Tucson High coach Justin Argraves forced a smile as he scooped his daughter off the turf at Mountain View High School following Friday’s 12-0 loss.
He looked over at his players, receiving hugs from their families and digesting their second defeat of the season, knowing it’s only going to get tougher. Up next, Argraves’ Badgers host Salpointe Catholic, fresh off a 54-8 beatdown of Glendale Cactus. After a visit from Laveen Cesar Chavez, which made the Class 6A state playoffs last season, Tucson hosts Phoenix O’Conner in a rematch of last season’s 37-0 loss. From there, the Badgers (3-2) host 6A defending state champion Chandler before ending the season with a trip to Phoenix Browne, which they beat 59-0 last fall.
It’s a daunting a road ahead, especially without two of the team’s biggest playmakers.
Receiver Daniel Becerra watched Friday’s game with a boot around his ankle. He hopes to be back to face Cesar Chavez, but only time will tell. There are similar questions surrounding star running back Gary Love. The 5-foot-11, 178-pound senior exited in the first quarter with already more than 450 rushing yards this season.
“I don’t know,” Argraves said. “It’s a mild ankle sprain from what they told me. Those are two big pieces of the puzzle.”
In Love’s absence, Tucson leaned heavily on sophomore tailback Levi Miranda, who rushed 11 times for 59 yards, gaining consistent yards but lacking Love’s explosiveness. Argraves hopes the youngster, like all his players, continues to grow.
“Across the board, it’s not just one person or one position group, it’s both offensively and defensively a mental game and we’ve just got to break down some barriers,” he said.
Receiver Juron Carlos led Tucson with seven receptions for 67 yards, and quarterback Ayden Ortiz showcased some elusiveness even though he was pressured far too frequently.
Thrown into the fire
Marana coach Louie Ramirez wanted a spark after losing three straight to open the season, so he tuned to freshman quarterback Samuel Brown to start the Sept. 13 game against Desert View.
There have been mixed results.
The Tigers (0-5) showed some spark in the 33-14 loss to Desert View, but followed it up with a 62-0 home defeat to Gilbert Williams Field.
Still, there is no deterring Brown from making the most of the opportunity. In fact, his confidence is what drove Ramirez to give him the nod in the first place.
“It’s not for everybody, but Sam has poise and confidence,” Ramirez said. “Going through practice and seeing how he is in the weight room, he’s been all in from the get-go. He’s very mature for his age. At 14 years old, I haven’t seen a kid as confident in his abilities.”
Marana has a trio of tough games ahead, traveling to Sierra Vista Buena before home games against Ironwood Ridge and Cienega.
A bright future
Pusch Ridge Christian is taking some lumps this season with the hope those bruises will pay off in the coming years.
The Lions (1-3) have lost three straight, all on the road, but have just seven seniors on their roster. They lean heavily on junior running back Evan Lovett, who has 567 of the team’s 1,059 all-purpose yards this season, and start two sophomores, Ryan Fontaine and Hayden Hallett, at quarterback. Linebackers freshman Tyler Mustain and sophomore Javier Grajeda have emerged as two of their top defensive players.
“We’re very heavy with underclassmen this year,” coach Jerry Harris said.
Returning home should help. The Lions host Fountain Hills and Tanque Verde in the coming weeks.
Specially special
One could make the case that Mountain View’s special teams was its best unit this past week.
Kicker Nghishawn Nguyen drilled field goals from 36 and 37 yards out, and the punt unit averaged 40.5 yards per boot. If the Mountain Lions get that kind of production going forward, their special teams could become a real game-changer.
“Coach (Jacob) Price does a lot with our specials and he did a really nice job,” coach Matt Johnson said. “Him and coach (Brent) Bartz take a lot of ownership with that and kudos to them.”
Dorado duo
Canyon del Oro is still working out its two-quarterback system.
The tall, physical Montana Neustadter has had his moments on the ground, as has the elusive, speedster Jared Vasquez. But neither has lifted CDO’s air attack to the next level just yet, combining to complete 20 of 51 passes for 393 yards.
But while the passing attack remains a work in progress, the two have avoided mistakes. They have combined for zero interceptions, deferring to the potent rushing attack, which is averaging 6.8 yards per carry on the season. CDO hosts Catalina Foothills Friday, seeking a 6-0 start.
