Pima College aims high with 2017 football opener

Pima College concludes its spring football camp this week. Coach Jim Monaco isn’t one to back away from competition. He scheduled a season opener in late August at Trinity Valley College in Texas. Trinity Valley was 11-1 last season and won its ninth bowl game in history, a program stocked with Division I recruits. Monaco has his own Division I prospects — in the last two years, three signed with Oregon State, one with Utah and another TCU. Now comes highly-sought linebacker Bryant Pirtle Jr., who last week was offered a scholarship by Arizona co-offensive coordinator Calvin Magee. But it might be too late; Louisville offered Pirtle a week ago and plans to have a coach at PCC this week in attempt to get a commitment from the 6-foot-3-inch linebacker from — where else? — Louisville. A year ago, Arizona was burned by an ex-PCC receiver, Timmy Hernandez, who caught a touchdown pass in Oregon State’s 42-17 blowout over the Wildcats. Hernandez was an All-ACCAC receiver at Pima who was not recruited by Arizona. …