Buena's Jovoni Borbon, a Tombstone-raised, table-bussing quarterback, is the Star's Player of the Week

The Star’s newest high school player of the week comes out of Sierra Vista, where Buena quarterback Jovoni Borbon pieced together a simple yet eyebrow-raising performance in the Colts’ 42-7 over Empire.

Borbon, a 5-foot-10-inch, 185-pound senior, completed 3 of 4 passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns, with all of Borbon’s passes going to the same receiver — Keyon Taylor. Borbon also rushed six times for a team-high 105 yards and two touchdowns.

Borbon, who checked in at No. 19 on the Star’s top 22 players in Southern Arizona countdown, can do it all. He has thrown for 4,552 yards and 36 touchdowns in three-plus seasons. Borbon and the Colts (2-1) will look to win their second straight game on Friday, when they take on Desert View in Tucson.

Borbon joined the Star’s Justin Spears on ESPN Tucson earlier this week about his performance against Empire and his connection to a famous western town in Arizona:

What were your takeaways from your performance in Buena’s win over Empire?

A: “With Coach (Joe) Thomas down here in Sierra Vista, we love throwing deep. I told Coach Thomas coming into the game that I wanted to run for two (touchdowns) and throw for two. We got it done up front and our passing game was good. It worked out good throwing the deep ball.”

How is the connection between you and Taylor?

A: “It’s different. He’s young and he has a lot to learn. He listens and he’s coachable. Anything I’ve told him, he was listening, and he’s trying to improve every single day so I respect him a lot for that. I love throwing to the kid. He’s fast and catches everything, so it’s been pretty good this season.”

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What was your childhood like before playing at Buena?

A: “It’s funny, I’m actually from Tombstone, Arizona, and I’ve lived in Tombstone my whole life. I went to elementary school in Tombstone with just me, my mom, my sister. We had a little discussion on where I’m gonna go to high school and what was the best decision for me. We moved to Sierra Vista a couple years ago, and coming to high school here was definitely a change. Going from a school that had 80 kids to a high school that has 2,500 is a little different. It’s been great. I love the challenge.”

Was it difficult to find things to keep you busy?

A: “It’s definitely different, and a lot of people don’t know where Tombstone is. A lot of people are like, ‘Do you guys ride horses?’ These people think I live in a different country or something and I’m like, ‘No it’s normal down there.’ It’s smaller and I work down there when I can on the weekends when I can. It’s a real small community and sports aren’t too big. One of the biggest reasons why I went to Buena was because of the competition.”

You mentioned work; what do you do when you’re not playing football or going to school?

A: “My family owns the Longhorn restaurant down there. Whenever it gets busy during Helldorado Days, I’ll go down and clean tables and take orders. It’s fun going down there to make some money as a teenager.”

What has working in the restaurant business taught you?

A: “It hasn’t changed, but it’s shaped who I am. Seeing the different type of people and seeing how they’re leaders in a different type of way, and then translating that onto the football field. It’s different and at the same time it’s not. … When it gets busy, it’s the fourth quarter. Everything is going fast and I’m trying to throw the deep ball, but it’s a little different in the restaurant. You can’t throw the deep ball.”