Editor’s note: The Star is counting down the 22 best high school football players in Southern Arizona in the days leading up to the season.
Name: Montana Neustadter
The rundown: Neustadter is a 6-foot-4-inch, 200-pound senior at Canyon del Oro.
Who he is: Neustadter’s passing statistics don’t jump off the page compared to some of the other quarterbacks in Southern Arizona. But there may not be a better dual-threat quarterback around.
After winning a tough battle to win the starting quarterback’s job as a junior, Neustadter threw for 585 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 637 yards and six scores. Neustadter is Southern Arizona’s top returning rusher among quarterbacks.
With Neustadter and star running back and Arizona Wildcats commit Stevie Rocker running the offense, CDO is expected to have one of the top rushing attacks in Southern Arizona this season.
CDO coach Dustin Peace said the closest comparison he’s ever coached was Jason McBrayer, who — alongside star running back Ka’Deem Carey — led the Dorados to a spot in the Class 4A state championship game in 2010.
Neustadter spends his free time hunting elk and deer with his family in Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. He’s a fan of the Green Bay Packers, and said he emulates Aaron Rodgers’ leadership as a quarterback.
As a senior, Neustadter will have to lead his team through a season affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Dorados met for the first time two weeks ago after preparing for the 2020 season virtually since March. Without 7-on-7 tournaments or summer workouts that are useful for developing team chemistry, CDO is fast-tracking its preseason prep.
“It feels a little rushed. I would like to spend a little time on the technique, but I don’t think it’s forced or anything,” he said. “We’re just ready for the season so we can settle in as a team.”
Neustadter and the Dorados are ready to prove they’re one of the top teams in the state after a disappointing first-round loss. CDO, seeded third, was upset by No. 14 Tempe Marcos de Niza at home.
“For me personally, it fueled the team,” Neustadter said. “We’re looking at that loss as motivation, because over the last three years, we’ve either not made the playoffs or we’ve lost in the first round. I just want to take that next step and get past the first round. … We have the weapons and everything to do it.”
Proof he’s good: Neustadter played full back and tight end until his sophomore season, when the junior varsity team needed someone to play quarterback.
Peace said moving Neustadter under center was part of the coaching staff’s long-term pans.
“We were planning ahead and wanted to get the ball in his hands,” Peace said. “He just balances everything out.”
He said it: “As a leader, he’s unbelievable. He does everything a leader needs to do. He can either be an encourager or an enforcer, and he just has that natural leadership ability you need in a quarterback. … Without a doubt, I don’t know if there’s a better dual-threat quarterback in the city.” — Peace
