boston College, K-State, and Washington State.
Tight end Kamden Seagall also comes in from Saguaro. He caught 32 passes for 478 yards and 6 TDs in 13 games for the 6A champs.
The third key transfer is former Shadow Ridge QB Jayden Pico. Pico was a 2-year starter for the Stallions, throwing for over 2,000 yards, 740 rushing yards, and 26 total TDs to just four interceptions as a freshman on varsity in 2022. He won 2022 BJ Media Freshman of the Year honors.
Pico played through injuries in 2023 and couldn't find the same success through the air as his freshman season, however he did match his freshman year rushing yards totals with 763. With the departure of HC Sean Hegarty, Pico became the seventh player to leave the program before the school eventually hired former Hamilton HC Michael Zdebski to take over the program in a process that took far too long.
With Pico having to sit five games, '25 QB Hayden Fletcher having the opportunity to learn behind Navi Bruzon last season, and '26 QB Brady Stevens coming up from a full season of JV reps, it will be a very interesting QB battle throughout this offseason. Whether it's Fletcher or Stevens starting in Week 1, it'll be interesting to see if there is a change if the starter is playing well at the time Pico becomes eligible in Week 6.
When I asked head Coach Colin Thomas about key transfers, he said:
"Obviously, [Zeth] Angel [Thues] is a tremendous player, everyone knows that. He's really fit in well. I look forward to him getting out there [in week 6]."
"Kam[den Seagall] has done a good job for us [with] learning the system. When you do a lot in the pass game, it takes a little bit of time, but he's adapted really well."
"Jayden [Pico] got a lot of reps tonight and has done some really good things. I'm really excited for those guys to keep getting reps and keep getting better."
Brophy Prep
2023 Record: 10-3, lost 36-35 (OT) in 6A semifinals to Red Mtn
Key Returners: '25 OT Logan Powell, '25 OL Anderson Kopp, '25 OT Jorden Cunningham, '25 WR Christian Camarata, '25 WR Nathan Benzie, '25 DB Cree Thomas, '25 LB Dominic Mitchell, '25 RB Carlos Estrada, '26 WR Daylen Sharper, '26 WR Devin Fitzgerald, '26 RB Harrison Chambers, '26 LB Bastian Vanden Bosch, '26 QB Case Vanden Bosch '26 DL Joshua Finch-Logan
Lower Level Players to Watch: '27 ATH Ryder Noche, '27 LB Greg Riddell
Key Transfers: None
Key Departures: '24 EDGE Mardale Rowe (Fordham), '24 EDGE Devan Kennedy (Iowa), '24 S Billy Eastep (Yale), '24 QB Charlie McGinnis (Hofstra Lacrosse)
2024 Playoff Seed Prediction: 3-7 seed in the Open
This Brophy team improved mightily from the 2022 season after bringing nearly everyone back in 2023. Their 2024 class sent three players to the Division I level in addition to QB Charlie McGinnis signing with Hofstra to play lacrosse.
The Broncos' 2025 and 2026 classes are absolutely loaded. The '25 class features five players with at least one Division I offer. OT Logan Powell is the top-ranked '25 player in the state (247 Sports) while DB Cree Thomas is ranked third, Kansas OL commit Anderson Kopp is 15th, and Dominic Mitchell is 29th. OL Jorden Cunningham is unranked but does hold a D-I offer from Bowling Green as he transitions from TE. Cunningham has put on 60 pounds of muscle according to multiple sources in the program. He is also at the top of multiple weight lifting leaderboards for the program.
The '26 class features four players with at least one D-I offer. WR Daylen Sharper (son of former NFL star Darren Sharper) is the third-ranked '26 player in the state (247 sports) while WR Devin Fitzgerald (son of former Cardinals HOF WR Larry Fitzgerald) is ranked fifth and LB Bastian Vanden Bosch (son of former Cardinals/Titans/Lions DE Kyle Vanden Bosch) is ranked sixth. QB Case Vanden Bosch (Bastian's twin) is unranked but holds offers from Arizona State, Nebraska, and Iowa.
2023 also was the third straight season in which the Brophy freshman team finished 7-2 or better.
WR/DB/KR Ryder Noche, the cousin of 3-star Washington commit Raiden Vines-Bright, has received multiple Division I offers this offseason and got a chance to get some varsity reps during the Broncos' postseason run, primarily as a kick returner.
LB Greg Riddell turned heads all season and will likely be a varsity starter and was a guy that head coach Jason Jewell mentioned as a lower level player to watch.
OL/DL Shane Reiersgaard is a strong candidate to replace one of the graduating offensive guard positions. WR/DB/KR Donovan McNabb Jr and TE Jaylen Fitzgerald (Devin's cousin) have varsity potential as well as incoming sophomores.
Regarding the depth, head coach Jason Jewell said after an Apr. 23 practice:
"My philosophy as a coach is [that] you have to play football in order to get better at football, so I'm not going to bring up a freshman or sophomore unless they're going to start or play significant minutes."
The biggest and arguably the only question mark with this Brophy team is who will take over as QB1 after Charlie McGinnis graduated. My guess would be Case Vanden Bosch, but Coach Jewell acknowledged an open competition between Case, '25 QB Grant Guidry, and '26 QB Rylan Umphrey.
Cactus Shadows
2023 Record: 4-6, missed playoffs
Key Returners: '26 QB Donivan Dixon, '26 DB Kalen Conley, '26 C Payton Wales, '25 RB Nick Stifel, '25 DE Cole Mayse
Lower Level Players to Watch: '26 WR Dillon Aspiras, '27 DL Danny Davila, '26 WR Alex Dafnis
Key Transfers: None
Key Departures: '24 LS Sam Wolfenden (UNLV), '24 TE Torin Mayse (Western New Mexico), '24 OL Anthony Thomas (Rocky Mountain College), '24 LB/OL Gavin Braucht (Military), '24 WR Noah Brouse (graduation), '24 WR Tyler Hargett (graduation), '24 WR Billy Deatsch (graduation), '24 LB Ransom Ludlow (graduation)
2024 Playoff Seed Prediction: 13-16 seed in 5A bracket
A large portion of the Falcons' success in 2024 will ride on 2023 BJ Media Underclassman of the Year and '26 QB Donivan Dixon. He picked up his first D-I offer from Utah this offseason after passing for over 2,000 yards and rushing for over 1,100 yards while totaling 36 TDs with just 9 interceptions in 2023.
Dixon has been QB1 for the Falcons since his freshman season and he will have a completely new set of weapons as his entire WR core and his starting TE all graduated. '26 WR Dillon Aspiras has looked sharp all offseason and he'll count on some other lower level guys to step up. Despite the loss of receiving targets, the Falcons do return 4 out of 5 starting offensive linemen and their top two running backs including Payton Wales and Nick Stifel, who both received All-5A Northeast Valley region honors.
The biggest deciding factor of whether the Falcons can make the playoffs and make some noise is how much the defense improves. The Falcons allowed 35.6 PPG last season, including 45.2 PPG against the six playoff teams they faced.
Last year's team may have graduated a lot of seniors, but only a couple of them played defense. The Falcons are hoping some continuity along with the hiring of former Arizona State DB and local skills trainer Clint Floyd as their new DB coach will help with the improvement of the defense to make them contenders.
Head Coach Chris Dixon spoke about improvement he wanted to his from his guys during an Apr. 24 spring practice:
"Read a book 20 minutes a day and you'll improve your reading. Well getting out here and doing something football [related] 20 minutes a day and you'll improve your football [skills]... that's what I mean by growth. Expecting them to grow up and become the athletes that they need to be."