There was a buzz of excitement Saturday at Valle Luna, a Mexican restaurant in Chandler.
Tempe Union High School District held its first annual football media day for all six high schools. Each school had a table set up with a backdrop depicting the school’s name and logos. Each team’s head coach and two or three players sat at the tables, answering questions, talking and of course, eating.
It was a way for the district to recognize its six teams before they kick off the season. But on Monday the chatter and smell of tacos and chimichangas was replaced with the sound of cleats walking along concrete, helmets being buckled and hoots and hollers as the start of official practices finally came.
“The summer phase is over, we’re anxious,” Mountain Pointe coach Eric Lauer said. “Workouts have been well but now we’re really ready to get rolling. It’s been a long time since we’ve had the kind of talent we have this year.
“We’re excited.”
Teams started Monday with helmets. Thursday, they will transition into shoulder pads and continue the acclimatization process from there.
By next week, full padded practices will take place at both Mountain Pointe and Desert Vista, as well as across the state. Big schools — 4A, 5A and 6A — get a later start than those at the 3A level and below. Tempe and other 3A teams began official practices in late July to prepare for the early start.
The Pride enter the new season as an early favorite for the region title, and for good reason. They return quarterback Chris Arviso and have loaded up with talent around him, including wideouts Matty Braun, Jhaylin Palmer and the 6-foot-6 Jayden Davis. Jaylen Johnson will also make his mark at wide receiver for the Pride after transferring from Liberty.
“It makes me have more options,” Arviso said. “I have weapons all around me. When it’s like that, when I have to make a play, I have playmakers all around me. It makes my job a lot easier.”
Along with the wideouts, Jaylen Rushing will lead a backfield that he claims is one of the best in the state with juniors Randle Parker and Christian Clark, who transferred from Desert Vista and will be available Week 6 for the Pride.
Kaleb Jones and Kahoua Leha will anchor the offensive line while Izaac Patterson, Gary Tucker and Javier Jones lead the defense.
The Pride’s schedule is favorable this season, which may open the door for a deep playoff run. They open with Valley Vista before traveling to Las Vegas to play one of the toughest opponents this year, Arbor View. Lauer says the team still has more work to do.
His players, while excited for the start of the season, agree.
“I want us to set the tone early on,” Rushing said. “We need to do that right off the bat. I want us to hit the ground running.”
Desert Vista is one of four schools in the Tempe Union district with a new head coach. Corona del Sol hired former Casa Grande coach Jake Barro, Tempe hired former Westwood defensive coordinator Sean Freeman and McClintock hired former Mountain View coach Mike Fell.
The Thunder tabbed Nate Gill as their head coach, who turned the Sierra Linda program around in his three seasons coaching the Bulldogs at the 4A level. Gill’s transition and ability to build chemistry with his players was made easy due to the leadership displayed by many of the seniors, including standout linebacker Antonio Delgado.
Braxton Thomas, Desert Vista’s junior quarterback, also made an impact throughout the spring and summer on the team as they transitioned to Gill and his staff.
“They made it pretty seamless,” Gill said of Thomas and Delgado. “Our communication extends far beyond the field, and I think that’s what really helps. I can count on them in every facet. I know they’re going to be honest with me, open and honest, and I believe they know I always take their thoughts into consideration as well.
“We’ve formed a strong relationship and that’s made it seamless.”
Like Mountain Pointe, Desert Vista enters the new season with high expectations after making the 6A playoffs last year.
While the Thunder have been hit with transfers out of the program, plenty of talent remains. Thomas will have wideouts Michael Allison — a three-year varsity starter — Sierra Linda transfer Traven Vigenser and Roan Martinez at his disposal. Desert Vista also has a talented sophomore class that may very well find themselves at the varsity level early on.
Thomas has high expectations not only for the team, but himself. Last year he shined at the quarterback position but was mainly turned into a run-first player in former head coach Ty Wisdom’s offense. This year, he’s eager to have a more balanced approach.
“I think just from me and our offense, we are going to have a really big year,” Thomas said. “We have a lot of different receiving weapons that we will use and that we can rotate through. Our offense is going to hit the ground running.”
Desert Vista’s defense is led by Delgado and fellow linebacker Jaden Humphrey, who has been a standout player throughout the spring and summer. Senior Sebastian Perez will also help anchor the defense from outside linebacker and defensive end.
Desert Vista will kick off the season Sept. 2 in San Diego at Cathedral Catholic High School for the Honor Bowl against Madison from California. It’s the first time since before the pandemic the Thunder will travel for an out-of-state game to kick off the season. In 2019 they participated in the Honor Bowl and fell on a last-second field goal to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame out of California.
They’re excited for the opportunity to travel to kick off the season.
“Going and balling out in California weather … Cathedral Catholic is beautiful,” Delgado said. “As long as we get a good amount of parents that show up, that atmosphere and that energy, it’ll be good.” <