Considering what the world has endured over the last 16 months, the sounds coming from Tucson High’s Gridley Stadium this week were strange to hear.
Football players hit each other, the crack of pads echoing throughout the stadium as they prepared for Friday’s Southern Arizona All-Star Showcase. They high-fived their teammates. Coaches blew their whistles.
The guidelines put place for a high school football season that was ultimately cut short following the Pima County Health Department’s recommendations were relaxed.
“This is probably the first week in over a year where it felt normal. The kids are happy,” said former Cienega head coach Nemer Hassey, who will coach the Blue Team against the Red Team Friday at 7 p.m. at Tucson High. The game is Hassey’s first in seven years; he’ll go up against former Salpointe Catholic coach Dennis Bene, who retired in 2019 after spending nearly two decades at the helm. Bene and Hassey combined to go 325-94 during their careers.
Tucson High School wide receiver/safety Elias Johnson pulls on his jersey as the players test their newly issued uniforms at the end of Wednesday's practice for the Southern Arizona All-Star Showcase.
The game was the brainchild of another Tucson coaching icon, Jeff Scurran. The former Sabino, Santa Rita and Catalina Foothills head coach — in coordination with Tucson City Councilman Paul Cunningham and Arizona Bowl officials — presented the all-star showcase idea to Pima County officials. Upon approval, the group contacted Hassey and Bene about leading the teams. The game was initially scheduled for May before being moved; during that time, Scurran accepted a job coaching professional football in Stuttgart, Germany, and flew overseas.
Hassey and Bene will be joined on the sidelines Friday by fellow coaches Justin Argraves (Cienega), Scott McKee (Sahuaro), Jay Dobyns (Tanque Verde), Joe Thomas (Sierra Vista Buena), Robert Bonillas (Desert View), Dustin Peace (Canyon del Oro) and others. Former Sabino coach Jay Campos also returned to the football field this week.
“It’s been a great experience,” Bene said. “Every coach on this field has either coached for me or against me, and that’s special, so there’s a bunch of friendships out here amongst the coaches. … To be able to go through it with them and see my old adversaries is pretty neat, because it’s not as intense and it’s enjoyable for me.”
The common denominator, said Hassey: “They’re all great teachers. They’re great teachers, motivators and relationship-builders.”
“What I know about leadership is hiring the best people and getting out of their way,” he added. “We put together the best staff and I got out of their way, and I know Dennis Bene is doing the same.”
The camaraderie of the coaches amplified during the fall, when Pima County’s public schools were unable to align their seasons with the rest of the state. The coaches pushed to play as soon — and as safely — as possible.
“We were all on Zoom calls together and you had 30 guys asking, ‘How can we make this work for our kids?,’” Argraves said. “We want to see our kids succeed — whether that’s our individual kids we coach at our school or the kids at the rival school down the road. Being able to put together a great experience for them is what it’s all about.
“Last season was kind of a train wreck for Southern Arizona. Most of us only got three games in. For these seniors to get one more time to strap up and represent their high schools is awesome.”
Salpointe Catholic tight end Fernando Torres drags down a one-handed catch during a 7-on-7 scrimmage Wednesday.
The top performer of the showcase will receive the Armando Rios MVP Award, while a player from each team and a spirit squad member will earn the Julian Barcelo Award, which is given to a person who exemplifies great teamwork. Rios, a former Tucson High running back and local businessman, died in December at 52 years old. Barcelo was an offensive lineman for Argraves at Tucson High, before playing junior-college football at Snow College and Mesa Community College. Barcelo died in his sleep on May 9. He was 22.
The coaches honored to Barcelo’s parents, Julian and Lupita, at practice earlier this week.
“He was what you want all young men to strive for,” said Argraves. “A good person, a good brother, a son, a teammate, a good co-worker, that’s just what ‘Barc’ was. … It’s just a great honor for him.”
Friday’s game will be emotional for the players, too. While some are going on to play college football, other seniors will be competing in their last organized football game. Perhaps the showcase will provide closure.
“There’s nothing like high school football,” Hassey said. “Those memories … we still talk about all those great games we had and the tough games we can go back to, but it all comes back to relationships.
“Football teaches you so much, and they missed that last year. They didn’t have that as seniors. I just feel bad for them. It is what it is and COVID is out of our control, and we all worldwide had our frustrations with it, but locally with Tucson football, it was tough on these kids. They missed out on those relationships, experiences, but they’ll learn from it. They’ll take it and have more grit in their life.”
