1A football: Familiar faces in the semis
November 2, 2018 by Jose Garcia, AZPreps365
Superior, Mogollon and Williams are still standing in the 1A football Conference.
Hayden, ranked No. 6 in the preseason by azpreps365.com, is the other worthy semifinalist. But what happens next is anybody’s guess, especially after No. 1 seed Williams lost its biggest stars, leading rusher Chance Pearson and quarterback Kolby Payne, last week to injuries.
But Williams still likes its chances to defend its title once the semifinals kick off Saturday at Maricopa High.
“We had our practice (on Monday), and despite the injuries the kids have rallied around each other,” Williams coach Jeff Brownlee said.
Pearson suffered a leg fracture in the first quarter last week.
No word yet on when Payne might return from a knee injury.
Pearson, a junior, is at 2,314 rushing yards and 50 touchdowns for his career. The good news for 9-0 Williams is that there’s depth in the backfield.
Sophomore Alex Garrett is the team’s second leading rusher with more than 500 yards, and Dorian Ayala (12.1 yards per carry) and Mario Vasquez can also step in.
Payne was the team’s third leading rusher.
"(Pearson and Payne) were the heart of the football team,” Brownlee said.
Sophomore Zain Grantham will get his shot at quarterback and to guide Williams to its third straight title game.
“We have a lot of confidence in these kids and will fill in just fine,” Brownlee said.
At linebacker is also where Pearson played a huge role as the team’s second leading tackler.
“That (linebacker) caused us to scratch our heads, because we lack depth at the spot,” Brownlee said. “A couple of younger kids will have to step up and play.”
The team was already playing without its best corner/wide receiver, David Lozano (foot injury in Week 3) and an injured lineman.
In the semifinals, Williams will play a Hayden squad it defeated 40-20 during the regular season, when Pearson rushed for four touchdowns and 111 yards.
Williams is relatively young, with just two senior starters, heading into the Hayden game.
“They (Hayden) are a big and physical team that plays power football,” Brownlee said.
A lot of Hayden’s strength is packed into Joel Rodriguez’s 5-10, 220-pound running back frame.
Rodriguez is one of four seniors who have paved the way for a program that transformed into a contender once Estrada re-took control of Hayden in 2015. Bobby Manriquez, RB/CB Omar Lopez and Noah Monroy are the other senior stalwarts.
Rodriguez brings the muscle and Lopez (team-high 749 rushing yards, 13 TDs) supplies the speed in Hayden’s wishbone-like run game. But Hayden's underclassmen, particularly the sophomore class, also contribute.
Hayden has also battled through some injuries this season, losing two running backs, including Lopez, in their game against a solid Salome team last week. But Hayden adjusted and executed during its 36-14 victory over Salome.
Teams are loading the box against Hayden’s run game, but it hasn’t kept the 7-3 team from averaging 225 rushing yards per game.
Hayden fumbled five times the first time it played Williams this year.
“The mistakes hurt us,” Estrada said. “But I’m not going to downplay Williams. They are a tough team.
“I’m very proud of my kids. The seniors from the past have set the foundation for this year’s team. We’ve struggled and gotten our butts kicked many times. But it’s hard work that has gotten us this far.”
The last time Hayden reached a football championship game was 30 years ago, and the last time it won it was in 1972.
Hayden assistant Bob Bohrn played on the 1972 team.
Superior also comes in with a strong senior class, led by tough-minded quarterback Steven Ybarra, WR/DE Cedric Mendoza, WR/DB Jesus Castellanos and WR/DB Jared Moreno, who made a huge catch last week to help clinch the quarterfinal victory over Bagdad. This is the fourth straight season that Superior has reached the semifinals.
“It’ll be a tough game,” said Superior coach Ryan Palmer about his team’s opponent, 8-1 Mogollon. “Hopefully in the end we'll put everything together. But win or lose, we are proud of our kids.”
In the past, Superior’s lack of depth and muscle did them in.
But the program has invested a lot of time in the weight room since the offseason. Superior’s stamina was tested during last week’s hard-hitting contest against Bagdad.
But a stiffer test awaits this week against Mogollon, which almost defeated preseason favorite Williams during the regular season.
Williams and Mogollon were the only teams Superior (9-0), the 2017 runner up, lost to last year.
“It (Mogollon) is not going to beat itself,” Palmer said. “It’s a tough, athletic team that will present matchup issues.”
Mogollon’s improved run defense and run offense helped it make its second consecutive trip to the semifinals.
Seth Reidhead was expected to carry the load at running back this year and hasn't disappointed, leading 1A with 1,220 rushing yards. He’s been running behind a revamped offensive line that is holding up.
Linebacker Jayk Kelton is a sophomore, but after a stellar freshman campaign he is also meeting expectations as 1A’s second leading tackler, averaging 13.7 tackles per game.
“Our defensive ends have done a good job and are asked to do a lot when it comes to containing the run attack and pass rushing,” Mogollon coach Tim Slade said. “To beat Superior, it starts and ends with Ybarra. He’s the guy. He runs hard and throws it on a rope.”
Last week, Ybarra passed for 248 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed for 163 and two touchdowns, a typical day in the office for the senior.
Superior players, including quarterback Steven Ybarra, No. 30, come out for the coin toss before a playoff game last year. Photo by Jim Willittes/maxpreps.com
