The Spring Ball Report: Week 5 & 6

The fifth and final spring ball report is here. 

Week five, we look at the final four teams we saw to wrap up the spring ball season. 

Corona del Sol 

The Corona del Sol Aztecs look to get back to their winning ways. 

In 2025, the Aztecs went 3-7 but showed a lot of promise for the 2026 season and beyond. 

For Corona del Sol, they will have several familiar faces returning along with some new additions. 

A staple of the team is 3-star 2027 UNLV quarterback commit Luke Farrell. 

Last season, Farrell threw for 2020 yards, 12 touchdowns, and rushed for four. 

Farrell is one of the biggest quarterbacks in Arizona, standing at 6’5" and has a cannon of an arm. 

If there is a player to look out for to take a big leap, it is Farrell, as he has looked impressive and continues to make strides in his game. 

For Farrell, he also gets two new additions in the wide receiver room.

2027 wide receiver Keegan Pederson transferred in from Higley and will look to be an offensive weapon for the Aztecs. 

Pederson is a great route-runner with the ability to pick up yards after the catch.

With some offensive weapons graduating from Corona del Sol last season, Pederson will fill some of those holes. 

Farrell will also be building a connection with 2027 athlete Josiah Smith, who transferred in from Mountain Pointe this offseason. Smith caught 27 passes for 365 yards and 2 TDs while recording an interception and 3 PBUs on defense last season.

The Aztecs will also look for a jump in 2027 athlete Riddik Jerdee. 

As 2026 rolls around, Jerdee will be asked to take on a larger role both offensively and defensively. 

During the 2025 season, Jerdee hauled in 24 catches for 247 yards and one touchdown in 6 games. While on defense, he finished with 14 total tackles, two passes deflected, and two interceptions. 

Jerdee is likely to make a huge leap with a full healthy senior year. 

On defense, another key returning player is 2027 defensive back Devin Scholl. 

In nine games for Corona del Sol last season, Scholl had 68 total tackles, four interceptions, and five passes deflected. 

Scholl is a do-it-all player on the defensive side for the Aztecs, and he could have an even better season in 2026. 

Corona del Sol will be a team to watch out for on the playoff bubble as they have missed out on the playoffs in the last two seasons. 

The Aztecs have a roster that has the chance to go above .500 with a favorable schedule and potentially end their playoff drought in 2026. 

Mountain Pointe

The Mountain Pointe Pride aim to build off a solid 2025 campaign.

In 2025, Mountain Pointe went 7-5 and won its first playoff game in two seasons. 

The Pride has a mix of senior talent and rising underclassmen talent that will help them reach the 5A playoffs again. 

Looking to have a great senior season is 2027 quarterback Kristian Escobedo.

2025 saw Escobedo play in nine games, in which he threw for 605 yards and nine touchdowns. 

However, transferring in from Shadow Ridge is 2028 quarterback Christian Normandin, who will look to compete for the QB1 job come Week 6 after throwing for 1,239 yards and 14 TDs (3 rush) in two varsity seasons with the Stallions.

Normandin is more of a dual threat QB while Escobedo is primarily a pocket passer, so it will be interesting to see how they both will be utilized.

Mountain Pointe will have the weapons this season for either QB to be successful.

3-star 2027 tight end Mekhi Hodge is one of the best in the state of Arizona. 

Hodge is coming off a junior season that saw him haul in 15 catches for 238 yards and four touchdowns in 7 games after transferring in from Cactus Canyon (formerly Cesar Chavez).

Due to his size, speed, and route running, Hodge is a mismatch for most defenders.

Picking up a plethora of D-1 offers this offseason, Hodge has had a productive spring ball and offseason. 

Hodge should be a big piece of what the Pride is building. 

Another player who has blown up this offseason is 3-star '28 wide receiver Aiden Rodriguez.

Rodriguez led the team with 24 receptions for 569 yards and 5 TDs last season.

The swiss army knife of the offense is 2029 athlete Sonny Norwood, who had a great freshman season. 

Last year, Norwood practically did everything and anything on offense for Mountain Pointe. 

He threw for 418 yards, rushed for 591, had 140 receiving yards, and finished the season with 14 total touchdowns. 

Entering his second season on varsity, Norwood has looked great during spring ball and should be in store for a year two leap. 

3-star 2028 athlete LeGarrette Blount Jr. has also looked great during the offseason and will be a crucial piece this season. 

Last year, Blount Jr. was great on both sides of the ball.

On offense, he had 249 receiving yards, while on defense, he made plays all around the field. He finished the season with 15 total tackles, four passes deflected, one sack, and one interception.

Overall, the Pride returns a solid roster, and some of the younger players on the team can help them reach that next level. 

Mountain Pointe will be a team to keep an eye out for in 5A as they look to make a playoff push in 2026. 

Scottsdale Prep

The Scottsdale Prep Spartans are entering a new era.

A new era is led by head coach Drew Gamboa, who was hired by Scottsdale Prep this offseason. 

Coming from Mogollon, Gamboa in two seasons with the Mustangs, he led them to a combined 17-5 record and a playoff appearance.

Hoping to bring that success to Scottsdale Prep, Gamboa is ready to lead the charge and get the Spartans back over .500. 

A lot of players are returning for the Spartans, one of which being 2027 athlete Braxton Whittington. 

Last year, for the Spartans, Whittington was the top target. He hauled in 45 catches for 604 yards and had six total touchdowns. 

On defense, he had 43 total tackles, eight of which were for loss, and also had one interception with three pass deflections. 

Even though it’s a new coaching staff, Whittington is ready to go back to the playoffs and even go on a run in the 2A bracket.

“Improving, getting better and ball out next season,” Whittington said regarding his goals for the year. “Hopefully return to the playoffs and make a run.”

For Whittington and the whole team, the new coaching staff has made the transition easy. 

While the team is still in the early stages of meshing with one another, the players are fully bought into the new staff. 

“They bring a winning mentality,” Whittington said, talking about his new coaches. “It’s a great change for us.”

Another core player for the Spartans returning is 2027 defensive lineman Bodhi Odonnell. 

He is a key contributor in the trenches for Scottsdale Prep. 

Last year, Odonnell had eight tackles for loss, three sacks, and two forced fumbles.

While there will be new faces taking over at multiple positions for the Spartans, the returning players can be relied on to get back to where they want to go.

This season, Scottsdale Prep wants to hoist the 2A trophy. 

“For the season, make it back to the playoffs,” Whittington said. “We want to make a run for state; that’s always the goal.”

Campo Verde (Flag)

The defending 5A champions look to defend their crown.

The Campo Verde Coyotes have been one of the blue-blood flag football programs.

In three seasons since the AIA sanctioned flag football as a sport, Campo Verde has won two out of the three 5A championships. 

For the 2026 season, they look to cement a dynasty. 

In 2025, they went 19-1, with their only loss coming in the first game of the season to 6A power Highland. 

Head coach Brian Coger has developed a winning culture and looks to keep it that way in 2026. 

A player looking to keep that winning culture at Campo Verde is 2027 quarterback Amaya Moreno.

Even though they will be a heavy favorite to go back-to-back in 5A, Moreno and the team know it's a brand new season.

“Understanding it’s a new season, it’s a new everything,” Moreno said. “It’s anyone's game, and we have to work as hard as anyone else.” 

Even though it’s a new slate, Campo Verde is ready to run it back. 

When asked about the goals for the upcoming season, Moreno stated that she wanted to bring trophy number three to Campo Verde. 

“We want to get the third one for the program,” Moreno said. “It’s always the main goal (winning the state championship). We want to accomplish it again.” 

Transferring in from Mountain Pointe last season, Moreno appeared in nine games for the Coyotes. 

In those nine games, she threw for 2,117 yards, had 43 passing touchdowns to only two interceptions, rushed for 624 yards, and had eight rushing touchdowns. 

Moreno also gets back one of the best wide receivers in Arizona: 2028 athlete Claire McMahon.

McMahon transferred in from Basha in 2025 and appeared in eight games for the Coyotes. 

She hauled in 41 catches for 514 yards and 10 touchdowns. 

On defense, she was also elite. 

Showing off her two-way ability, she also had five interceptions. 

Another key piece to the puzzle is 2028 athlete Oakley Dobratz-Blevins.

She is still recovering from an injury and did not participate much in practice Wednesday, but she is a core piece to Campo Verde. 

Even in a crowded wide receiver room, she made her presence felt in 2025. 

She recorded 1,063 receiving yards with 17 touchdowns. Then on defense, she snagged three interceptions with 35 total flag pulls. 

The Coyotes are going to have to replace some players this season, but if one thing is for certain is that they still have plenty of talent on the roster. 

Campo Verde will be the team to beat in 5A again, and when November rolls around, don’t be surprised to see them once again hoist the state championship trophy. 

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Scottsdale Prep Photo Gallery: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1CkFXv6oU67tyXCLNJiECBTyQBgC-Nt8q

Campo Verde Photo Gallery: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1A1IHcHRKbdiWNFOqQMJwun9hXRADth_d

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