Sabino senior Cameron Hackworth is running up the Southern Arizona career passing chart like he evades defenders when the pocket collapses.
Hackworth’s 6,683 career yards is fifth-most all-time among Southern Arizona passers, according to AllSportsTucson.com. Reggie Robertson (Sahuaro, 1996-99) is right ahead of Hackworth in fourth with 7,106 passing yards, while Rhett Rodriguez (Catalina Foothills, 2013-16) is atop the list at 8,694. Robertson (Cal) and Rodriguez (Arizona), for what it’s worth, were both Pac-12 quarterbacks; Hackworth sees himself as a college quarterback, too.
“I want to leave my legacy at Sabino. I want people to come up and be like, ‘I want to be Cam Hackworth,’” Hackworth said. “So that’s what I’m out here trying to do.
“I’m just trying to prove myself and prove that I can go into the next level and play college football as a quarterback.
Hackworth was 13 for 22 for 177 yards and three touchdowns in Sabino’s 40-27 win over then-No. 5 Pusch Ridge Christian on Friday as his Sabercats (5-1) handed the Lions (5-1) their first loss of the year.
The ball slips through the hands of Sahuaro’s Treshon Birch (2) and into grip of Sabino’s Cameron Hackworth (1) for an interception in the third quarter of a game at Sabino High School on Sept. 9, 2022. In 2023, Hackworth has been dominant at quarterback, but also a standout on defense with a pair of interceptions through Sabino’s first six games.
He also ran for 118 yards on 7 carries, including a 68-yard touchdown run.
“Cam’s a stud,” Sabino coach Ryan McBrayer said. “We go as Cam goes. He puts guys in the right spot and makes coaches look very good. He turns plays that might be a loss, a sack, any kind of negative plays and suddenly he’s busting out of a gap, and you saw a, like, 70-yard run getting out of some stuff.
“So he’s a stud. You can’t ask for a better quarterback in the state of Arizona.”
Hackworth is averaging 292.8 yards per game this season. This year, he has passed for 1,757 yards after throwing for 2,720 in 2022 and 2,174 in 2021.
“We have a lot of chemistry. We’ve been playing with each other for a long time and he’s just a leader,” senior receiver/safety Savaughn Berryhill said about having Hackworth as his quarterback. “It’s great playing with him.”
Sabino’s Cameron Hackworth high-steps past Pusch Ridge’s Bryce Jewell during a matchup at Pusch Ridge in September 2022.
On the ground, Hackworth has run for 363 yards this year after going for 598 last year and 737 in 2021.
On defense this year, Hackworth, who is also a cornerback, has two interceptions — that’s one fewer than he has thrown on offense. The multi-threat has even returned one punt for 40 yards.
“I think I’m having an amazing season,” Hackworth said. “O-line is really solid. We can throw different things in, different formations; they’re blocking really well.
“My receivers, they’re just going out there and making plays for me,” he added. “I feel like with all them doing their job my season’s going really well.”
Hackworth has been on varsity at Sabino for four years, serving as an understudy to A.J. Skaggs in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season.
Sabino High School quarterback Cameron Hackworth throws the ball during practice on Aug. 14. The Sabercats were among the favorites to win the 3A state title entering the ’23 season, and have lived up to that. They’ve started 5-1 as Hackworth has climbed the Southern Arizona career passing charts in the process.
McBrayer said Hackworth is like another coach on the field.
“He learned behind another great quarterback in A.J. Skaggs but he just sat there, absorbed everything and we could have some very, very deep football conversations about what we wanted to do and how we wanted to attack it,” McBrayer said. “And as soon as he comes off the field he’s talking to our offensive coordinator coach Sly (Lewis), he’s talking to myself, he’s talking to our quarterback coach (Collin McBrayer) and they’re really just game planning it up.”
Hackworth was the 3A South Region Offensive Player of the Year last season.
McBrayer said Hackworth could play so many positions, but they’re lucky he can play quarterback.
“You could put him at any spot. Luckily, he can dissect it as a quarterback, but if he wasn’t playing quarterback, he’d be our starting slot or starting receiver or starting free safety or starting corner, he’d be our kick returner, he’d punt returner,” McBrayer said. “Dude’s just a pure athlete, and he does magic.
“There’s things that you can coach guys up for and there’s guys that just have it and he’s got it.”
Hackworth is listed at 5 foot 9 and 160 pounds, so his future may not necessarily be as a D-I quarterback.
A lot of D-II schools are “going to be calling him real quick,” McBrayer said. “Unfortunately with his size he’s not getting those Power Five or DI offers but he’s gonna be a game-changer for whatever program pulls the trigger.”
VIDEO: Sabino quarterback Cameron Hackworth made an impact with an interception on defense for the Sabercats in what ended up a 49-7 loss to Mica Mountain on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. Video by James Kelley/Special to the Arizona Daily Star
