Photos: Empire High School's top 10 football players
Over the next three weeks, the Star will count down the top 10 football players from each major Southern Arizona high school program. Today we take a look at Empire High School, the ninth in the series. Douglas was previously featured.
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.
The Star is counting down the top 10 football players from each major Southern Arizona high school program.
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