Photos: The complete "Big Man on Campus" list
This summer the Star counted down some of Southern Arizona's top high school football athletes throughout the years with our series, "Big Man on Campus." From Amphi to Tucson High, take a look at the 26 schools we covered and the top 10 football players who made their lists.
The complete "Big Man on Campus" list
List is shorted alphabetically from Amphitheater High School to Tucson High School
Amphitheater High School's top 10 football players
10. Sam Molina, QB, 1980
Molina, a quarterback, led the Panthers in a 27-0 rout of Mesa for the state championship in 1979 to cap off a perfect 13-0 season and was an assistant for Vern Friedli’s team that went to the state finals in 1997. Here, Molina, left, is an assistant coach for Vern Friedli at Amphi High School.
9. Sam Merriman, OL/LB, 1979
Merriman was a four-year starter and All-American at Idaho and led the team in tackles on his was to a five-year career in the NFL, with the Seattle Seahawks. As a senior at Amphitheater, he received first-team All-City honors as an offensive tackle and second-team honors as a linebacker. Courtesy Seattle Seahawks
8. Bob Hart, QB, 1950
Years before Hart, Amphitheater’s longtime baseball coach and athletic director, was named the 1974 Arizona Daily Star All-City prep Coach of the Year, he was a four-sport athlete and All-American and All-State quarterback for the Panthers. Bob Hart carries the ball for Amphi during his senior year, fall of '49. (Photo courtesy of Bob Hart.)
7. Jim Krohn, QB, 1976
Krohn, a two-time All-State player, was named the All-City quarterback in 1975 after combining for 1,439 yards rushing and passing. He lead the Panthers to their first ever state championship, threw for 3,305 yards as the quarterback for the UA and played in the USFL and CFL. 1978 photo of UA football quarterback Jim Krohn during the game against Oregon State. Photo by James Davis.
6. Arlen Bethay, RB, 1980
Played a huge role on Amphitheater’s 1979 state championship squad, rushing for more than 500 yards in four postseason games, including 148 yards on 27 carries in the finals. He rushed for 1,094 yards and 12 touchdowns in the regular season on his was to being selected to the Super 11 team that year.
5. Jon Volpe, RB, 1986
As a senior All-American nominee, Volpe rushed for a state-best 1,780 yards on 221 carries (that’s eight yards per carry) and led Amphitheater to a 10-0 regular season. Volpe went on to be a 1,000-yard rusher at Stanford and earn a spot on its All-Century team before making his mark in the CFL where he set the rookie rushing record with more than 1,300 yards and was named rookie of the year. Volpe is shown here playing for Stanford.
4. Riki (Gray) Ellison, RB/LB, 1979
A three-time Super Bowl champion with the San Francisco 49ers, Riki Ellison, formerly known as Riki Gray, got his start as a Parade All-American at Amphitheater. As a 6-foot 2-inch 215-pound senior, Ellison averaged 12 tackles a game and was the state player of the year before going on to start at USC and in the NFL.
3. Michael Bates, ATH, 1989
It’s hard to tell if Bates is best remembered for being an Olympic bronze medalist in 1992 or for being a five-time Pro Bowler in the NFL. However, the Parade All-American and No. 2 ranked prep running back in the country will never be forgotten for being one of the finest athletes to ever come out of Tucson after rushing for at least 1,000 yards three times with Amphitheater and setting the state record in the 100-meter dash (10.34 seconds) as a sophomore.
2. Mario Bates, ATH, 1991
Not only was he great in high school and college, but also the NFL and may be the best running back Tucson has ever seen. The Parade All-American rushed for 4,863 yards with the Panthers, including a 5A state record 2,740 yards as a senior in 1990 when he led the team to the state finals. Bates rushed for 2,025 yards with ASU and then ran for another 3,048 yards over seven NFL seasons. Mario Bates of Amphi High School stiff-arms an a Mesa High School during the state championship game on Dec. 7, 1990 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. Photo by Rick Wiley, Tucson Citizen
1. Steve Doolittle, ATH, 1977
Longtime Panthers coach Vern Friedli could not have asked for a better do-it-all player who never left the field. At 6 feet 5 inches and 250 pounds, Doolittle may have been born to be a lineman but played every position from the defensive backfield to the offensive line to punter and even quarterback. He graduated in 1977, went on to start at tight end and strong safety at Colorado before being drafted by the Buffalo Bills. He was later released and signed by the San Diego Chargers.
Buena High School's top 10 football players
10. Preston Saunders, WR, 2004
9. Mike Patrick, WR, 1994
8. Terry Mueller, OL/DL, 1971
Photo courtesy Buena High School
7. Jake Muasau, WR/LB, 2008
Like Jamal Womble, Muasau was one of the top players in the state in 2007. The 6-foot 1-inch 243-pound two-way star was an All-Southern Arizona first-team defensive back and second-team receiver his senior year when he had 50 tackles, two interceptions and two forced fumbles along with 18 catches for 415 yards and seven touchdowns. Muasau played two seasons at Phoenix College and closed out his college career with Georgia State where he was named the team’s Most Valuable Defensive Player in 2010 and 2011. Muasau signed an undrafted free-agent contract with the New York Giants in May of 2012 but didn’t make it onto the regular-season roster. However, he is trying to make it with the Giants again this pre-season. Photo by Mamta Popat/Arizona Daily Star
6. Odel Stewart, TE/LB, 1987
5. Jamal Womble, RB, 2008
4. Todd Williamson, QB. 1980
3. Sergio Romo, RB, 1998
2. Lewis Dix, RB, 1978
1. Stan Short, OL/DL, 1981
Canyon del Oro's top 10 football players
10. Kevin Thomas, OL/DL, 1982
The 6-foot 4-inch, 245-pound Thomas was one of the most dominant linemen to come out of CDO along with Stephen Berg who graduated in 2002 and, like his predecessor, went on to play at ASU. The center and nose guard had 38 tackles, caused five fumbles and blocked a kick to receive All- State honors as a senior in 1981 before helping the Sun Devils win their first Rose Bowl and continuing on to the NFL. (Tucson Citizen File Photo)
9. Blake Martinez, TE/FB/LB, 2012
Martinez only spent his final two seasons with CDO but was the Star’s defensive player of the year both of those seasons before he left to Stanford. He broke Craig Vesling’s single-game school record for tackles with 18, set a single-season school records with 10 touchdown catches and was named to the AZFCA Big 25 twice. (Photo by David Sanders/Arizona Daily Star)
8. Aaron Tevis, TE/LB, 2007
7. Ed Hochuli, HB/DB, 1969
His biceps may not have been as big at the time but Hochuli was the first ever Tucson athlete to gain more than 1,000 yards in multiple seasons. The two-time All-State selection rushed for 1,070 as a senior in 1968 and 1,067 the year before that, and held CDO’s career touchdown record of 33 until 2008. (George Bridges/MCT)
6. Larry Epling, WR/HB/DB, 1972
A two-time All-State player who received first-team honors for both offense and defense as a senior, Epling (Not pictured) still holds CDO’s career (15) and single-game (4) records for interceptions.
5. Tony Brown, RB, 1994
(Photo by Val Canez / Tucson Citizen)
4. Jason Verdugo, QB, 1993
3. Craig Davis, HB/LB, 1974
2. Richard Rucker, RB/LB, 1974
(Tucson Citizen file photo)
1. Ka’Deem Carey, RB, 2011
Before he rushed for a school-record 1,929 yards with the Arizona Wildcats last season and became a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate, Carey was arguably the best high school football player to ever come out of Southern Arizona. As a junior, the four-year star rushed for a whopping 2,738 yards and 45 touchdowns, leading the Dorados to the 4A-I state championship and a perfect 14-0 season. One season later, Carey rushed for 1,754 yards and 26 scores as got CDO back to the state finals but fell just short of a repeat. He was a two-time AZFCA Big 25 player and finished his high school career with 5,702 yards rushing and a state-record 87 touchdowns. (Photo by David Sanders/Arizona Daily Star)
Photos: Catalina High School's top 10 football players
10. Darrian McIver (with ball), QB/DB, 2011
As a do-it-all contributor over three seasons with the Trojans, McIver made the switch from wide receiver to signal caller after his sophomore year, quarterbacking the Trojans to their only playoff appearance in 2009 as a junior. Also a starter at defensive back, McIver intercepted six passes his senior year.
9. James Eichberger, RB, 2008
8. Chuck Cole (with ball), WR/DB, 2003
Cole was named first team 4A in 2002 after recording 36 tackles and eight interceptions as a senior. Also serving as punter and wide receiver, Cole was a main contributor in helping lead the Trojans to their first winning season (7-4) since 1989.
7. Ray Morales, RB, 2010
6. Pablo Henriquez (with ball), RB, 1999
5. Phillip Pickett, RB/LB, 2003
Pickett was named second team 4A in 2002 after rushing for 1740 yards and 17 touchdowns his senior year, breaking school records for rushing yards in a season and yards on the ground in a game, when he ran for 302 yards against Douglas. That same year, the 2002 Arizona Daily Star’s Southern Arizona Player of the Year also recorded 71 tackles from the linebacker position.
4. Aaron Butler, WR, 2002
Butler was named first team All-State as a senior in 2001, returning six kickoffs for scores to go along with 520 yards and six touchdowns on 20 receptions. He returned five kicks as a junior. After two seasons at Pima CC, Butler accepted a scholarship to Arizona, redshirting in 2004, before taking on a reserve role as a wide out for the Wildcats in 2005.
3. Steve Budinger, LB/DL, 1977
2. John Svob, QB, 1967
Svob was named to the All-State first team as a senior in 1966 after setting two all-time city records with 14 touchdown passes and 1,426 yards of total offense. He could very well be considered Catalina's best quarterback in the school's early years but the Trojans also had Steve Carstens, who led the city in passing in 1973 and 1974.
1. Richard Griffith, TE/DL, 1988
Griffith was named Brian Murray Award winner in 1987, honored as Arizona’s best high school lineman for his work as a defensive tackle, recording 109 takedowns and 9 sacks his senior year. On offense, the 6-foot-5-inch, 220-pound Griffith caught 25 balls for 255 yards and three touchdowns, earning second team all-AAA1 tight end honors in 1987, along with a scholarship to Arizona, where he was named a Sporting News freshman All-American in 1989. Despite being used mainly as a blocker, Griffith caught 26 passes in 40 starts over four years at Arizona, earning Pac-10 honorable mention as a senior, eventually making his way to the NFL where he was selected by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL draft. Griffith spent five years with the Jacksonville Jaguars, starting a career high 15 games in 1995. He last played in 2000. University of Arizona tight end Richard Griffith against UCLA in 1990.
Catalina Foothills High School's top 10 football players
10. Nolan Swett, QB, 2004
As a senior at Catalina Foothills, Nolan Swett was named second-team All-Southern Arizona as a tight end in 2003. He was also productive as a junior, receiving an honorable mention for the All-Southern Arizona team. Swett went on to play at Division III Colorado College where he set all major career receiving marks at the school — touchdowns (31), yards (2,758) and catches (199). He was named a Division III All-American as a senior and is now an assistant coach at Division II Colorado School of Mines.
9. Vince Alentado, RB/LB, 2007
Running back Vince Alentado, with ball, was named to the first-team 4A Kino Region as a senior for the Falcons in 2006. In his career, Alentado had 161 receptions, 1,214 yards and four touchdowns, according to maxpreps.com. He also made an impact on the defensive end as a senior, leading Catalina Foothills in total tackles with 80.
8. Brian Riley, TE/DE, 2007
Tight end Brian Riley finished second in receiving for the Falcons in 2007, earning himself a spot on the All-Region first team. In addition to his 13 receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown, Riley also had 43 tackles and a sack as a defensive end. After graduating, Riley signed at Northern Arizona and earned an All-Big Sky honorable mention as a redshirt freshman after making 10 catches for 191 yards and two scores. He only had three more catches in his Lumberjack career, though.
7. Rolly Escarcega, ATH, 2011
Both Rolly, with ball, and his brother Ernie Escarcega made their names at linebackers for the Falcons, yet Rolly gets the nod after leading Catalina Foothills to its first playoff win in school history in 2010. As a senior middle linebacker Rolly was named to the first-team All-Southern Arizona after leading the team with 97 tackles. As a junior he had 118 tackles, including 64 solo tackles and ran for 255 yards and three touchdowns in his career.
6. George Parker, DL, 2001
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound George Parker, at right in photo, was selected to the first team All-Southern Arizona team as a senior defensive lineman in 2000. He also was selected to the coaches' All-Region first team and was a second-team All-Southern defensive lineman as a junior. After graduating, Parker went on to play in the NAIA and made the GPAC first-team All-Conference as both a junior and senior at Nebraska Wesleyan. He recorded a team-high eight sacks and had 17 tackles for a loss for the Prairie Wolves as a college senior.
5. Shawn Kobylinski, ATH, 2011
Athlete Shawn Kobylinski was a force on both sides of the ball during his career at Catalina Foothills. Kobylinski was selected first-team All-Southern Arizona as a wide receiver in 2010 after making 22 catches for 607 yards. He also made the All-Region first team as a linebacker. Head coach Scott Cortese told the Arizona Daily Star in 2010 that Kobylinski "doesn't come off the field" and he was named team MVP.
4. Josh Brisco, RB/DB, 2002
In 2001, Catalina Foothills finally broke through and made the Class 4A State Playoffs for the first time after a 9-1 regular season but lost 24-17 to No. 13 Goodyear Millennium. Running back Josh Brisco, far left, led the Falcons' ground attack and earned himself All-State honors. Brisco went on to become a first-team I-AA Mid-Major All-American cornerback in 2006 for the University of San Diego Toreros. He then played with the Los Angeles Avengers in the Arena Football League and won three Finnish league championships with the Porvoo Butchers.
3. Jon Heitzinger, ATH, 2003
Catalina Foothills went 17-5 overall and 10-0 in the 4A Kino Region in 2000 and 2001. Running back/linebacker Jon Heitzinger, with ball, was a huge reason for Catalina Foothills' success, making an impact in all three phases of the game. Heitzinger made first team All-Southern Arizona as both a punter (2002) and linebacker (2001) and was also a second team All-Region running back (2002).
2. John Gianninoto, OL/DL, 2006
As a two-way lineman at Catalina Foothills, John Gianninoto signed with UNLV to become only the second Falcon to play Division I football. Gianninoto made the All-Southern Arizona second team as an offensive lineman in 2005 and earned All-State honors as well. His career as a Runnin' Rebel was just as productive, becoming an All-Mountain West Conference lineman and starting two seasons at center and one at guard.
1. Joe Brown, OL/DL, 1996
While Brown made an impact as a 6-foot-6, 260 pound lineman at Catalina Foothills, earning first team All-Southern Arizona as an offensive lineman and second team All-Region as a defensive tackle in 1995, his real impact came after his prep career. Despite fighting off injuries, Brown started at Ohio State University for three years and eventually spent three seasons in the NFL after going undrafted. Brown's selflessness and toughness really shows, though, in his decision to abandon his football career in 2003 to fight in the Iraq war.
Cholla High School's top 10 football players
10. James Wimberly, ATH, 2011
Athlete James Wimberly did just about everything for the Chargers as a senior in 2010. He had 222 carries for 1,317 yards and 15 touchdowns as Cholla's leading rusher and was effective enough in the return game to be named second team All-Southern Arizona as an all-purpose player. Wimberly had 2,013 all-purpose yards and also made 42 tackles and had three interceptions on defense. While the 6-4 Chargers missed the playoffs, coach Laurence Ruhf said Wimberly was the main reason the team contended for a spot.
9. John Denny, Jr., TE/DB, 1998
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound tight end was named to the 4A Coaches' All-State football team in 1997 as a tight end/defensive back for the Chargers. He caught 21 passes for 292 yards his senior season and was a second-team All-Region defensive back as a junior. Denny went to Arizona as a linebacker and was on the team for three seasons before leaving to play baseball. His father, John Denny, Sr., won the National League Cy Young award in 1983.
8. Chris Corral, ATH, 1989
Cholla’s Chris Corral, with ball, was deemed too small and slow for Division I football, but eventually walked his way onto the Arizona roster and became a key receiver during the Desert Swarm team in 1992. At Cholla, the 5-foot-10, 174-pound Corral was named first team All-Region and made the All-Star Football first team in 1988 as a senior. Corral had 611 yards and eight touchdowns on 35 receptions and made his impact as an all-around player.
7. Kirk Warburton, LB, 1971
Kirk Warburton was an All-State linebacker for the Chargers inaugural team in 1970. The defensive stalwart anchored the Cholla defense and earned an All-City first team spot while helping the Chargers to a 6-4 season. Warburton ended his career with two interceptions in a 32-8 win against Santa Rita.
6. Cody House, QB, 2006
Quarterback Cody House guided the Chargers to a 9-3 record and a trip to the state quarterfinals 2005 to tie the 1987 Cholla team for best record in school history. House was the most prolific passer in Southern Arizona. He threw for 2,301 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior while completing 53.3 percent of his throws. House and his favorite target Frankie Gonzalez were both first team All-Southern Arizona selections, and the duo had a shot at taking Cholla to its first-ever semifinal appearance. However, eventual champion Palo Verde defeated the Chargers 21-9.
5. Tom Lodge, WR/TE, 1971
Receiver Tom Lodge and quarterback Rene Elias teamed up to make one of the most prolific scoring combinations in the city in 1970. Lodge, an All-State end, was named second team All-City as a senior and still has a school record with five touchdown receptions in a 58-28 win against Phoenix Indian.
4. Jonas Eldridge, RB, 1984
Running back Jonas Eldridge was the second-leading rusher in AAA Southern Division in 1983 with 1,117 yards and nine touchdowns on 164 carries. He was named the captain of the Arizona Daily Star's 1983 All-Metro Football Team and was also named to the Super 11 team. The Blue Chip prospect also contributed as a junior with 898 yards and 11 touchdowns and eventually went to NAU after graduating from Cholla. He led the Lumberjacks in rushing as a redshirt freshman but injuries eventually derailed his career.
3. Mike Scurlock, ATH, 1990
Safety Mike Scurlock is one of only two Cholla graduates to play in the NFL. He appeared in 65 games for the St. Louis Rams and Carolina Panthers. Scurlock made his mark at Cholla as a running back. After transferring from Sunnyside as a junior, Scurlock led the 4A Kino Division with 751 yards on 125 carries as a senior in 1989 despite being hampered by a pulled groin. The two-time All-Southern Arizona running back went on to play four years at Arizona at cornerback, safety and inside linebacker before being selected in the fifth round by the Rams in the 1995 NFL draft.
2. Randy Hunter, SE/DB, 1980
Two-way star Randy was one of the top football players in Tucson in 1978 and 1979. Hunter was named first team All-City as both a split end and a defensive back his junior and senior year, and he also was named first team All-State as a DB in 1979. He finished third in AAA-South as a junior in receptions (34 for 572 yards) and was second in receptions as a senior (41 for 567 yards and six touchdowns). He had 11 interceptions his junior season and four his senior year.
1. Vance Johnson, RB, 1981
Before becoming one of the top receivers in Denver Broncos history, Vance Johnson made his name known at Cholla as one of Tucson's top running backs. Johnson racked up 1,382 yards on the ground to become an All-State, All-Metro and Super 11 selection. He went on to excel at the UA by gaining 1,873 yards in his career and earning first-team All-Pac-10 honors in 1982. Then, as a member of the Broncos, Johnson appeared in three Super Bowls and was a member of the 'Three Amigos' receiving core. Johnson ranks fifth in team history in catches (415), seventh in touchdown receptions (37) and seventh in yards (5,695).
Cienega High School's top 10 football players
10. Zach Davila, OL/DL, 2008
Davila, far right, was a three-year starter and one of the top linemen to come out of Cienega. He earned a football scholarship to Utah, but multiple knee injuries eventually put an untimely end to his career. Davila is now the head coach at Rio Rico.
9. Dean Showers, OL/DL, 2005
The 6-foot 1-inch 280-pound three-year defensive tackle will be remembered by opposing coaches as one of the toughest to keep out of the backfield. As a senior, Showers had six sacks and 33 total tackles.
8. Manny Vera, RB/Returner, 2012
While Vera rushed for a single-game 5A state record 407 yards with Sunnyside as a junior, his biggest accomplishment came his senior year after he transferred to Cienega and helped lead the Bobcats to their first state championship appearance. He also set the single-season school records for rushing touchdowns (31) and yards (2,017).
7. Bryce Burnett, WR, 2007
Burnett started two seasons at wide receiver and finished with a school-record 1,847 receiving yards. He had more than 100 yards in six games and caught 15 touchdowns.
6. Jordan Mills, QB, 2011
Alongside running back Willie Willis, Mills ran one of the most prolific offenses Southern Arizona has seen in the last 10 years. The two-year starter threw for 1,952 yards as a junior and school-record 2,474 yards as a senior. Mills holds the Bobcats' career records with 4,510 passing yards, 53 touchdown passes and 297 completions.
5. Willie Willis, RB, 2011
In two seasons with Cienega, Willis rushed for more than 3,000 yards and 49 total touchdowns. He was a first-team All-Southern Arizona selection twice and led his team to the state semifinals in 2009 and 2010.
4. Seth Mejias-Brean, QB, 2009
Before winning a national championship with the UA baseball team and being drafted by the Cincinnati Reds, Mejias-Brean set the bar high for future Cienega quarterbacks. As a senior, he accounted for 17 passing and 13 rushing touchdowns and a school-record 2,751 total yards to receive first-team All-Southern Arizona honors. The two-year starter holds the school's career record for total yards with 5,145.
3. Edgar Poe, WR/DB, 2012
Poe, a two-year starter at Cienega who now plays for Army, was also a big factor in his school's trip to the state finals two years ago. He holds the school record for career touchdown catches with 22, with the most memorable one his 33-yard go-ahead score in final minutes the Division II state semifinals that season.
2. Daniel Gonzales, RB/LB, 2012
When Cienega coach Nemer Hassey mentions Gonzales, he also mentions that he thinks the UA missed out on a great player. The three-year starter still holds the school records for career (252) and season (139) total tackles and, as a senior in 2011, helped Cienega make its first state championship appearance.
1. Brandon Lopez, RB/LB, 2004
Lopez was a two-way starter at running back and linebacker and helped put Cienega on the map by rushing for 4,342 yards and scoring 55 touchdowns over three seasons. The 6-foot 1-inch, 225-pound standout totaled 3,196 yards rushing and 42 scores in his final two seasons and still holds the school records for career rushing yards, carries, touchdowns and points. He received first-team All-State and All-Southern Arizona honors as a senior and went on to play for the UA.
Desert View High School's top 10 football players
10. Adrian Koch, QB/LB, 1992
A quarterback for the Jaguars in 1991, Koch walked on at the UA in 1997, four years after serving overseas with the Marines. In his first year Koch played in all 12 games on special teams, earning a scholarship and starting spot at linebacker through 2000. He once played 17 days after tearing his ACL and was named one of three captains his senior season.
9. A.J. Willis, RB/LB, 2008
In his senior season from the backfield Willis totaled a combined 1,323 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing and receiving. As a linebacker, he recorded 68 tackles and an interception. He went on to play collegiately at Fort Hays (Kansas) State and then at Pima College.
8. Brandon Perkins, ATH, 2011
A two-time first team All-Region defensive back, Perkins was also a threat on offense as the Jaguars' top wide receiver as a senior in 2010. In two years Perkins caught 74 passes for 1,150 yards and 16 touchdowns, before switching his focus back to defense as a major contributor for Pima College's secondary.
7. Bobby Garcia, WR/DB, 1990
Garcia was named first team All-Conference in 1988 with 70 catches for 978 yards and 10 touchdowns. The wide out's 70 grabs were good enough for second most in city history. Garcia hauled in 14 balls for 164 yards and two touchdowns in the Jaguars 47-20 loss to Peoria in the 1988 quarterfinals.
6. Theo McDaniel, TE/DL, 1994
No Star picture available
McDaniel, a tight end, was the leading receiver for the region's top passing team. He also led the team in tackles from the defensive line and earned honorable mention on both sides of the ball in 1993 as a senior.
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5. Mike Debevoise, RB, 1997
Along with leading the Jaguars to their most recent playoff appearance in 1996, Debevoise led Southern Arizona in rushing his senior season with an average of 139 yards per game, finishing with 1,464 yards and 10 touchdowns. He set the school's single game rushing record with 270 yards in a 20-12 win over Apache Junction.
4. Matt Gonzales, RB/DB, 1994
No picture available
Gonzales got it done on both sides of the ball, receiving All-Conference honorable mention honors his junior year as a defensive back in 1992 and again in 1993 as a running back. Named a two-time first-team defensive back by the Arizona Daily Star, Gonzales also finished as one of the top rushers in the city as a senior, with 953 yards and eight scores in the first nine games of the season.
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3. Rene Duarte, RB, 1988
The top rusher in Division II South with 1153 yards and 17 touchdowns, Duarte was named second team All-Conference 1987 as a senior for his part in leading the Jaguars to their first postseason appearance and best finish to date at 9-3.
2. Willie Walker, OL/DL, 1992
1. Adam Rodriguez, QB, 1989
Rodriguez started as a freshman for Desert View's first ever football team in 1985 and graduated in 1989 as Tucson's all-time passing leader with 5,774 yards. Rodriguez compiled 42 touchdowns, 19 of which came as senior to go along with 1,830 passing yards, good enough for second in the state. The 5-foot, 190-pound Rodriguez led the Jaguars to the state tournament in back to back years to close out his career. A two-time All-State honorable mention, Rodriguez had his jersey retired at Desert View in 1995 and is the only Jaguars' football player to earn the honor to this day.
Douglas High School's top 10 football players
10. John Necas, OL, 1987
A 6-6 300 Douglas transfer his senior year, Necas (in fourth row, second from left, No. 78) earned first team All-Conference honors and a scholarship to USC in 1986. Necas left school for personal reasons in 1989, transferring to Missouri Western State. He coached six years at Douglas, leading the Bulldogs back to the playoffs in 2005 for the first time in 15 years.
9. Tim Wilkinson, TE, 1989
Wilkinson caught 76 balls in two seasons as a tight end for the Bulldogs — 43 for five touchdowns and a division-best 908 yards in 1988 — earning Arizona Daily Star first-team honors as a senior. Best game came in 1987 against Marana when he recorded 191 yards receiving. Wilkinson would go on to letter at New Mexico in 1992 and 1993 but could not duplicate his production as a Bulldog, catching just one pass during his time as a Lobo.
8. Jesus Hernandez, K/P, 1983
No photo available
A two-time first team All-Conference punter in 1981 and 1982, Hernandez earned first team All-State in 1982 as a senior. He averaged 43.1 yards per boot over three years. His longest punt was 80 yards in 1980. As a kicker, Hernandez earned All-AA second team honors in 1980, 1981 and 1982.
7. Pedro Limon, LB, 2001
A two-time All-State honorable mention in 1999 and 2000, Limon recorded 136 tackles, 36 for loss, two interceptions and five sacks as a senior. Limon redshirted at Arizona in 2001, switched from linebacker to fullback in 2002 and lettered from 2003-2005. Limon's best year statistically as a Wildcat was as a junior when he caught six balls for 43 yards.
6. Marquez Tadeo, RB, 2001
No photo available
Tadeo set the school's single season rushing record in 1999 with 1230 yards, then broke it the following year finishing with 1364. He rushed for a school record 325 yards against Cholla in 2000, earned All-State honorable mention that same year.
5. George Ochoa, TE, 1980
Ochoa was named first team All-State in 1979, setting the state record for receptions in a season with 84. He also finished the year second all-time in touchdowns with 14. The two-time first team All-Conference tight end racked up 140 catches in four seasons. As a senior Ochoa set the school record for receiving yards in a game with 233 against Flagstaff, and for a season with 1,174.
4. Bill Salzbrenner, WR, 1976
Averaging 26 yards per catch, 8.6 yards per carry and 39.1 yards per kick return, Salzbrenner was named Arizona Daily Star's offensive player of the year in 1975, catching 18 touchdowns, a state record, and accumulating 1,121 yards on 43 grabs as a senior. In two seasons Salzbrenner hauled in 79 passes for 1981 yards and 28 scores as a Bulldog. He still holds the record for longest touchdown reception, a 99-yarder in 1975 vs. Tucson Rincon on a broken play.
3. James Negri, RB, 1941
No photo available
All-State honorable mention in 1940, Negri earned a scholarship to the UA, where he earned third team All-American honors in 1942. His college career was cut short by military service in World War II.
2. Tony Rose, QB, 1977
Along with All-State and Offensive player of the year honors, Rose was named Arizona player of the year in 1976. He finished his career with a state record best at the time, 5,281 yards and 65 touchdowns, to go with 851 yards rushing and 18 scores on the ground. Rose completed 279 passes in four years, throwing just 27 interceptions on 694 attempts.
1. Gib Dawson, RB, 1949
A three-time all-state running back, Dawson was named Arizona's Player of the Year in 1948 as senior. The 5-foot, 11-inch, 170-pound running back held the majority of the Bulldogs rushing records from 1948-2000, including rushing yards in a game with 311. A member of the Arizona High School Football Hall of Fame, and recognized as one of Arizona's 50 Greatest Athletes of all time, Dawson led the Bulldogs over Tucson High in 1946, ending its 32-game win streak, before going on to play at the University of Texas from 1950-1952. Dawson led the Longhorns in rushing, receiving, total offense, all-purpose yards, and scoring in 1951. Named All-SWC back in 1951 and 1952, Dawson was a member of SWC championship teams in 1950 and 1952. He was inducted in the University of Texas Hall of Fame in 1984. After being drafted in the fourth round by the Green Bay Packers in 1953, Dawson's NFL career was cut short, just two years in, as he was called away to military action.
Empire High School's top 10 football players
10. Josh Garcia, TE/LB, 2008
Garcia was one of nine seniors on Empire’s first official varsity team. He earned All-Region and second-team All-State honors, the first Raven to do so, after leading the team with 478 yards receiving and three scores on 28 catches. He also registered a team-high 111 total tackles.
9. Grayson Weeks, QB, 2012
Weeks was a member of the Class of 2014 but was killed in a car accident last December, following his junior season. He spent two seasons at quarterback and was on pace to break Mito Mendivil’s passing records. He threw for 1,276 yards and 17 touchdowns in his final season and had 1,888 yards and 25 touchdowns in his career to go along with a 16-8 record.
8. J.J. Gretta, WR/DB, 2013
Gretta caught 36 passes as a senior for a school-record 808 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging more than 22 yards a catch. In the Division IV state quarterfinals in 2012, he threw a 32-yard score on a trick play and then caught a 44-yard touchdown in a 21-14 loss.
7. Loren Henry, ATH, 2012
Henry spent time at several different positions on the field for Empire including running back, quarterback, wide receiver and tight end on offense. He also spent time at defensive end, linebacker and safety on defense. Former coach Jorge Mendivil said he was one of the most versatile athletes to come out of the school.
6. Noah Smith, TE/DE, 2011
Smith was a three-year starter with two of those years spent starting both ways. His biggest impact came on offense where he caught 93 passes for 1,327 yards and 13 touchdowns to set school records in all three categories.
5. MacKenzie Letcher, OL/LB, 2010
Letcher anchored and offensive line that cleared way for three 1,000-yard rushers in two season as a pulling guard and was the middle linebacker on the Ravens’ defense which held opponents to 13.5 points a game.
4. Brendon Argenziano, DT, 2010
Argenziano (left) was a four-year starter on the defensive line and did not disappoint. He averaged more than 50 tackles a season and holds the school’s career mark with 223. He also has the career sacks record with 21.
3. Alberto Munoz, OL/DL, 2010
Former coach Jorge Mendivil described Munoz as a dominant two-way lineman. Munoz, who transferred to Empire in 2008, was both All-Region and All-State second-team twice and brought a toughness to the trenches among a young group according to Mendivil. He led the Ravens with 92 total tackles his senior year.
2. Mito Mendivil, QB/S, 2011
Mendivil was a three-year starter at quarterback and led the Ravens to the state tournament all three of those seasons. He received 3A All-State second-team and honorable mention honors and set school records with 2,158 yards passing in a season and 4,340 in his career.
1. Cody Woody, RB/DB, 2010
Being the first running back in Empire’s history, it’s no surprise Woody set several school records. However, it’s how he set them that it. The three-year starter and 2009 3A Southern offensive player of the year holds the Ravens’ season and career rushing records with 1,677 and 3,012, respectively. He also rushed for a school-record 23 touchdowns as a senior to finish with a career record 36 and be named a 3A All-State player and a second-team All-Southern Arizona pick by the Star.
Flowing Wells High School's top 10 football players
10. Jay Jenkins, ATH, 1993
Flowing Wells’ Jay Jenkins did just about everything for the Caballeros. The first team All-Arizona defensive back in 1992 was a four-year letterman and a linebacker, running back, wide receiver, returner and tight end in addition to his place in the secondary. Jenkins’ Flowing Wells team made the quarterfinals in 1992 and Jenkins received a scholarship at the University of Wyoming. He was a four-year letterman for the Cowboys, as well, and was named defensive MVP in the 1996 WAC championship game against BYU.
9. Paul Schmidt, OL/DL, 1971
Everywhere lineman Paul Schmidt went, winning followed. The Tucson Division AA Lineman of the Year went 18-2-1 during his time at Flowing Wells and was a first-team All-State selection and second-team All-City selection as a defensive end in 1970. Schmidt then went to Mesa Community College and won a national championship in 1973 to go along with his All-American honor. To cap off his football career, Schmidt played two seasons at Arizona, going 9-2 in both 1974 and 1975.
8. Mike Effing, WR, 1983
Wide receiver Mike Effing was Ken Leikem’s favorite target in the early 1980s, racking up 2,613 career yards, the city mark for more than 15 years until Sahuaro’s Calvin Dacus broke it in 1999. Effing was named All-Arizona as a senior in 1982 and All-State Division 2A as a junior and helped Flowing Wells go 11-1 and finish as the state runner-up in 1982.
7. Ken Leikem, QB, 1983
While Flowing Wells’ glory days came in the early 1970s, quarterback Ken Leikem led the charge during the Caballeros second best era, starting in 1981. Leikem was a two-time first team All-State selection in 1981 and 1982 and had 47 touchdowns and 4,459 yards in his career. Leikem had season-highs of 22 passing scores and 1,957 yards and went to the 2A state title game in 1982 but the Caballeros fell 10-7 to Flagstaff.
6. David Moore, DL, 1976
While John Bray was running rampant on offense, lineman David Moore was the anchor of Caballeros defense during their dominate run in the 1970s. Moore was a two-time All-State defender and the captain of the 1975 undefeated championship team. Moore also played on the 1973 runner-up team and, according to the school, was selected for the Silhouette Award as the Best Defensive Player in Arizona. After going to Western Community College, Moore went on to play at the University of Arizona.
5. Rich Thomas, WR, 1974
According to an article by Bill Betterton in the Arizona Daily Star, the six-foot Rich Thomas wasn’t even considering football as a sophomore in 1971 until coach Larry Hart recruited him midseason to come out and play. Thomas went on to be an All-State wide receiver in both seasons he started and was a crucial piece in the Caballeros back-to-back state runner-up teams in 1972 and 1973.
4. Jim Faulks, RB, 1959
While Jim Faulks was arguably a better basketball than football player at Flowing Wells, winning the 1959 state championship, the running back broke the city rushing record with 1,321 yards in 1958. Faulks, who earned All-State honorable mention, also had 144 points that year and his 314 yards in a single game that also stood as a Tucson city record for more than 45 years. Faulks still holds three school rushing records and went on to start three years at the UA. He was the starting quarterback for the Wildcats in 1963.
3. Angel Corona, DB, 1986
The numbers say it all for defensive back Angel Corona. The Caballeros ball hawk finished his career with 27 interceptions spanning from 1983 to 1985. His career mark still stands today as the 4A record and it’s better than both the 5A (Pueblo’s Rudy Quihuis, 25) and 3A (Buckeye’s Phillip Echeverria, 26) record. Corona was a first team All-State selection as a senior, taking the ball away nine times for 132 return yards.
2. John Bray, RB, 1976
For all of Flowing Wells dominance in the early 1970s, the Caballeros only won one state title. The school finally broke through in 1975 and much of the credit goes to All-State running back John Bray. Bray took a screen pass 43-yards to the end zone to give the Caballeros 14-13 win over Snowflake. In addition to the title, Bray also finished that season with 1,201 yards and 24 touchdowns, a Tucson prep record. Both the Arizona Daily Star and the Tucson Citizen named Bray the Arizona football player of the year.
1. Mark Jacobs, LB, 1973
An All-State athlete on the field and a Cum Laude honor roll student off it, linebacker Mark Jacobs could do no wrong during his time at Flowing Wells. Jacobs was voted Lineman of the Year by the Tucson Press Box Association, named to Coach & Athlete Magazine’s Top 100 All-American team, selected first team All-State in 1971 and 1972 and led Flowing Wells to back-to-back title games. During his three years at Flowing Wells, Jacobs made 199 unassisted tackles (462 assisted), including 78 unassisted tackles in 1972. Jacobs went on to start three years at the UA and ranks eighth in career tackles with 383. The one black mark on Jacobs’ resume was a game suspension in 1975 after he quit football for a day because of his newfound religious beliefs.
Ironwood Ridge High School's top 10 football players
10. Ray Cottman, TE/LB, 2009
Cottman, who played alongside Jake Fischer, was a two-year starter and first-team All-Southern Arizona selection as a senior when he caught 19 passes for 353 yards and five touchdowns. He also led the team with 110 total tackles that year.
9. Trevor Wesley, WR/DB, 2011
Most great quarterbacks have a great wide receiver, and Wesley was that guy for Tyler D'Amore (No. 5 on this list). The speedy Wesley was a three-year starter and two-way player for I-Ridge and was D'Amore's top target. As a senior, Wesley caught 72 passes for 1,157 yards and 16 touchdowns on his way to earning first-team All-Southern Arizona honors.
8. Ryan Crawford, QB, 2005
Crawford was the first quarterback in I-Ridge history, and he held the starting role for all three of his playing seasons before going on to South Dakota State. As a senior, Crawford threw for 1,170 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for 438 yards and another seven scores.
7. C.J. Healey, OL/DL, 2012
Healey, a 6-foot 2-inch 265-pound hitting machine, was the anchor of both the offensive and defensive lines for I-Ridge. He was named first team All-Southern Arizona as a senior after helping pave way for an offense which totaled more than 3,700 yards rushing and having a key role in a defense that limited teams to 13.6 points per game.
6. Colin Gilbert, WR/DB, 2007
Former I-Ridge coach Gary Minor said the 6-foot 3-inch Gilbert is the best wide receiver the Nighthawks have ever had. The numbers speak for themselves in this case. Gilbert set the school record for receiving yards in a career with 1,959 and, as a senior, set the single-season record with 1,005 yards and 11 touchdowns to earn first-team All-Southern Arizona honors from the Star.
5. Tyler D'Amore, QB, 2011
D'Amore led I-Ridge to the state tournament all three years he started and made two trips to the state semifinals. D'Amore holds the school's single-game (330 yards) and season (2,842 yards) passing marks and posted a whopping 6,171 yards and 51 touchdowns for his career. He was a first-team All-Southern Arizona selection as a senior.
4. Daniel Borg, OL/DL, 2005
The 6-foot 5-inch, 286-pound Borg is the top lineman to come out of I-Ridge. He was named the Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior, selected for the Army All-American game and received 18 scholarship offers from premier college football programs such as Oregon and Notre Dame. Borg ultimately accepted a scholarship to the UA where he eventually chose academics over football. He now works for Microsoft.
3. Tyler Williams, QB, 2013
While some may consider him an unorthodox quarterback, Williams couldn't have been a better fit for I-Ridge in 2012 as the Nighthawks went 13-1 and won the Division II state title, their first ever. Williams was named the Star's offensive player of the year after he rushed for 1,354 yards and passed for another 1,143 in his second year as the team's signal caller. He finished his stellar career with 57 total touchdowns and 4,481 combined passing and rushing yards.
2. Mitch Fischer, RB/DB, 2012
When his older brother Jake graduated, Fischer had a lot to live up to — and he did not disappoint. He'll be remembered more for what he did on offense, as he holds the school's career rushing record with 4,084 yards. He also set the single-season rushing mark as a senior with 2,143 yards on 249 carries while leading I-Ridge to the Division II state semifinals. He was named the Star's offensive player of the year.
1. Jake Fischer, RB/LB, 2009
Fischer didn't waste any time in helping turn Ironwood Ridge into a football powerhouse. He was a four-year varsity starter and a three-time first-team All-Southern Arizona linebacker before he went on to his current gig as starting linebacker at the UA. Although he is best remembered for his defensive work after setting the Nighthawks' single-season and career records for tackles with 133 and 464, respectively, Fischer's first start came at running back in the first game of his freshman year, a 51-7 win over Flowing Wells. He rushed 16 times for 87 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown, and caught three passes for 16 yards. He started at linebacker two games later and held on to that role for the rest of his career. He starting at running back his junior and senior years, as well.
Marana High School's top 10 football players
10. Jerry Robinson, QB, 1966
Paul Robinson’s youngest brother Jerry never reached the same heights as Paul during his football career. Still, Jerry was dominant in his own right, leading the state in rushing as a quarterback in 1965. He went on to become an All-American at Cal Western University at Point Loma.
9. Ken Sherman, TE/DT, 1969
During Marana’s back-to-back state championships in 1967 and 1968 (compiling a perfect 21-0-1 record), Sherman was first team All-State on both offense and defense as a senior. He was also an All-State selection as a tight end in 1967.
8. Frank Ard, FB, 1967
While the Vietnam War cut Frank Ard’s post-prep career short, the 1965 All-State fullback was a touchdown machine at Marana. Ard still holds the Tigers’ all-time touchdown record.
7. Scotty Coxon, QB, 2002
Injuries forced a freshman Coxon to start at quarterback during Marana’s first round playoff game against Glendale Apollo. The game didn’t go well — Marana lost 28-0 — but it marked the start of the career for the Tigers’ best passer in school history. Coxon combined for 3,301 yards his junior and senior season and led the city in yards and touchdowns (16) during the 2001 regular season. He finished his career with the majority of Marana’s passing records.
6. Lacey Colter, FB, 1965
Fullback Colter, a first team All-State selection in 1964, helped bring the Tigers their first state championship after a perfect 11-0 season. Colter went on to play in the North/South All-Star game, the first from Marana to do so, and went on to play four years at NAU.
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5. Clay Hardt, RB/S, 1999
The hard-hitting Hardt, who earned the nickname “Killer” during his high school days after attending a football camp at Cal, was an all-purpose athlete for the Tigers. He finished fourth in the city in rushing with 1,001 yards (6.4 yards per carry) and was an All-4A selection in 1998. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound Hardt played safety and quarterback as well at Marana and went on to be a four-time letterman at the UA. As a senior for the Wildcats, Hardt led the team in solo tackles and finished with 87 total tackles.
4. Cleveland Colter, ATH, 1969
Colter dominated on both sides of the ball during his days with the Tigers. He was the captain of the All-State defense as a linebacker in 1968 and was also a first team All-State halfback that year. Colter won four state championships as a senior — football, basketball, baseball and track— and was also an All-State fullback on Marana’s 1967 championship football team. One son, Cleveland “Cadillac” Colter III, was an All-American at USC and another, Spencer Colter, won a national championship with Colorado in 1990. His grandson, Kain, is the starting quarterback at Northwestern. Cleveland II died under anesthesia in the mid-1970s after going in for a dental appointment.
3. Arthur “Sonny” Campbell, G, 1966
Campbell, a 1965 All-State selection, went to NAU to continue playing on the line. The story goes that Campbell was so quick that the coaches decided to turn the career-long guard into a running back. The move worked, as Campbell went on to play for the Atlanta Falcons in 1970, compiling 327 yards on offense and scoring two touchdowns during his two-year stint in the NFL.
2. LeRoy Peoples, RB, 1965
While Paul Robinson’s professional career made him Marana’s top player, Peoples might have been the Tigers’ best runner. The two-time All-State back started all four years and Marana researcher Scott Catt, who’s writing a book on the subject, said Peoples was considered the most feared player time and again during interviews. Peoples long touchdown run clinched Marana’s first title. His post-prep career was cut short, though, by two tours in Vietnam.
1. Paul Robinson, RB, 1963
Robinson went to the UA for track, not football, after leaving Eastern Arizona Junior College. But, when his track scholarship ended, Robinson turned to football out of necessity and the decision resulted in national fame. After Robinson completed his lone season at the UA, finishing as the Wildcats’ No. 2 back in 1967, the Cincinnati Bengals surprisingly drafted him in the third round. The young back repaid their faith, becoming the 1968 AFL Rookie of the Year and finishing second in MVP voting after breaking the 1,000-yard mark. While Robinson never reached the same level during his professional career, he finished his seven-year AFL/NFL career with 3,559 yards of total offense. Photo Caption: Cincinnati Bengals running back Paul Robinson (18) goes down after a pass bounced out of his hands in the second quarter of the game on Dec. 13, 1970 in the Houston Astrodome as Ken Houston (29) of Houston defended. Cincinnati took the game 30-20. (AP Photo/EFK)
Mountain View High School's top 10 football players
10. Kainoa Akina, QB, 2001
Kainoa, the son of former Arizona’s defensive coordinator and current Texas assistant coach, Duane Akina, completed 55 percent of his passes for 1276 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior in 2000. As a junior, Akina finished fifth in passing in Southern Arizona with 1,285 and 12 touchdowns. Making his way to Eastern Michigan as a freshman in 2001, Akina tallied 1,504 yards at 14 scores, before transferring to Hawaii where he lettered as a backup signal caller from 2003-2005.
9. Gabe Cox, WR, 1995
A threat to go the distance with any pass he caught during his time as a Mountain Lion, Cox made his way to Eastern Arizona College where he was named a second-team junior college All-American in 1996 with 50 catches for 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns, before earning a scholarship to Purdue where he caught 65 passes for 739 yards and nine touchdowns in two years, serving as Drew Brees' favorite target, hauling in 55 balls in 1998.
8. Kailan Williams, DB, 2000
After being named a first-team All-Southern Arizona defensive back in 1999, Williams spent two years at Arizona Western College, before going on to Southwest Missouri State where he was a two-year letter winner and named team’s defensive MVP in 2003 with 48 tackles and two interceptions as a safety. He also had a brief stint in the NFL with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in the offseason of 2004, before making his way to the Arena League.
7. Kevin Corner, TE/LB, 1992
Corner earned second-team All-Southern Arizona honors, both as a tight end and a linebacker in 1991. He went on to play at Utah State, lettering for the Aggies in 1994 at tight end, catching 8 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown as a backup.
6. Eddie Arizmendi, QB, 2004
Arizmendi is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in recent history, totaling 4,595 combined yards and 57 touchdowns in two years as the Mountain Lions starter, including more than 1,000 yards passing and rushing, Arizmendi accumulate 2,486 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior. A two-time All-Conference honorable mention, Arizmendi was named back-to-back All-Southern Arizona first team quarterback in 2002 and 2003.
5. James MacPherson, QB, 1997
MacPherson compiled over 2,500 yards through the air and 800 yards on the ground over three seasons as a Mountain Lion, earning a scholarship to play at Wake Forest. A four-year letter winner and three year starter for the Demon Deacons, MacPherson led Wake Forest to back-to-back winning seasons, earning most valuable players of the 2002 Seattle Bowl for his 255 combined yards and three scores against Oregon. He finished his career for the Demon Deacons seventh in school passing with 4,716 yards which is still ninth all-time.
4. Mike Villa, FB/DL, 1992
As blocking back for Kevin Schmidtke, Villa still managed to rush for 1,070 yards, good for second in the Sonoran division behind his sophomore backfield mate, earning Villa Arizona Daily Star 4A player of the year honors in 1991. Putting his 6-foot, 4-inch, 260-pound frame to use on defense as well, Villa also landed first team 4A honors as a defensive lineman.
3. Wayne Wyatt, OL, 1992
Wyatt led the Mountain Lions to a 10-2 record as a senior in 1991, earning a scholarship to the UA, where he was a two-year starter, graduating in 1997. During his time as a Wildcat, Wyatt earned All-Pac honorable mention his senior year for his play on the field, but he may have been better known for his work in the classroom. A two-time member of the Pac-10’s All-Academic team, Wyatt is one of only six Wildcats to earn Academic All-American honors, and the most recent.
2. Dan Moore, RB, 2008
Southern Arizona leading rusher in 2007, Moore rushed for 1,941 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior and earned first-team All-Southern Arizona honors. A four-year letter winner as a fullback at Montana, Moore totaled 1,262 combined yards and 14 total touchdowns before graduating in 2013. The 5-foot, 11-inch, 240-pound bruiser is currently trying to make the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted NFL free agent.
1. Kevin Schmidtke, RB, 1994
Once ranked the 30th-best running back in the country by Super Prep, Schmidtke was a two-time Arizona Republic state player of the year and a two-time Arizona Daily Star Southern Arizona player of the year in 1992 and 1993. As a senior, the 5-foot, 10-inch, 190-pound running back was the 4A Sonoran division’s leading rusher, racking up 2,515 yards at 9.5 yards per carry, to go along with 37 touchdowns, leading the Mountain Lions to a perfect 14-0 season capped off with a 63-32 win over Sahuaro in the 1993 4A state title game. In four playoff games that year, Schmidtke carried the ball 98 times for 738 yards and 15 touchdowns, setting state championship game records for most touchdowns (5) and most points (38). As a junior in 1992, Schmidtke combined for 1,775 yards rushing and receiving and led the conference in scoring with 31 touchdowns, 24 of which came on the ground. He finished with 5,155 career yards rushing and held the 4A state record for nearly 10 years. Schmidtke earned a scholarship to the UA where he totaled 774 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 210 carries, to go along with 15 catches for 130 yards in four years with the Wildcats.
Nogales High School's top 10 football players
10. Andy Garcia, RB, 2009
Garcia (right) was named second team All-Southern Arizona by the Arizona Daily Star after posting a 9.1 yards per carry average to go along with 25 touchdowns as a senior 2009. Making the switch from wide receiver to running back before the start of his junior year, Garcia rushed for 1,600 yards and 21 scores in 2008. After a productive sophomore season at Pima College, totally 484 combined yards and seven scores in 2010, Garcia walked on at ASU as a safety, where he played special teams in 2012.
9. Ben Coronado, TE, 1993
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A three-year starter at tight end for the Apaches, Coronado earned All-State, and All-4A honors in 1992 after leading the division in catches with 47 for 840 yards. Named to Blue Chip Magazine’s West top 20 after recording 27 grabs for 528 yards as a junior, Coronado chose West Point, N.Y. over playing at Arizona.
8. Ruger Fontes, QB, 1998
Along with leading the Apaches to their best ever finish at 10-2 in 1997, Fontes set the school’s single-season passing record, finishing second in the state with 2,709 yards, to go along with 27 touchdowns. His top target, All-State honorable mention, Gilbert Tovar, recorded 15 touchdowns and 1426 yards through that year. Fontes spent two years buried on the depth chart at ASU before transferring to Eastern Arizona in 2000.
7. Mario Rodriguez, DL, 1990
A two-time second team All-4A and All-AAA-I selection in 1988 and 89, Rodriguez also earned first-team 4A All-Southern Arizona honors in back-to-back seasons before starting two-years at Mesa Community College, where he earned all-conference recognition. Despite being a 5-foot, 10-inches, 235-pounds defensive lineman, Rodriguez walked on at Arizona in 1992, earning a spot in the rotation and lettering as part of the ‘Desert Swarm’ defense in 1993 and 1994.
6. Frank Morales, OL, 1952
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Second team All-state Class B in 1951, Morales went on to NAU where he lettered from 1953-1958.
5. Joe Escalada, OL, 1963
Escalada was named All-State Class A in 1961 and 1962, before heading to the UA where he lettered from 1964-1966.
4. Robert Bonillas, TE/DB, 1994
Named Southern Arizona player of the year by the Arizona Daily Star in 1993 as a do-it-all player in all three phases of the game. Bonillas led the region in rushing with 1,203 yards. He was named first-team 4A All-Southern Arizona as a junior in 1992 after hauling in 33 balls for 590 yards, despite playing in just seven games. Bonillas took his talents to the UA, starting as a tight end, and finishing as an outside linebacker, where he lettered all four years, playing mostly on special teams.
3. James Macris, RB, 1940
Known as the ‘Gallopin Greek’, Macris converted to running back his senior year after two years as an average offensive lineman, earning All-State honorable mention in 1939. He was dubbed one of the hardest hitting backs in Nogales history at the time, and the most versatile, paving the way for standout to come, including Hop Bachelier and Arnold Salazar.
2. Alex Amado, OL, 1957
A two-time All-State Class A honoree as a offensive lineman in 1955 and 1956, Amado lettered at Northern Arizona University in 1959 and 1960.
1. Danny Villa, OL, 1983
Coming out of high school in 1982, Villa had one of the toughest decisions any college-bound Arizona athlete must face. The UA or ASU? In the end, the 6-foot 5-and-a-half-inch, 245-pound offensive lineman chose Arizona State and the rest is history. Villa would go down as the most decorated Sun Devil lineman of all time, finishing his career as a consensus All-American, Outland Trophy finalist, Morris Trophy winner, unanimous All-Pac-10 first-team selection and 1987 Rose Bowl Champion among other colligate accomplishments. Drafted by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the 1987 NFL draft, Villa went on to play 12 seasons in the NFL, see time in 157 games for teams including the Phoenix Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers. However, in 2009, Villa was sentenced to two years in jail and seven years of probation after he pled guilty to raping a 15-year-old girl.
Palo Verde High School's top 10 football players
10. Bill Zivic, K, 1978
Both Bill, top in photo, and his younger brother John Zivic excelled at placekicking during their days at Palo Verde. But, while John made more in bulk (13 career field goals), Bill had the big leg. As a senior in 1977, Bill hit a 57-yard field goal against Sunnyside. He also made 55-yard kick as a junior and a 51-yarder against Santa Rita. Bill went on to become the primary place kicker at the UA for two seasons, making 28-of-28 extra points in 1979 and hitting 17 of his 36 career field goal attempts.
9. Collin Murphy, ATH, 2005
Murphy, center, a multi-purpose back, was all over the field in his three season of varsity for the Titans. Murphy made second team All-Southern Arizona as a running back in 2004, second team All-Star as a punter in 2003 and second team 4A-Sonoran Region as a specialist in 2002. Murphy rushed for 1,168 yards and scored 17 touchdowns as a senior. His 29 career touchdowns and 262 career points rank second in Palo Verde history. Murphy also kicked a 50-yard field goal and had three interceptions in a single game — he did just about everything on the football field.
8. Harry Lodge, RB/DB, 1968
Lodge was the first Titan to earn an All-State selection, making the Tucson Citizen’s first team as a defensive back in 1967. Lodge was also an All-City selection as a DB and an honorable mention choice as a running back. He led Palo Verde to its second winning season (6-3) in the school’s six-year history and the Titans’ had the second best pass defense in the city in 1967.
7. Paul Swank, OG, 1974
6. Brandon Johnson, DL, 2006
Johnson dominated both sides of the line, receiving first-team All-Arizona honors as an offensive tackle and first-team All-Southern Arizona honors as a defensive lineman in 2005. During the Titans’ championship run, the team averaged 229.4 yards per game and proved its ground dominance during its 15-7 win against Cottonwood Mingus in the state title game. After a 92-yard kick return by Mingus made it a one score game, Palo Verde went on a 19 play, 11:49 minute drive (featuring 18 rushes) that killed any momentum.
5. Robert Fowler, RB, 1974
Fowler, a running back, was the heart of Palo Verde’s offense during its undefeated championship run in 1973. Fowler finished second in the city in rushing during the regular season, despite being hampered by injuries. But, the eventual state title gave the 180-pound back 1,115 yards on the year for the rushing title and earned him a first-team All-State honor to go along with the AAA championship. Fowler had 21 carries for 81 yards and a score in the Titans’ 22-20 victory over Camelback.
4. Jim Arneson, OL, 1969
The middle Arneson brother, Jim, never got the same publicity as Mark, and his position as a lineman didn’t help, but he too had a successful career at all three levels. Jim was an honorable mention All-City player in 1968 and followed Mark’s trail to the UA. Jim was first team All-WAC in 1972 for the Wildcats and went on to be drafted in the 12th-round by the Dallas Cowboys. The 6-foot 3-inch, 238-pound guard played three seasons in the NFL, appearing in 33 games for the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins. Shown here as a Dallas Cowboy.
3. Bill Baechler, QB, 1972
By the time Baechler, left, a quarterback, left Palo Verde in 1972, the All-City second team selection held all of the Titans’ major passing records. Baechler’s mark of 1,387 career passing yards held until 1989 and he broke the season-high records of 11 touchdowns and 820 yards in 1971. Baechler, a 6-foot 1-inch, 181-pound athlete, was named Back of the Year by the Tucson Press Box Association and went on to play three seasons at the UA.
2. Adam Hall, ATH, 2009
While back-to-back ACL tears derailed Hall’s Arizona Wildcat career, the all-purpose athlete was arguably Palo Verde’s most accomplished high school player. Hall was Arizona’s Player of the Year, a Parade All-American and an All-Arizona selection in 2008. He scored 38 combined touchdowns and gained more than 1,500 all-purpose yards as a senior in 2008. Hall ended his career as the Titans’ all-time leading scorer and was an All-State 4A selection as a kick returner in 2007 as a junior.
1. Mark Arneson, LB, 1968
Arneson,a linebacker, was so feared as a hitter that rumor has it that the coaches at the UA didn’t let the 1968 All-City Palo Verde grad practice on defense because he was injuring his own teammates. Arneson, an All-American and two time All-WAC player as a Wildcat, was drafted 32nd overall by the St. Louis Cardinals and started his nine-year NFL career off by winning the 1972 Rookie of the Year. His 357 career tackles rank 10th all-time at the UA. Shown here, right, as a St. Louis Cardinal.
Pueblo High School's top 10 football players
10. Gary Clifford, RB, 1959
“Gallopin’ Gary” was the captain of the All-City team in 1958 and received All-State honors after helping Pueblo become co-state champions in the pre-playoff era. The 5-foot 7-inch, 155-pound speedster easily broke the city scoring record his senior season with 20 touchdowns and 26 conversions (146 points) and went past the 1,000-yard barrier. Photo copied from yearbook.
9. John Straw, WR/DE, 1962
Straw was a crucial piece throughout Pueblo’s run to the state championship in 1961, the school’s only outright title in its history. Straw was an All-State selection as receiver in 1961 and was the co-captain of the All-City team. He made an “outstanding” catch on a throw by All-State quarterback Richard Martinez in the championship game that helped Pueblo dig out of a eight point hole in the final quarter to beat St. Mary’s 16-14. Straw also was an All-City selection as a junior and played on both sides of the ball. Photo copied from yearbook.
8. Wilbur Washington, ATH, 1989
Washington was a force both offensively and defensively, leading the Warriors to a 10-1-1 record and a state quarterfinals appearance in 1988, Pueblo’s best season since 1967. The 5-foot 11-inch, 150-pound Washington was voted the Division II offensive player of the year, was a Super 11 selection and was the only unanimous selection to the all-division offensive and defensive teams. The future Eastern Arizona and Temple player caught 48 passes for 937 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior at Pueblo and had five interceptions, including two for scores.
7. Fernando Santa Cruz, RB/LB, 1960
Santa Cruz, a two-way standout, was the first Pueblo football player to receive a Division I scholarship, going to Idaho out of high school and then lettering at the UA in 1962. Before playing for the Wildcats, Santa Cruz made the Citizen-Gazette All-State eleven as a linebacker in 1959, played in the high school All-Star game and earned All-City honors as a running back. The 5-foot 11-inch, 183-pound athlete gained 477 yards on 6.2 yards per carry. He was also an All-State linebacker in 1958, playing a key role during the Warriors co-state championship. As a sophomore, Santa Cruz made an impact in the return game. Photo copied from yearbook.
6. Rudy Quihuis, FS, 1968
While Charlie Quihuis was strong on both sides of the ball, his older brother Rudy was an absolute ball hawk on defense during his time at Pueblo. The 6-foot, 165-pound Quihuis still holds the state record with 18 interceptions in 1967, sparking Pueblo’s run to the state finals. He also holds the 5A record with 25 career interceptions and was an All-State and All-City selection in 1967.
5. Charley Quihuis, WR/DB, 1973
Quihuis made his name by dominating on both sides of the ball. Charley was named first team All-City offense (wide receiver) and defense (defensive back) as a senior in 1972 and had All-State honors as well. Charley, and fellow All-State defensive back Roy Cooksey, anchored a Warriors’ defense that allowed just 395 yards passing during the regular season and carried the team to the playoffs where they lost 36-15 to Sahuaro in the Southern Division AAA title game. Both were also All-City selections in 1971 and Quihuis went on to play at the UA. Photo copied from yearbook.
4. Tony Hammond, RB, 1969
Hammond was a first-team All-City selection as both a junior and senior, making the team as a halfback in 1967 and a defensive back in 1968. During Pueblo’s state runner-up season, the junior Hammond led the city in scoring and was fourth in catches (21) and eighth in yards (608 on 76 carries). The 11-2 Warriors lost to St. Mary’s 34-22 in the state championship game, but Hammond connected with star quarterback Frank Fernandez for 78 yards in the game. Photo copied from yearbook.
3. David Eldridge, RB, 1985
Eldridge, a Blue Chip running back prospect, made his way onto the UA roster after gaining 1,135 yards and 15 touchdowns on 195 carries with the Warriors as a senior in 1984. The 6-foot 1-inch, 190-pound back made the Super 11 team and was a first team All-Metro selection, finishing his Pueblo career with 2,110 yards rushing. Eldridge had a productive Wildcat career as well, gaining 1,611 yards and 19 touchdowns through three seasons, including a 205-yard game against UCLA in 1989. The second-team All-Pac-10 selection ended his senior season on a sour note, getting suspended for steroid use and missing the Copper Bowl.
2. Bill McKinley, TE/DE, 1967
The 6-foot 4-inch, 215-pound McKinley made his living at the end of the line, making the All-State first team as a left end on defense and the second team as a tight end on offense. McKinley went on to become a captain at the UA and earned second-team All-WAC honor as a defensive lineman in 1970. He had 20.0 tackles-for-a-loss that season, which is the second best mark in Wildcats’ history since the stat was recorded in 1967. McKinley was selected in the sixth-round on the 1971 NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills but played in just seven games in his professional career. Photo copied from yearbook.
1. Leonard Thompson, RB/WR, 1971
At the end of the 1970 high school football season, few would have expected Thompson to go on and have a 12-year NFL career. Pueblo’s leading rusher finished 10th among AAA-South rushers on a 1-9 team. Coaches described him as an athletic “sleeper” and at Arizona Western College, Thompson finally sprouted into a Division I football player. He went on to rush for 841 yards on 167 carries at Oklahoma State before being selected in the eighth round of the 1975 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.
Rincon/University High School's top 10 football players
10. John D'Auria, DL, 1970
After graduating from Rincon in 1970, D'Auria headed to the UA where he lettered in 1971 and 1972.
9. Bill Prickett, QB, 1987
Prickett was named first-team All-Conference in 1986 as a senior, throwing for 1,710 yards and 16 touchdowns, ninth best in city history at the time and good for the AAA South division passing title. Prickett spent a year on the bench at Scottsdale CC, before walking on at the UA in 1988. He wouldn't see the field as a Wildcat for three and a half years. However, Prickett earned a scholarship as a fifth-year senior in 1991, completing 16 of 39 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown to finish his career.
8. Joseph Matthews, ATH, 2011
Matthews had 49 receptions 832 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2010, earning first-team All-Southern Arizona honors as a senior. A two-year letter winner, Matthews is currently a junior at New Mexico State, where he played in 11 games for the Aggies last season, catching eight passes for 133 yards in 2012. He's looking to expand his role after starting four games a year ago.
7. Alex Solot, OL, 2006
As a senior at Rincon in 2005, Solot anchored an offensive line that produced the top rushing offense in the city and the only one to eclipse 3,000 yards, while leading the Rangers to their first postseason appearance in 16 years, earning first-team all Southern Arizona honors. The 6-foot, 7-inch, 280-pound UTEP committed, saw action in four games as a redshirt freshman. Solot started five games as sophomore and received the Bob Stull Award for team's most improved player as junior starting eight games in 2009. One of only two linemen to start every game in 2010, Solot finished with 21 consecutive starts for the minors before a brief stint with the Baltimore Ravens.
6. Tim Hutton, ATH, 1985
Hutton is considered one of the best athletes to ever play for the Rangers. The running back earned All-City honors in three consecutive seasons — twice as a back and once as a return man — before accepting a scholarship to play at Northern Arizona, where he lettered in 1985.
5. Scott Wonacott, OL, 1973
While clearing space for Arizona's Player of the Year, running back Jesse Parker, Wonacott earned first-team All-City honors in 1972 as senior after helping to lead the Rangers to back-to-back winning seasons.
4. Larry Rogge, OL/LB, 1965
Rogge earned Class AA third-team honors as a linebacker in back-to-back seasons before attending the UA in 1965. The linebacker was a three-year letterman and a member of the Wildcats' Sun Bowl team in 1968.
3. Tom Wisz, QB, 1967
A three-year varsity player and an All-Class AA honorable mention in 1966, Wisz went on to play at Southern Illinois where he lettered in 1968 as a backup.
2. Al Dillbeck, OL, 1970
Dillbeck earned first-team All-City honors both in 1969 and 1970, before heading to the UA.
1. Jesse Parker, RB, 1973
A Parade All-American in 1972 as a senior, Parker led the Southern Division in rushing, total offense and scoring with 1,284 yards and 13 touchdowns and was named the Tucson Press Box Association Back of the Year. The 6-foot, 185-pound running back racked up 3,049 yards and 29 scores in three years, also earning first-team All-Conference honors in 1972 and a scholarship to UCLA where he spent a year with the Bruins before transferring to the UA. He lettered in 1977 with the Wildcats and finished his UA career with 155 yards and two touchdowns on 41 carries.
Rio Rico High School's top 10 football players
10. Cooper DeWitt, LB, 2009
Honorable mention as a linebacker in 2006, DeWitt also put his tackling skills to use on the mat as well, winning a 4A-II wresting state title at 160 pounds in 2007.
9. Robert McCarty, ATH, 2009
McCarty earned first-team 4A Southern Arizona honors as a sophomore defensive back in 2006. As a junior in 2007, McCarty finished sixth in the city in receiving and earned honorable mention honors after hauling in 29 receptions for 592 yards and four touchdowns.
8. Keith Jacobs, ATH, 2007
Jacobs was named first-team 4A Gila region as a wide receiver for his contributions on Rio Rico's first 4A win as a team after moving from 3A.
7. Mark Gastellum, QB/DB, 2013
As a senior, Gastellum quarterbacked the Hawks to three wins. He was an honorable mention on the Arizona Daily Star All-Southern Arizona team in 2012 after compiling more than 1,400 total yards and 18 combined scores. He also punted, kicked extra points and played defense.
6. Steve Morales, ATH, 2010
Morales earned back-to-back honorable mentions on the Star's All-Southern Arizona teams in 2008 and 2009. As a junior, Morales combined for more than 1,500 yards and 10 touchdowns before switching from quarterback to wide receiver in 2009. He caught two 30-yard touchdown passes and ran in a 13-yard touchdown for the Hawks other score to help snap Rio Rico's 24-game losing streak — a 21-13 win over Buckeye Verrado three days after a loss to Amphitheater.
5. Albert Dauz, OL, 2007
While paving the way to snapping the Hawks 52-game losing streak, Dauz earned first-team 4A Gila region honors in 2006.
4. Zach Sbragia, ATH, 2012
A three-time All-Southern Arizona honorable mention from 2009 to 2011, Sbragia contributed all four years on varsity. In 2010 as junior, Sbragia quarterbacked Rio Rico to back-to-back wins, including 143 passing yards and three touchdowns against Sahuarita to end the season.
3. Charlie Alcaraz, OL, 2001
Three-year letter winner Alcaraz anchored an offensive line that produced seven wins in two years — still the best stretch to date.
2. Ryan Nauman, QB, 2001
A three-year starter at quarterback for the Hawks, Nauman earned back-to-back All-Southern Arizona honorable mentions in 1999 and 2000 and led the Hawks to their most successful season — four wins in 1999 as a junior.
1. Lucas Meza, QB, 2008
A three-year starter at quarterback, Meza was a two-time All-Southern Arizona honorable mention selection. He finished sixth in passing in Southern Arizona as a senior in 2007 with 80 completions for 1,372 yards and eight touchdowns, including a career-high 339 yards and three scores in a 41-28 loss to Douglas. The 5-foot, 10-inch, 190-pound dual-threat quarterback provided depth at Pima College. He saw action in the final game as a redshirt sophomore, finishing 6 for 9 for 41 yards and a touchdown.
Sabino High School's top 10 football players
10. Manny Olague, ATH/FS, 1991
Olague, smiling at camera in black, who could play just about anywhere on either side of the ball, will be remembered as one of the hardest hitters to come out of Southern Arizona. "Manny's hits can change the way our defense and offense plays. It fires us up," former Sabino coach Jeff Scurran once said about Olague. The 6-foot 2-inch 195-pound Arizona Republic All-State selection and two-time first-team All-Southern Arizona selection helped Sabino's defense register six shutouts his senior year in 1990 as the Sabercats went 14-0, won the 4A state title and were ranked an all-time best 19th in the nation by USA Today. He earned a scholarship to play at the UA but was never able to match his dominance from high school before he left the team as a junior.
9. Brian Poli-Dixon, WR, 1997
Poli-Dixon was named to the PrepStar All-American team as the No. 6 wide receiver in the west as a senior at Sabino when he caught 44 passes for 912 yards and 17 touchdowns to help the Sabercats reach the 4A state semifinals. The 6-foot 4-inch 194-pound high schooler, who was also an Arizona Republic All-State selection and name first team All-Southern Arizona, will be remembered as one of the top receivers to come out of the region after went on to become a standout at UCLA. In four seasons with the Bruins, Poli-Dixon caught 130 passes for 2,062 yards and 20 touchdowns. His best season at UCLA came in 1998 when he caught 44 passes for 712 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore to help the Bruins win the Pac-10 and reach the Rose Bowl game. Poli-Dixon never made it into the NFL but did play in the Arena Football League.
8. Garrett Ford, TE/LB, 1989
Jeff Scurran, who was in his first season as Sabino's coach, credits Ford with setting the tone right away for the Sabercats' upcoming dominance. Ford, who originally signed with San Diego and then transferred to Colorado, was another do-it-all player who caught 20 passes for 300 yards and two scores to earn All-Southern Arizona first team honors as a senior, his only year under Scurran. While Garrett was the trendsetter for Sabino, his younger brother, Cole, carried it on as an All-State kicker with the 1990 state championship squad before he continued on to USC and then the NFL.
7. Quinn Gooch, ATH, 2000
Gooch may be one of the best all-around football players to ever play in Southern Arizona. The do-it-all star was a running back, slot receiver and defensive back and even a kicker for the Sabercats. As a junior in the 1998 4A state championship game, Gooch rushed for 92 yards and a score, intercepted a pass and kicked three extra points. A year later, before he suffered a season-ending injury and missed the final six games, Gooch rushed for 1,010 yards and 11 scores and kicked 28 extra points. He was a first-team All-Southern Arizona selection and chose BYU over the UA.
6. Glyndon Bolasky, RB/DB, 2006
Bolaski rushed for a combined 3,323 yards and 42 touchdowns in his final two years with Sabino and was named Arizona's Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior in 2005. He was also named the Arizona Daily Star Player of the Year that year when he rushed for 1,711 yards and 25 touchdowns, including 415 yards and six scores to help the Sabercats reach the 4A state finals. Bolasky went on to join the Arizona Wildcats — where he was seen as a potential two-way star — but a knee injury ultimately ended his career.
5. Nathan Wize, RB, 1998
Although he wasn't your standard running back at 5 feet 7 inches tall and 190 pounds, Wize will go down as one of the best rushers Arizona has ever seen. He rushed for a state-record 3,101 yards and 51 touchdowns his senior year in 1997 and racked up several Division I offers before deciding on Cincinnati. He rushed for more than 300 yards three times in his senior season and twice scored six or more touchdowns. However, in four seasons with the Bearcats, he only had 609 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns.
4. Jeff Kiewel, OL/DL, 1978
Kiewel went on to become a first-team All-Pac-10 selection and an honorable mention Associated Press All-American as a senior with the Arizona Wildcats and then played for the Arizona Wranglers in the USFL and Atlanta Falcons in the NFL. Kiewel was a second-team All-Pac-10 selection as a junior in 1981, the same year he received the Wildcats' Most Valuable Offensive Player award. The 6-foot 4-inch, 254-pound offensive lineman was inducted into the Sabino Hall of Fame in 2012.
3. Corey Hill, RB/DB, 1994
Hill received first-team All-Southern Arizona selections by the Star twice — his junior year as a defensive back and senior year as a running back — and was an All-State selection by the Arizona Republic as a senior before he became a three-year starter at cornerback with Stanford. He helped Sabino to the 4A state title in 1992 as a junior and, in three playoff games his senior year, the two-way star totaled eight touchdowns and 219 yards rushing. He was a key factor in the Sabercats' upset of top-seeded Peoria in the 4A state quarterfinals when he scored twice and combined for 114 yards rushing and receiving.
2. Brooks Reed, FB/DE/LB, 2006
Reed is rare in the sense that he's shined in high school, in college and then in the NFL. As a senior as Sabino, Reed received first-team All-Southern Arizona honors as a defensive lineman after he finished with 38 tackles and three sacks. The then-6-foot 2-inch, 220-pounder also made an impact offensively, combining for 520 rushing and receiving yards and six touchdowns while clearing way for Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year Glyndon Bolasky and helping the Sabercats reach the state finals. That was only the beginning, however. Reed was an All-Pac 10 defensive end with the Wildcats as a senior in 2010, the same year his brother Lucas, who also went to Sabino, received All-Mountain West honors as a sophomore at New Mexico. Brooks, who had 87 tackles and 15 sacks in his career at the UA, went on to be selected 42nd overall by the Houston Texans in the 2011 NFL Draft. He has since started in 21 games, registering 72 total tackles and 8½ sacks.
1. Mike Saffer, OT, 1998
Several big-time college football programs had their eyes on Saffer, a 6-foot 6-inch, 295-pound USA Today first-team All American offensive tackle and two-time Arizona Republic All-State selection who was widely considered the No. 1 offensive lineman in the nation in 1997. Nebraska, the 1995 consensus national champions, had two coaches station themselves in Tucson for a week to try to persuade Saffer to become a Cornhusker, according to former Sabino coach Jeff Scurran. Saffer, who was also a Parade All-American and Reebok preseason All-American as a senior, helped open lanes for running back Nathan Wize, a fellow senior who rushed for a state-record 3,101 yards and 51 touchdowns in 1997 as the Sabercats went 13-0 before losing in the 4A state championship game. Saffer listed UCLA, Southern Cal, Washington, Nebraska and Arizona State as his final college choices and he ultimately chose the Bruins. He started 41 games with them and was named All-Pac 10 and a second-team All-American by Sporting News his senior year in 2002 but was never able to stick with an NFL team.
Sahuarita High School's top 10 football players
Sahuarita High School's top 10 football players
10. Aric Howard, ATH, 2013
With 15 touchdowns scored four different ways as a junior, Howard was a second-team All-Southern Arizona and first-team All-Division III selection in 2011. A threat to go the distance any time he touched the ball, Howard was a major reason the Mustangs ended the regular season a perfect 10-0, finishing with 26 grabs for 834 yards and 12 scores.
9. Chris Snodgrass, RB, 2013
Snodgrass was named second-team All-Southern Arizona as a senior in 2012 after rushing for 1,382 yards and 25 touchdowns on 164 carries. He led the Mustangs to the most wins in school history (10-1) in a single season and a first-round playoff appearance. As a junior Snodgrass was named to the All-Southern Arizona third team with 953 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns.
8. Sati Santa Cruz, OL/DL, 1987
A major contributor on both sides of the line, Santa Cruz was named an All-Conference honorable mention in 1986 before going on to play at Eastern Arizona College.
7. Kelton Smith, WR/LB, 1999
Part of a 9-2 season as a junior, Smith was named a first-team All-Region receiver in 1997, with more than 500 yards recieving and two kick returns for touchdowns. He went on to play two years of defense at Adams State.
6. Ricky Alvarez, QB, 1998
On the short list of best quarterbacks ever at Sahuarita, Alvarez led the Mustangs to their first nine-win season in 1997 and was named the co-offensive player of the year in the conference.
5. Allonte Singfield, ATH, 2009
An All-4A honorable mention selection, Singfield earned first-team All-Southern Arizona honors in 2008 after leading the region in rushing with 1,622 yards. He also contributed on defense and returned kicks. Singfield rushed for 205 yards in the Mustangs' 28-13, first-round playoff loss to Scottsdale Notre Dame his senior year.
4. Chris Cutler, LB, 1998
A three-year letterman at linebacker, Cutler earned All-State, All-Region and regional most valuable player honors as a senior in 1997. As a junior he was named second-team All-Conference. In 1999, Cutler walked on at the UA as a defensive lineman.
3. Travis Depper, RB, 2005
A three-time All-Southern Arizona honorable mention selection, Depper was named to the 3A All-State team after rushing for 1,379 yards and 13 touchdowns as part of the 2004 Mustang squad that made the state tournament and finished 9-4. Depper, who went on to play running back at Pima, was also a first-team All-Region centerfielder for the state champion baseball team and a two-time state champion in wrestling.
2. Richard Ochoa, OL/DL, 1978
A three-time state champion wrester, Ochoa was also a two-way terror on both sides of the ball as a lineman for the Mustangs in the 1970s.
1. Kyle Day, QB/DB/K, 2006
Day was thrust into the starting line-up in Week 1 of his sophomore year. A year later, Day was named All-Southern Arizona honorable mention after throwing for more than 2,000 yards and leading the Mustangs to the semifinals and a 9-4 record. Finishing as Sahuarita's second leading scorer all-time in 2005, the 5-foot, 11-inch, 175-pound do-it-all star, was once again tabbed for regional honorable mention. A standout quarterback and a stud defensive back, Day might be best remembered for his field goals. He was twice selected as an All-Conference kicker in 2004 and 2005. Day walked on at the UA as a receiver in 2006. He saw action on special teams in two games in 2007 and then lettered in 2009 after playing in 10 games as part of the kick return team as a redshirt junior. That earned him a scholarship and an outside chance to get on the field at wide out as a fifth-year senior, but an ankle injury in training camp derailed his season.
Sahuaro High School's top 10 football players
10. Jay Dobyns, WR/DB, 1980
Although Dobyns may be best remembered for his undercover work as a special agent with the ATF and infiltrating the infamous biker group Hell's Angels, his football career isn't something to forget. Dobyns, a 6-foot 2-inch 180-pound receiver, was a first-team All-State and All-Southern Arizona selection in 1979 as a senior when he led Southern Arizona in receiving in the regular season with 48 catches for 621 yards and seven touchdowns. As a junior with the Cougars, he ran alongside All-State selection Brad Baker and was second in the area with 37 catches for 417 yards and two touchdowns. Dobyns went to Arkansas his first year of college and transferred to the UA where he was a three-year starter and two-time All-Pac 10 receiver.
9. Paul Schoonover, RB/FB, 1973
Schoonover, a 5-foot 11-inch 200-pound bruiser, was named Sahuaro's Most Valuable Player both his junior and senior years. He was a two-time first-team All-City section and the offensive captain his senior year after he became the third Tucsonan to rush for more than 1,000 yards in two consecutive seasons. Former Sahuaro coach Virg Stan believed Schoonover, who led the city in rushing as a junior and went on to play at Hawaii, was the best fullback Tucson had ever seen to that point. "I've seen fullbacks in this city since 1956 and I don't think there's anyone who comes close to his caliber," Stan told the Arizona Daily Star in 1972.
8. Brad Chilcote, QB, 1986
In 1985, still in the shadow of Rodney Peete, Chilcote (No. 19 in photo) did not hesitate to make a name for himself in Sahuaro and Tucson history. The senior quarterback threw for a single-season city and state record 2,736 yards, nearly 1,000 of which came in the Cougars' three playoff games as they reached the state semifinals. Also that season, Chilcote threw for 426 yards in one game to break the single-season state record for the third time in four years. Coincidentally, Peete was the one who started that trend when he threw for 424 yards in a single game in 1982. Chilcote, who completed 175 of 288 passes for 25 touchdowns and 15 interceptions his senior year, was named the first-team All-Southern Arizona quarterback. As a junior, Chilcote was the third-string quarterback all year but was called on in the first round of the playoffs and didn't disappoint there either as the Cougars reached the state championship game.
7. Steve McLaughlin, P/K, 1990
The 6-foot 2-inch, 180-pound McLaughlin could be considered the best kicker and punter to come out of Southern Arizona. He was the first-team All-Southern Arizona punter as a senior in 1989 as well as the second-team kicker after he averaged 42 yards a punt and sent most of his kickoffs into the end zone for touchdowns. McLaughlin went on become a consensus All-American as a senior at UA when he set the UA single-season record with 23 field goals in 1994 and won the Lou Groza Award for the nation's best kicker. In the 1995 NFL Draft, McLaughlin was the only kicker drafted when the St. Louis Rams selected McLaughlin in the third round. Although he was never able to get back to his award-winning ways, he is a member of the UA football Ring of Honor.
6. Steve Martin, WR/DB, 1986
Martin was arguably the state's best all-around athlete his senior year. He could have also been considered the top wide out, and his main competition was Mark Mariani, who lined up next to him and gave Southern Arizona one of it's best receiving duos ever. The two combined for 1,273 yards in 1985 with Martin, an All-State selection, accounting for 550 of them. While that number might seem low, Martin actually missed five games with an injured right ankle and caught 21 of his 25 balls for 479 yards and three touchdowns in only three playoff games. As a junior, Martin was a second-team All-Southern Arizona receiver and helped the Cougars reach the state finals. Martin, who was named the 1985 Southern Arizona baseball player of the year by the Star, signed with ASU to play both baseball and football and went on to sign a pro baseball contract with the San Diego Padres organization but never made it past Double-A ball.
5. Omar Bacon, RB, 1995
The younger brother of another Sahuaro standout in Barry Bacon, Omar shined even more than his brother as he led the Cougars to a co-state championship. Bacon, the All-Southern Arizona Player of the Year and Tucson Citizen Most Valuable Player in 1994, rushed for 1,578 yards, gained 290 on receptions and scored 22 touchdowns as Sahuaro tied Peoria 17-17 in the 4A state finals. Bacon, who played in three state championship games in his four years with the Cougars, chose a scholarship to Utah over offers from the UA and Missouri. In four years with the Utes, Bacon amassed 1,372 yards and 14 touchdowns on 347 carries. He was a member of the New York Giants' practice squad but never took the field in a regular-season game before he was released in September of 2001.
4. Mike Ciasca, OL, 1990
Ranked the No. 1 offensive line prospect in 1989 by SuperPrep, Ciasca was a very big deal. The 6-foot 6-inch, 290-pound Parade All-American had offers coming from all corners of the country and listed his finalists as USC, UCLA, Florida State and the UA when he was named the All-Southern Arizona offensive player of the year by the Star his senior year. The Arizona Gatorade Circle of Champions player of the year in 1989 helped open lanes for fellow first-team selection running back Barry Bacon, who rushed for more than 1,500 yards as Sahuaro finished the regular season 10-0 and reached the state semifinals. Ciasca chose to stay in Tucson by committing to the Wildcats, but he was never able to get to the same level of play as injuries ended his career.
3. Reggie Robertson, QB, 2000
As one of the most prolific quarterbacks to ever come out of Tucson, Robertson is part of an elite group. The 6-foot 2-inch, 185-pound record-setting signal-caller set four city records in his stellar three-year career with the Cougars. He was named the All-Southern Arizona Player of the Year by the Arizona Daily Star in 1999 as a senior and was the Tucson Citizen Player of the Year in 1998. Robertson finished with a Tucson city record 7,106 career passing yards and 77 career touchdown passes. He threw for 2,933 yards and 34 scores as a senior to break both single-season city records, which stood until 2004. He helped Calvin Dacus break the state's career reception mark, connecting with him 215 times over three years and for 18 touchdowns in their final season when Sahuaro made it to the 4A state championship game. Robertson had college offers from the UA, Cal, New Mexico and Utah and chose to join the Golden Bears. With them, however, he eventually lost the starting job to current Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Robertson still went on to led the Amsterdam Admirals of the NFL Europe to the World Bowl IV in 2006 and then attended training camp with the Oakland Raiders.
2. John Mistler, WR/DB, 1977
Over three seasons with Sahuaro, Mistler caught 149 passes for 2,375 yards and was twice a first-team All-State selection. He was also named a Parade All-American his senior year, and he caught a state-record 81 catches as a junior. He went on to play at ASU and then in the NFL. With the Sun Devils, Mistler was an All-American and All-Pac-10 receiver who finished his college career second in school history with 156 catches and 21 touchdowns and third with 2,149 career receiving yards. He had 53 catches for 573 yards and 11 touchdowns his senior year and went on to be chosen 59th overall in the 1981 NFL Draft by the New York Giants, who he spent four seasons with.
1. Rodney Peete, ATH, 1982
Although Peete may not have graduated from Sahuaro, that's definitely where he began to make a name for himself, regardless of what sport he was playing. The Mesa native caught 44 passes for 796 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore in 1981 to earn second-team All-State honors as a wide receiver and then went on to become a first-team All-state quarterback the next year with no problems. The three-sport star threw for an area-best 1,885 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior and had only eight interceptions in 253 passing attempts but left Sahuaro because his father, Willie, got a job as an assistant coach with the Kansas City Chiefs. By then, however, Peete was already well known, and his name only became more common. He went on to become a first-team All-American quarterback at USC where he led the Trojans to a pair of Rose Bowl appearances, won the Johnny Unitas Award as the best senior quarterback and was the Heisman Trophy runner-up to Barry Sanders that same year in 1988.
Salpointe Catholic High School's top 10 football players
10. Johnny Peña, RB/LB, 2013
After senior Bobby Way went down with the season-ending injury in 2009, Peña, a freshman at the time, was put into the starting spot as a possible replacement. Four years later, he left Salpointe as its all-time leading rusher and scorer. The 5-foot 10-inch 190-pound Peña will begin his college career at Brown this season under former Lancer standout Joe Leslie, a 1968 graduate who is an assistant with the Bears and heavily recruited the star runner. Peña finished his high school career 4,681 yards and 62 touchdowns and should hold on to those records for quite a while, possibly forever. While Peña proved to be a dominant force all four years, occasionally playing defense and rushing for more than 1,000 yards twice, he saved his best for his senior year when he was a huge reason the Lancers reached the state semifinals for the first time since 2000, after he rushed for 1,526 yards and 25 touchdowns. His best game in 2012 came on Senior Night fittingly, when he ran for 187 yards and three scores to hand eventual state champion Ironwood Ridge its only loss of the year. Photo by Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star
9. Rich Ellerson, OL/LB, 1972
While Ellerson is probably best known for coaching and creating the UA’s “Desert Swarm” defense, he got his start as an All-City football player at Salpointe. Ellerson, now in his fifth year as Army’s coach, played at Hawaii under eventual UA coach Dick Tomey and then became a graduate assistant there to start out his coaching career. He was a defensive assistant at several different colleges before he reunited with Tomey at the UA in 1992. After three seasons, he left the Wildcats to take his first head-coaching job at Division I-AA Southern Utah but returned to the UA a year later. Ellerson, who was inducted into Salpointe’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2002, the left the UA for good in 2000 and spent seven seasons as Cal Poly’s coach before he took over Army in 2008. With Ellerson, the Black Knights led the nation in rushing last year and beat Air Force for the first time since 2005. In 2010, the Black Knights also went 7-6 and went to a bowl game for the first time in 16 years. Photo: Army head coach Rich Ellerson removes his headset during the first half of a NCAA college football game with the Temple Owls Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011 in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
8. Herbie Jones, RB/LB, 1965
Jones helped Salpointe go 10-0 in the regular season and win its first city championship in football on his was to becoming the first Lancer to be named an All-American. While the 205-pound bruiser easily won the city rushing title with 1,232 yards and scoring title with 116 points in 1964, his work as a linebacker may have been even more impressive. Jones, a two-way star who was named to the Arizona Republic and Arizona Daily Star All-State teams as a senior, was a key player on the area’s best defense, which only gave up 58 points in its first 10 games, before losing 20-0 to Mesa Westwood in the state semifinals Jones had one of his best performances in regular-season finale when he rushed for 93 yards and three scores in a 26-0 win over Phoenix Brophy. He surpassed the 1,000-yard mark the week before that when he had 169 yards and another three touchdowns in a 26-0 win against Catalina.
7. Frank Garcia, ATH/P/K, 1975
Garcia, who went on to become an All-Pro punter, was named a first-team All-State and All-City defensive back his senior year in 1974 but played just about anywhere on the field that season. He was also a quarterback and halfback and combined for 867 yards passing and rushing while he also kicked one field goal and 13 extra points and was the team’s punter. The 6-foot 1-inch Garcia, the co-captain of the Tucson Daily Citizen All-City team, signed to play with ASU as a defensive back but left the school after his first season with the team and enrolled at the UA. After punting for the Wildcats, Garcia worked his was into the NFL when, after several failed attempts with other team, the Seattle Seahawks signed him in 1981. He was released following the season but went on to spend five years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including an All-Pro season in 1983 when he launched 95 punts and averaged 42.2 yards per attempt. Photo courtesy Arizona Athletics
6. Joe Rowley, RB/DB, 1983
Rowley may have had a small 5-foot 8-inch 155-pound frame, but it didn’t stop him from making a big impact on both sides of the ball. The three-year star running back amassed a school-record 2,937 yards to break Larry LeKander’s school record of 2,772 yards from 1955. Rowley also set the school record with 48 career touchdowns and held on to both marks until Johnny Peña broke both within the last two years. However, Rowley still holds the single-game rushing mark from when he rushed for 288 yards against Tucson High in 1982, his senior year when he was named to the Arizona Daily Star’s Super 11 and All-City first team after finishing with an area-best 1,229 yards rushing and 122 points on 164 carries. He also received first-team All-City honors as a junior when he led the area in scoring again, with 105 points, and was second in rushing, with 931 yards. Rowley, who was also a premiere sprinter and high jumper in the spring, continued his career at New Mexico State for two years and totaled 1,299 totals yards and 11 touchdowns, before a coaching change cause him to part with the Aggies. He also considered Northern Arizona, Wyoming and Stanford for college.
5. Tyler Graunke, QB, 2004
Graunke was named the All-Southern Arizona Player of the Year in 2004 when he had one of the most prolific passing seasons Tucson has ever seen. The 6-foot 180-pound quarterback threw for a city-record 3,372 yards, which is also still standing as the best mark statewide in 5A history. His two main targets were receivers Jack Darlington and Rocco Bene, Graunke helped them make history when they became the first duo in Arizona history to each finish with 1,000 yards receiving. Graunke, who also holds the Southern Arizona single-season mark for the most touchdown passes with 37, went on to play for Hawaii. He was a member of the 12-1 team that went to the Sugar Bowl in 2008 when he accounted for Warriors’ lone touchdown in that game. He started in two games and threw for 1,234 yards and 10 downs that year for his best season but left football the following year and has since spent time playing in the German Football League.
4. John Fina
Football has taken John Fina from Salpointe to UA to Buffalo. He's back in Tucson, and he's hosting "On the Menu Live" today.
3. Chris Hopkins, RB/DB, 1992
Alongside fellow senior and two-way star Adam McCollum who was a three-time All-Southern Arizona selection, Hopkins helped lead Salpointe to one of its best seasons ever when it made it to the 5A state championship game in 1991, for only the second time in school history. Hopkins, a 5-foot 11-inch 175-pound running back, was the driving force of the offense with 2,118 yards and 29 touchdowns that season, on his way to being named the All-Southern Arizona Player of the Year. In the state final against Phoenix St. Marys, Hopkins had 28 carries for 128 yards but the Lancers lost 28-13. One of his best games that year came when he ran for 205 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries. Hopkins had interest from the UA, ASU and Cal before he chose the Sun Devils. He played four seasons with them but split time as a defensive back and halfback, finishing with 1,745 total yards and eight touchdowns. Photo by Rick Wiley / Tucson Citizen
2. Jeff Heidrick, FB/LB, 1982
As the first Lancer to have his jersey retired, Heidrick will never be forgotten by Salpointe and it’s for good reason, too. The 5-foot 8-inch 195-pound four-year star that wore No. 45, missed only two games in his career because of injuries and went out in grand fashion, leading Salpointe to its first state championship appearance and its most wins to that point with 11. His specialty was defense as he once has 11 sacks in one game and led the Lancers in every category but, when star tailback Joe Rowley went down with an injury in the first round of the state playoffs, Heidrick didn’t miss a beat taking over his role for the rest of the year until he was hurt in the state finals, a 20-0 loss to Phoenix Trevor Browne. Nevertheless, he was still the best player in the area by far after dominating on both sides of the ball and even punting. Heidrick, a first-team All-City selection as a junior, was named the captain of both the Arizona Daily Star and Tucson Citizen All-City teams as a senior and was a member of the Star’s Super 11 team, which featured the 11 best players in the state. He went on to have a productive career at New Mexico as well.
1. Kris O’Dowd, OL/DL, 2007
O’Dowd is arguably the most decorated lineman ever to come out of Southern Arizona. The 6-foot 5-inch 315-pound star was named the 5A Southern Region Offensive Player of the Year and the All-Southern Arizona Player of the Year his senior year when he also became the fourth Tucsonan since 1990 to be named a Parade All-American. O’Dowd was also selected as an Army All-American, joining 2004 graduate John Kadous as the only other Lancer to earn that honor, and was named to the SuperPrep Elite 50 and Prep Star 100 in addition to both of their All-American teams. With all the honors, O’Dowd had several big-time college offers, including Ohio State, Miami, Tennessee, UCLA, USC and the UA. He chose to become a Trojan and made an even bigger impact, immediately, with them after he made a smooth transition to becoming a center for the first time after playing tackle in high school. After being named to The Sporting News Pac-10 All-Freshman team in 2007 despite missing some time with a dislocated right kneecap, O’Dowd was a first-team All-Pac 10 selection and USC’s Lineman of the Year as a sophomore when he started all 13 games as the Trojans went 12-1 and won the Rose Bowl. His performance that year put him as a potential first-round selection in the NFL Draft following his junior season but injuries kept him from getting back to that level of play. O’Dowd has since had tryouts with the Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks but was never able to make a regular-season roster.
Santa Rita High School's top 10 football players
10. Ron Gould, ATH, 1983
At Santa Rita, the 145-pound Gould did a little bit of everything for the Eagles. He spent time at running back, defensive back, punter, receiver and the special teams unit, but his petite stature and an Achilles’ tendon injury made Gould a non-entity, for even the smallest universities. Gould instead spent two years at Scottsdale Community College, then spent a season at Wichita State before it eliminated its football program. Gould kept on chasing his dream, though, and eventually made his way to Oregon. The much bigger (5-foot-9, 176-pound) Gould started at cornerback for the Ducks in 1987. His time in Eugene, Ore., also spearheaded his coaching career, where Gould eventually made his way to Cal after several stops. He spent 11 seasons in Berkley, first coaching running backs before becoming the associate head coach in 2008. Gould was hired to his first ever head coaching job in 2012, taking over at UC Davis.
9. Jaquari Kountz, OT/DL, 2010
While the skill position players typically get more love, Kountz was the heart of the Eagles’ line during its three-year stretch of dominance in the late 2000s. Kountz was a first team All-Sothern Arizona selection as both a senior in 2009 and junior in 2008. Santa Rita won its first ever playoff game in 2007 and then the Eagles made back-to-back state title games the next two seasons. The 6-foot, 290-pound Kountz was also an honorable mention All-Southern Arizona nominee as a sophomore, meaning he played a big part in the Eagles’ three-year (34-7) stretch under coach Jeff Scurran. Photo by Dean Knuth/Arizona Daily Star
8. Jacob Morell, RB/DB, 2005
Morell (seen right) had to wait for his senior year in 2004 before getting a shot at running back. Once he finally got his chance, though, the 5-foot 10-inch 175-pounder made the most of it. Morell set the school-record with 2,085 yards and 19 touchdowns on 333 carries to become an All-Division and All-Southern Arizona first team selection. Morell also set the city’s single-game rushing record with 399 yards and six touchdowns on 46 touches in a 59-33 win against Nogales, according to the Tucson Citizen. The only thing that didn’t come for Morell was team success as the Eagles finished 3-7 on the year.
7. Ian Garlets, QB/DB, 2010
Similar to other Santa Rita greats Sean Cook and Aaron Santini, Garlets contributed as both a quarterback and a defensive back for Santa Rita. Garlets was a first-team All-Southern Arizona defender as a senior and junior and a second team defensive back as a sophomore in 2007. Garlets had never played quarterback when the Eagles asked him to take over in 2008, but it didn’t take him long to figure out the position. The junior threw for 2,037 yards and completed 58.2 percent of his passes, scoring a total of 37 touchdowns for Santa Rita. He followed that with another strong season in 2009 (1,564 yards and 19 passing touchdowns), though the Eagles were shut out 14-0 by Glendale Cactus in the 4A-II state title game. Ian isn’t the only star of his family, as his grandfather “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, is a drag racing legend. Photo by Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star
6. Shawn Hungate, OL/DL, 1987
The 6-foot-3, 256-pound Hungate was one of Arizona’s elite lineman in 1986, earning three different All-State designations, including first team All-Arizona. The powerful guard was also a unanimous selection to the All-Division team and went on to the UA. During his college recruitment, a scout made it clear in a quote to the Daily Star why Hungate was a Division-I prospect: “He’s damn tough, that’s why.” His Wildcat career was derailed by a motorcycle accident that forced him to miss his freshmen season. Hungate never lettered a season at the UA.
5. Aaron Santini, QB/DB, 1990
Santini had the luxury of throwing to the state’s best wide receiver in Eric Drage, but Santini proved as a senior he was an elite player as well, making first team All-State. When everything was said and done, Santini had the third most passing yards in Tucson history with 4,600 and was also a second team All-Southern Arizona defensive back. The 6-foot, 178-pound athlete completed over 50 percent of his passes his final two seasons and even punted for Santa Rita at times. The captain of Tucson Citizen All-City team chose baseball over football, though, because of his size and went to New Mexico before being drafted in the 20th round by the Minnesota Twins. His baseball career stalled with the Single-A Fort Wayne Wizards. Photo by David Sanders / The Arizona Daily Star.
4. J.J. Holliday, WR, 2009
During the Eagles’ turnaround under coach Jeff Scurran, the biggest name at Santa Rita was Holliday (seen left). The first-team All-State selection in 2008, and two-time All-Southern Arizona member, finished his career with 109 catches for 2,351 yards and 30 receiving touchdowns. While his final game for the Eagles was a 30-26 loss to a much-bigger Scottsdale Notre Dame side, Holliday did everything he could at Sun Devil Stadium, gaining 115 yards on six grabs and adding two scores in the game. Sun Devil Stadium would also become his future home, as Holliday played three seasons at ASU. His college career didn’t live up to his time at Santa Rita, though, as Holliday had only one catch for 14 yards before forgoing his senior season to start his professional work life. Photo by Kelly Presnell /Arizona Daily Star
3. Anthony Sanders, QB, 1992
When Sanders finished his junior season at Santa Rita in 1990, the All-State quarterback was one of the hottest commodities in town. Sanders completed 157 of his 259 passes for 2,087 yards and 14 touchdowns, creating a electric tandem with two-time All-Southern Arizona wide receiver Grant Bennett. Sanders, a 6-foot 1-inch, 184-pound blue chip prospect, had top tier schools Miami and Notre Dame, as well as many others, battling to court him. But, just six games into his senior season, Sanders broke the clavicle in his left shoulder on a scramble, ending his Santa Rita career. During the injury-shortened senior campaign, Sanders accounted for more than 70 percent of his team’s offensive output, but only the UA and ASU remained interested in signing the Tucson signal caller. Well, them and the Toronto Blue Jays. As a seventh-round pick in 1992, Sanders forwent his scholarship at the UA to pursue a career in professional baseball and eventually played in 13 MLB games. Courtesy Benjie Sanders
2. Sean Cook, QB/DB, 1987
Quarterback is usually the headline position, but Cook (seen right) made his name known more as an All-State caliber defensive back during his time at Santa Rita. Cook intercepted six passes as a senior, which was tied for the top mark in Division III, while also moonlighting as the quarterback in the Eagles’ Flexbone option offense. Cook passed for 583 yards and rushed for 480 and eight touchdowns to make his way on the Super 11 team. The 6-foot 3-inch, 200-pound athlete received a scholarship to play at the UA. In a testament to his versatility, before Cook switched to quarterback as a junior, he had 12 catches for 403 yards (33.6 yards per reception) and six touchdowns. Photo by Edward McCain / Tucson Citizen
1. Eric Drage, WR/DE, 1989
If you watched a Santa Rita game in 1988, you saw Eric Drage out on the field — every single play. The 6-foot 1-inch, 175-pound athlete never left the field, according to head coach Bob Vielledent, and for good reason. Drage was the All-Southern Arizona Player of the Year as a senior, an All-State and All-Division first team selection and he also won the Ed Doherty Award as Arizona’s top high school player. While Drage starred at wide receiver, he also was a force at defensive end and even volunteered to be the scout team quarterback. Drage went on to play at BYU, where the two-time All-WAC selection set two career receiving records for the Cougars (3,065 yards and 29 touchdowns) before they were broken in 2008 by future NFL receiver Austin Collie. Going into a pivotal matchup against Sunnyside Drage’s senior year, he asked his coach to not throw him the ball and instead run it since the Blue Devils were overloading their defense to stop him, Vielledent told reporters in 1988. The star receiver went without a catch, but Santa Rita won 13-10. Photo by Linda Seeger / Tucson Citizen
Sunnyside High School's top 10 football players
10. David Coronado, FB/LB, 2001
Current Sunnyside head coach Glenn Posey, who was an assistant when David Coronado played, said the linebacker was the toughest guy they'd ever coached at the position. The 5-foot 10-inch, 189-pound Coronado intimidated opponents on defense and bruised them as a fullback on offense while becoming the unanimous high school football Player of the Year for the Arizona Daily Star in 2000. Coronado led the Blue Devils in tackles and was the No. 2 back alongside Philo Sanchez with 1,112 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. The linebacker was a second team All-State selection as a junior before helping Sunnyside to its first-ever state finals, though Sunnyside lost 28-14 to Scottsdale Chaparral. Coronado's dominance spurred the start of a five-year dynasty for the Blue Devils, and he paved the way for another All-State defender in lineman Sam Sotelo.
9. Glenn Posey, WR, 1987
Posey had the size at 6-feet 3-inches and 170 pounds to be an elite receiver, but his speed (4.7 40-yard dash) dictated a role somewhere else on the field. Posey proved that pure athleticism isn't the only measure of greatness, becoming arguably the state's best possession receiver during his three-year career with the Blue Devils. Posey caught most everything thrown his way and racked up a record 158 receptions, a mark that still tops the 5A Division today. The two-time first-team All-State receiver had 64 catches, 877 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior in 1986, his third straight season leading the AAA-1 Division. At that time, his 2,490 career yards were second all-time to Flowing Wells' Mike Effing. Posey was a Super 11 selection in 1986 alongside the Blue Devils' quarterback Bobby Valdez. Posey's lack of speed limited his Division I potential as he went on to play at NAU. He's now the head coach at Sunnyside and finished 5-5 in his first season in charge of the Blue Devils.
8. Bobby Valdez, QB, 1987
At the end of the 1985 season, Sunnyside quarterback Bobby Valdez finished second to Sahuaro's Brad Chilcote in the race for Tucson's QB crown despite throwing for 2,092 yards and 26 touchdowns. Over the offseason, Valdez decided that next year the honor would be his, spending countless hours "throwing the ball to whoever would catch it" and working out in the weight room, according to an article in the 1986 Arizona Daily Star. The dedication paid off as Valdez won the Darrin Longenbaugh Memorial Award as the AAA-1 Division Most Valuable Player. Valdez and star receiver Glenn Posey picked apart opponents through the air. Valdez threw for 2,675 yards and 18 touchdowns while completing 56.9 percent of his passes. The two-time All-State quarterback broke Flowing Wells Ken Leikem's city yardage mark with 5,731 yards and 48 touchdowns, also a record, throughout his three years at Sunnyside. The Super 11 selection went on to play at Arizona State, but was a backup until an elbow injury ended his career.
7. Michael Smith, RB, 2006
Michael Smith had to wait behind older brother Xavier before he finally got his chance to be the featured back. Similar to fellow Blue Devil back David Adams, once Michael Smith finally got his chance, he made the most of it. Michael Smith rushed for 1,982 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2005 to earn a spot on the All-Southern Arizona first team and All-State second team. Yet the 5-foot 9-inch, 205-pound back really made his name known after his time at Sunnyside. Michael Smith had 870 yards as a senior at Utah State, giving him 1,313 in his Aggie career, and was selected in the seventh round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While he's only returned three kicks so far in his short NFL career, the backup running back is still on Tampa's roster as the 2013 season approaches.
6. David Adams, RB, 1982
Adams wasn't even the best runner in his own backfield in 1980, as the junior played sidekick to the record-breaking Fred Sims. His talent was obvious, though, as the 5-foot 6-inch Adams proved to be a great change-of-pace option, especially with defenses focusing on Sims. He also dominated in special teams and earned himself a spot on the All-City team as a kick returner. Once he finally got his starring role as a senior, Adams rushed for 1,068 yards and 12 touchdowns on 157 carries to lead the city in rushing. He was named one of the Tucson Citizen's Players of the Year and went on to play at the UA. The undersized Adams (165 pounds) continued to prove doubters wrong. He was second team All-Pac-10 as a sophomore kick returner and then led the conference with 1,175 yards and seven touchdowns in 1986 to become a first team All-Pac-10 selection. "Sweet D" sits seventh all-time in Wildcat history and has the most yards of any Tucson collegian with 2,571 (600 carries). Adams was a 12th-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts in 1987, but only saw time as a replacement for the Dallas Cowboys during the players strike in 1987. He scored one touchdown in his three-game career.
5. Xavier Smith, RB, 2005
While his young brother Michael had the stronger post-prep career, Xavier did something only one other running back in Sunnyside history could do — carry the Blue Devils to a 4A state title. Not that the championship seemed likely after back-to-back, 25-plus-points losses to start the season. But then the 6-foot, 205-pound Smith rattled off 1,851 yards and 23 touchdowns his junior season in 2003 and, along with a stout Blue Devils defense anchored by Zack Samorano, helped Sunnyside cap off its 12th straight win with a 21-13 victory over Glendale Cactus in the state finals. However, the two-time All-Southern Arizona back didn't have the same impact in 2004, and the Blue Devils 22-game win streak ended with a 6-0 loss to Scottsdale Saguaro in the 4A quarterfinals. Smith went on to play at the UA, but never solidified himself as a go-to back. He amassed 380 yards on 89 carries in his three-year Wildcat career.
4. George Duarte, RB/DB, 1982
While Fred Sims made all the headlines during Sunnyside's first undefeated regular season in 1980, Duarte, a junior, was quietly developing into one of the best safeties in the state. Duarte was a two-time first team All-State defensive back and became the back-up running back in 1981. He finished third in the city in rushing yardage while teammate David Adams was first. Duarte went on to play at NAU where he was a two-time Associated Press Division I-AA All-American in 1985 and 1986 and still holds the Lumberjack record with 19 interceptions his junior season, 11 more than anyone else in the history book. Duarte went undrafted but eventually played three games with the Chicago Bears as a special teams player in 1987.
3. Philo Sanchez, RB, 2002
Philo "The Phantastic" Sanchez might have been the coach's son, but he proved time and again he deserved to be on the field. The 5-foot 7-inch, 176-pound running back used his speed and toughness to rack up 2,479 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2001. That effort helped Sunnyside win its first state title. After losing in the finals in 2000, Sanchez and company finally made it over the hump with a convincing 28-6 victory against Phoenix Greenway in the championship. Sanchez had championship-game-record 41 carries for 184 yards in his final game before heading off to college at NAU. Sanchez was a two-time All-Southern Arizona running back and finished with the second-most career yards (4,839) in Tucson history. Philo Sanchez and his father, Richard Sanchez, were named All-Southern Arizona Player and Coach of the Year, respectively, in 2001.
2. Harry Holt, TE/DE, 1976
After transferring to Sunnyside from Harlingen, Texas, the 6-foot 3-inch, 195-pound Holt quickly showed off his stuff. The speedy, but powerful, senior finished fifth in the AAA-South in rushing despite missing two games and was an All-City selection in 1975. He also made the North-South high school All-Star game and dazzled spectators while showing off why he was a prized recruit for the UA. As a Wildcat, Holt switched to wide receiver but still saw time as a running back his freshman season. He shined against UTEP when he scored a school-record four rushing touchdowns. However, coach Tony Mason kicked the team's leading receiver off the squad after he missed the charter bus following a 23-7 loss to No. 19 ASU. Holt didn't crumble from the adversity and shined with British Colombia Lions, where he made their 50th-anniversary Dream Team at tight end. His success in Canada paved the way to a five-year NFL career at tight end with the Cleveland Browns and San Diego Chargers.
1. Fred Sims, RB/LB, 1981
As a junior, Sims broke the city rushing record with 1,426 yards for the Blue Devils in 1979 and added 16 touchdowns for good measure. But for Sims, his stellar junior season was just the beginning. Opposing defenses were helpless against the 5-foot 10-inch, 205-pound back in 1980 as Sims gained 2,017 rushing yards and the Blue Devils were considered the top team in Arizona before falling 38-14 to Tempe McClintock in a semifinal upset. The first team Parade All-American and Arizona Player of the Year went from one superpower to another by joining an Oklahoma Sooners team coming off an Orange Bowl victory and a No. 3 finish in 1980. Unfortunately for Sims, another elite back, Marcus Dupree, arrived in Norman, Okla., in 1982, and Sims was never able to get back to his high school ways. In addition to cracking the 2,000-yard club in 1980, Sims had a then-city-record 33 touchdowns and averaged 12.3 yards per carry in his career.
Tucson High School's top 10 football players
10. Marvin Lewis, DE/LB, 1971
Linebacker and defensive end Marvin "Moose" Lewis had one of the most celebrated careers at Tucson High, but unfortunately his playing days, and eventually life, were cut short by a freak accident. The 6-foor-2, 220-pound Lewis was a Parade All-American on the 1970 Badgers team that finished a perfect 12-0 and was ranked third in the nation. The two-time All-City and All-State linebacker, who also played offensive tackle, was set to play football at USC but had to first go to Arizona Western Junior College for grades. Yet after a great freshman season for the Matadors, Lewis dove into an irrigation canal with 18-inch-deep water in May of 1972 and broke his neck, paralyzing him from the neck down. On Feb. 27, 1975, Lewis' breathing tube was accidentally disconnected and the 23-year-old died from asphyxiation.
9. Pat Flood, QB, 1953
Running back Joel Favara wasn't the only great on Tucson's back-to-back state championships in 1951-52. Quarterback Pat Flood set the Tucson single-season record with 1,002 yards in 1952 for a team that ranked 10th in the nation. Badgers coach Jason "Red" Greer told the Arizona Daily Star that the undefeated 1952 team was the best in school history. His opinion has merit — Tucson High outscored opponents by an average of 19.0 points per game. One of the top universities in the nation also recognized the talents on the team, as Notre Dame recruited the All-State quarterback to play for the Fighting Irish. Flood never made the varsity roster though, and transferred to Navy instead. Flood was the backup quarterback for the 9-1 Midshipmen and threw for 173 yards (41 attempts) and three scores as Navy rolled to a 20-7 Cotton Bowl victory and No. 5 AP ranking. After his playing days were over, Flood went on to become one of the nation's top referees. He spent time in the WAC (1967-83) and Pac-10 (1984-2000). Flood officiated the 1991 Rose Bowl and the 1996 Fiesta Bowl, which was a national title game.
8. Fred Enke, Jr., QB, 1943
While he might carry the same name as his father, a legendary coach at the UA, Fred W. Enke, Jr., solidified his own place in Tucson lore through a career that reached the highest levels of success. The 5-foor-11, 155-pound quarterback started his career off with the Badgers, and he made back-to-back All-State teams in 1941 and 1942 and was named the high school football Player of the Year as a senior. Enke threw 11 touchdowns passes for the 1942 state championship team before heading across the street to the UA. As a Wildcat, Enke ran and threw for 2,973 yards and led the nation in total yardage in 1974 (1,406 passing and 535 rushing) to earn a spot on the Associated Press All-American third team. With seven UA records in hand, Enke headed to the NFL where he played seven seasons with the Lions (1948-51), Eagles (1952) and Colts (1953-54). In 1948, NFL commissioner Bert Bell told reporters "that lad will become one of the league's best' after watching Enke his rookie season. Enke racked up 4,169 yards through the air and 640 yards on the ground in his NFL/AFL career and was an All-Pro honorable mention as a rookie.
7. Lewis Cook, RB, 1966
While Tucson High already had nine state championships to its name in 1965, the Badgers had yet to win a title since playoffs began in 1959 ... well, until senior running back Lewis Cook had his say about it. Cook, an All-American in 1965, scored two decisive touchdowns in the fourth quarter to clinch Tucson's 27-7 victory over Yuma in the Class AA championship. Cook's 139 yards in the final game gave him 1,624 yards on the season and 24 touchdowns in his career, including 19 scores in 1965. The Badgers finished the season ranked 10th in the nation. After his high school career, the Tucson High great wanted to get out of town and chose ASU over the UA. Sun Devils head coach Frank Kush told the Arizona Daily Star in 1965 that Cook was an "exceptionally good football player" who had "remarkable balance" and "breakaway ability."
Tucson High School's top 10 football players
Hayzel Daniels was Tucson High School’s first Black athlete.
5. Fred Batiste, RB/DB, 1944
The last name Batiste is synonymous with excellence at Tucson High. But while Joe Batiste was a world-class track star, Fred Batiste was the elite player on the gridiron. Fred was the star on the undefeated 1943 state championship squad, the first of three-straight undefeated seasons for the Badgers. The 6-foot, 158-pound back also played a key role on the 1942 championship team and scored 14 touchdowns as both a junior and senior. Though what really separated him from other great Tucson backs was his defensive ability. Fred Batiste had a school-record 17 career interceptions, solidifying his spot as the co-most valuable player on the 1943 All-State team. He was also named the football Southwest Sports News Service Player of the Year. Several other great runners followed Batiste during Tucson's 32-game winning streak (and four-straight state titles), including Sol Ahee, Oscar Carillo and Lee "Legs" Carey.
4. Bill Dawson, OT/DT, 1967
The 6-foot 3-inch, 235-pound Bill Dawson never made it to the NFL like his younger brother, but he was just as dominant on the line during his time at Tucson High. Dawson was an All-State offensive and defensive selection in 1965 and 1966 as he anchored the lines during the Badgers' back-to-back championship run. Dawson was an All-American in 1966, earning himself a spot at Michigan State. He went to East Lansing, Mich., on a wrestling scholarship, but only because the Spartans ran out of football ones. After playing on the freshman team, Dawson became the starting middle defensive lineman as a sophomore once he fully recovered from a broken foot. Injuries ended his playing career, though, and Dawson turned to coaching. He eventually became Tucson High's head coach in 1977. While he rarely lost as a player, going 23-1 his final two seasons, Dawson never had a winning season coaching the Badgers and went 15-35-1 in his five seasons in charge.
3. Joel Favara, RB, 1953
Joel 'Warhorse' Favara holds an important designation in Badger football history — he was the school's first high school All-American. The 5-foot 10-inch, 165-pound Favara did just about everything for the back-to-back state championship Badgers, finishing off his career in 1952 with 17 straight victories. Favara had 913 yards on 125 carries and scored a city-high 82 points (14 touchdowns) in 1952, giving him 33 total touchdowns in his career and 196 points. Favara also punted for Tucson. He booted a 67-yarder as a senior in a 7-0 win against Yuma and was a reliable and hard-hitting defensive back. After Tucson clinched a perfect 10-0 season, coach Jason Greer said to the Arizona Daily Star that Favara was the "best all-around back to ramble for Tucson." The two-time All-State rusher went on to play at Oklahoma A&M (now known as Oklahoma State) and was a Missouri Valley Conference All-Star before sustaining a career-ending injury. Favara turned to coaching and was the co-coach of the year in 1962 after leading Safford to a perfect record. He moved to Sunnyside in 1968 but didn't return after four seasons and a 10-26-1 record.
2. Joe Petroshus, RB/DB, 1969
Of all the great running backs in Tucson High history, Joe Petroshus is the one with the records. After the 1968 All-American rushed for a city-best 1,418 yards in the regular season, averaging more than nine yards a carry, he left as the Badgers career rushing (2,718) leader. His 19 touchdowns that season also tied the season-high mark before Allistaire Hartfield broke it two years later with 21 scores in 1970. Petroshus also has the career rushing touchdown record (32) and a game-high 303 yards against Pueblo in 1968. Somehow, the 9-1 Badgers missed the playoffs in 1968, but the 6-foot 2-inch, 190-pound Petroshus contributed as a sophomore to Tucson's championship in 1966. Coach Ollie Mayfield told the Arizona Daily Star in 1969 that Petroshus was "one of the best football players" he's ever seen and that the two-time All-State back was sought after by Southern California, Nebraska and Oklahoma. He stayed in Tucson, though, and entered his second year at the UA as the top preseason Sophomore-of-the-Year candidate. However, an ankle injury limited him to just 14 carries in 1970, and he never led the Wildcats in rushing despite lettering three years.
1. Mike Dawson, OT/DT, 1972
The last of Tucson High's 13 championships produced the Badgers' best player, Mike Dawson. The 6-foot 4-inch, 240-pound Dawson was a Parade Magazine and Coach and Athlete's Sunkist prep All-American in 1971 after leading Tucson to its second straight state title, a 20-14 victory over Tempe Union. The hulking Dawson was a two-time All-State selection, dominating on both sides of the line while losing only two games in his 2½ seasons on the Badgers varsity team. While Dawson received scholarship interest from top schools like Nebraska, Oklahoma and Michigan, he decided to stay in Tucson. He told the Tucson Citizen in 1976 that he wanted to "give our state a good football team." Dawson continued to excel — and win — at the next level, becoming a second team All-American in 1975 as well as a two-time All-WAC defensive tackle. Dawson anchored the Wildcats line during its best three-year stretch (23-6) in school history by racking up 203 unassisted tackles and 38 tackles for loss. Dawson was the 22nd pick in the 1976 NFL draft — the highest drafted player ever to come out of Tucson. He started in 91 games during his nine-year NFL career, including 84 of a possible 88 games with St. Louis.
2003 Tyler Graunke, Salpointe Catholic (Player of the Year)
Graunke was named the All-Southern Arizona Player of the Year in 2003 when he had one of the most prolific passing seasons Tucson has ever seen. The 6-foot 180-pound quarterback threw for a city-record 3,372 yards, which is also still standing as the best mark statewide in 5A history. Chris Richards / Arizona Daily Star
2002 Phillip Pickett, Catalina (Player of the Year)
Catalina's Philip Pickett, as a running back, rushed for 1740 yards and 17 touchdowns his senior year, breaking school records for rushing yards in a season and yards on the ground in a game. That same year, the 2002 Arizona Daily Star’s Southern Arizona Player of the Year also recorded 71 tackles from the linebacker position.
2001 Philo Sanchez, Sunnyside (Player of the Year)
Sunnyside's Philo "The Phantastic" Sanchez was named the Arizona Daily Star's Player of the Year after racking up 2,479 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2001. That effort helped Sunnyside win its first state title. Douglas Ridge/for the Arizona Daily Star
Rudy Quihuis
*Note: The Star does not currently have any photos of Rudy Quihuis in its archives.