High School Reunion: Southern Arizona's Best Football Players

2015 player of the year coming soon 

Southern Arizona's 2015 football player of the year will be revealed in Sunday's Star. Here's a look back at the winners since 1999. 

1999 football player of the year 

Name: Reggie Robertson 

School: Sahuaro 

Year in school: Senior 

Sport: Football 

From the archives: Sahuaro senior quarterback Reggie Robertson simply demolished every city record that is kept for passers, including single-season marks for yards (2,933) and touchdowns (34), in leading the Cougars to the Class 4A state championship game. Along the way, Robertson helped his teammate, first-team All-Southern Arizona wide receiver Calvin Dacus, become the most prolific at his position in state history with 215 catches.

Robertson finished his high school career with 7,106 passing yards and 77 touchdowns, good for second and third, respectively, in the state's record books. Such numbers allowed him to receive numerous scholarship offers, including one from the University of California. On Dec. 17, he verbally committed to the Golden Bears. — Star staff, 1999

2000 football player of the year 

Name: David Coronado 

School: Sunnyside 

Year in school: Senior 

Sport: Football 

From the archives: Sunnyside High School's David Coronado led the Blue Devils to a runner-up finish in the Class 4A football playoffs. The 5-foot-10 senior linebacker and running back is No. 1, chosen as player of the year on the Arizona Daily Star's 2000 All-Southern Arizona football team.

Coronado rushed for 1,112 yards and 14 touchdowns as Sunnyside advanced to its first state championship game in football. He also was the team's leading tackler. — Star staff, 2000

2001 football player of the year 

Name: Philo Sanchez 

School: Sunnyside 

Year in school: Senior 

Sport: Football 

From the archives: Sanchez guided Sunnyside to a 13-1 record and its first state football title. — Star staff, 2001

2002 football player of the year 

Name: Phillip Pickett 

School: Catalina 

Year in school: Senior 

Sport: Football 

From the archives: Behind the rushing of Southern Arizona player of the year Phillip Pickett, Catalina had its first winning season since 1974. — Star staff, 2002

2003 football player of the year 

Name: Tyler Graunke 

School: Salpointe Catholic 

Year in school: Senior 

Sport: Football 

From the archives: Salpointe’s senior QB broke city passing records with 3,372 yards and 38 touchdowns, both totals second-best in Arizona high school history. — Greg Hansen, 2003

2004 football player of the year 

Name: Jack Darlington 

School: Salpointe Catholic 

Year in school: Senior 

Sport: Football 

From the archives: No Southern Arizona football player was more complete than Salpointe Catholic’s Jack Darlington.

As a senior, Darlington led Salpointe in receptions (45) and receiving yards (1,079), and scored nine touchdowns as the Lancers advanced to the quarterfinals of the Class 5A state playoffs.

When he was not posting nearly one-fourth of Salpointe’s total offensive yards, Darlington also played cornerback and returned punts.

He helped Salpointe clinch its third straight region title by returning four punts for 176 yards, including a 70-yarder for a touchdown, in the Lancers’ Week 11 win over Mountain View.

Darlington, who also plays basketball and baseball, is planning to play football in college. — Star staff, 2004

2005 football player of the year 

Name: Glyndon Bolasky 

School: Sabino 

Year in school: Senior 

Sport: Football 

From the archives: Second in Southern Arizona with 1,711 yards, Sabino's swift running back scored 25 touchdowns. — Greg Hansen, 2005

2006 football player of the year 

Name: Kris O'Dowd 

School: Salpointe Catholic 

Year in school: Senior 

Sport: Football 

From the archives: Among America's leading high school football linemen, the Salpointe Catholic High School senior has committed to play at USC. — Star staff, 2006

2007 football player of the year 

Name: Daniel Nicholas 

School: Canyon del Oro 

Year in school: Senior 

Sport: Football 

From the archives: Nicholas put together the best individual season on the best team in Southern Arizona this year. He led all quarterbacks in passing yards (2,084) and touchdowns (26) and guided CDO to its first state championship game in 30 years. — Star staff, 2007

2008 football player of the year 

Name: Adam Hall 

School: Palo Verde 

Year in school: Senior 

Sport: Football 

From the archives: Just try to stop him. Hall scored 38 touchdowns six ways. That's why Palo Verde football also was known as the Adam Hall Show. — Star staff, 2008

2009 football player of the year 

Name: Chris Howard 

School: Sunnyside 

Year in school: Senior 

Sport: Football 

From the archives: The coaches' 5A Southern Region's Player of the Year, he led Southern Arizona with 1,096 receiving yards. — Star staff, 2009

2010 offensive football player of the year 

Name: Ka'Deem Carey 

School: Canyon del Oro 

Year in school: Senior 

Sport: Football 

From the archives: I'm not a fan of goodbyes. Never have been, never will be.

To this day, when I have to leave my mom and dad, I usually just mumble something and act like I'm tough.

With that in mind, I'm going to say goodbye to Canyon del Oro's Ka'Deem Carey.

It won't be easy.

This is my first year in Tucson, so how can it be so tough to say goodbye to someone I barely know?

Easy. You appreciate players you may never see again.

And Tucson, we may never see another football player like Ka'Deem Carey, our pick for the Southern Arizona offensive player of the year.

He really is that good.

Even when he was at 70 percent, which he was for most of this past season, Ka'Deem dominated opposing teams with his speed, smarts and toughness.

The senior did it all in his four years at Canyon del Oro.

Carey didn't have the blinding speed that a lot of elite high school running backs have, but no one ever caught him when he was healthy. He was steps ahead of the defenders mentally, knowing when to make cuts and how to get around them.

And if that didn't work? He'd run right over you.

He's also a clutch performer: With his team trailing by two touchdowns and just over two minutes left against Cienega in the state semifinals, it was Carey's time to shine.

Boy, did he ever. The Dream scored two touchdowns and CDO won by four points to advance to another state title game.

He finished his career with 5,702 rushing yards, the most ever by a Southern Arizona player.

He had 82 career rushing touchdowns and a few more courtesy of kick returns.

"He's the best football player I've ever been around," CDO coach Dusty Peace said.

"The things he does on the field are things people dream about being able to do.

"He's amazing."

It's time for Carey to move on. He's committed to Arizona, but has official visits set up for Arizona State and USC.

Carey won't dominate the prep gridiron next year.

That responsibility will shift to one of his teammates, junior Blake Martinez.

The Star's defensive player of the year, Martinez will take over for Carey next year as the dominant player in Southern Arizona.

From the middle linebacker position, Martinez totaled 129 total tackles and nine sacks in 2010. He had eight solo tackles in the first half of the state championship game against Scottsdale Saguaro.

He was also the Dorados' go-to receiver with team-highs in catches (24), yards (555) and touchdowns (10).

If he continues to get better and improves during his senior season, he and Carey could cross paths again in college.

At 6 feet 2 inches and 233 pounds, Martinez already has the size to play at the next level. But he's not just a big body. He's an athlete.

He uses that big frame to make plays on both sides of the ball.

He also has a nonstop motor. Despite playing both ways, the guy never looks tired.

He'll be the attraction at CDO and all over Southern Arizona next season, which means I get to watch him for one more season and appreciate his abilities, the same way I did with Carey.

That leads me to what I've been avoiding.

Goodbye, Ka'Deem. Good luck. — Daniel Berk, 2010

2010 defensive football player of the year 

Name: Blake Martinez 

School: Canyon del Oro 

Year in school: Junior 

Sport: Football 

From the archives: CDO's star junior linebacker led the 13-1 Dorados with 129 tackles and also caught 10 touchdown passes. — Greg Hansen, 2010

2011 offensive football player of the year 

Name: Mitch Fischer 

School: Ironwood Ridge 

Year in school: Senior 

Sport: Football 

From the archives: Ironwood Ridge's two-way standout scored 29 touchdowns, ran for 2,143 yards and spurred a defense that helped the Nighthawks finish 10-3. — Greg Hansen, 2011

2011 defensive football player of the year 

Name: Blake Martinez 

School: Canyon del Oro 

Year in school: Senior 

Sport: Football 

From the archives: In his senior season at CDO, Martinez scored 19 touchdowns, rushed for 726 yards and led the Dorados with 10.7 tackles per game while accepting a scholarship to Stanford. — Greg Hansen, 2011

2012 offensive football player of the year 

Name: Tyler Williams 

School: Ironwood Ridge 

Year in school: Senior 

Sport: Football 

From the archives: The Star's offensive player of the year, quarterback at state champion Ironwood Ridge, Williams rushed for 1,354 yards and threw for 1,143. — Greg Hansen, 2012

2012 defensive football player of the year 

Name: Scott Simmons 

School: Ironwood Ridge 

Year in school: Senior 

Sport: Football 

From the archives: Ironwood Ridge's defense gave up 14 points or fewer in nine of the team's 14 games. Senior linebacker Scott Simmons was the clear leader of the unit and is the Daily Star's defensive player of the year.

A jack-of-all-trades, Simmons is a winner.

In the state championship game, Simmons intercepted Centennial quarterback Tre'von Grant off a deflection and walked into the end zone for a touchdown. Ironwood Ridge led 13-3 in the third quarter at the time and Simmons' play changed the game and locked up a state title for the Nighthawks.

He made plays like that all season.

He had an amazing six blocked punts and led the team with nine sacks.

He's been an important piece to the Ironwood Ridge defense since he was a sophomore, but this year he went from solid role player to clear standout.

He made play after play and gave the Ironwood Ridge defense a player to look to when times got tough. Like Williams, Simmons has the ability to play his best in the biggest moments.

In the regular-season win over Centennial, he had four sacks. He had an interception in a postseason win over Glendale Apollo. Even in the team's only loss of the season, he still managed to make an impact, blocking a punt, which led to a touchdown.

Williams and Simmons were consistently the best players in Southern Arizona this season, and the team's 13-1 mark and state championship prove it. — Daniel Berk, 2012

2013 football player of the year 

Name: Cameron Denson 

School: Salpointe Catholic 

Year in school: Senior 

Sport: Football 

From the archives: Accounting for 32 touchdowns as a receiver, passer, rusher, returner and defensive back, the Salpointe senior football player caught 73 passes for 1,453 yards, leading to a state championship. — Greg Hansen, 2013

2014 offensive football player of the year 

Name: Francisco Dicochea 

School: Cienega 

Year in school: Senior 

Sport: Football 

What he did: Dicochea was a two-way force who never left the field. Not only did he rush for 1,582 yards and 21 touchdowns, he also played nearly every down on defense. The 6-foot, 195-pound senior helped Cienega come within one game of the state final and had a career day in the second round of the playoffs. 

Top performance: After helping his Bobcats out to an early lead, Dicochea had to dig in late to help lead Cienega to a dramatic 50-49 double-overtime win against Tempe Marcos de Niza in the Division II state quarterfinals. He rushed 39 times for 278 and six touchdowns and then came up with a blocked extra point in the second overtime that proved to be the difference.

What’s next: Dicochea signed with Pima College originally but was offered and accepted a spot as a preferred walk-on with the Arizona Wildcats.

2014 defensive football player of the year 

Name: Derik Hall 

School: Sahuaro 

Year in school: Senior 

Sport: Football 

What he did: Hall was a playmaker to say the least — no matter what side of the ball he was on. The 6-foot-1-inch, 200-pound senior returned two interceptions for touchdowns, had three sacks and three tackles-for-a-loss and averaged 3.0 tackles per game. He also rushed for 1,270 yards along with 21 touchdowns.

Top performance: In a road game at archrival Sabino, Hall made a play that won’t be forgotten any time soon. He intercepted a pass and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown as Sahuaro went on to beat Sabino, 21-13, for the first time since 2003.

What’s next: Hall signed to play for NAU and is expected to be a linebacker.