In this age of open enrollments and transfers, the Oro Valley Dolphins youth football program might be key to ending Southern Arizona’s football state championship drought.
Led by a slew of alumni of the youth program, Canyon del Oro High School advanced the furthest of any Tucson area school last year, reaching the Class 4A semifinals where the Dorados lost 16-13 in overtime to Snowflake.
“We know it all runs through Phoenix. So we’re going to have to beat whoever we need to beat on the road — play the state championship in Phoenix, if we get the opportunity to play there. So for us having Tucson pride is huge,” CDO head coach Dustin Peace said. “A lot of them played Oro Valley Dolphins together — 13 of them are on our team — so they’ve been playing football as best friends for this long.
“So they’re waiting on this moment to capitalize.” Peace added. “To say it started in Oro Valley youth football, that’d be kinda cool I think for our community.”
The Dorados open the season on Friday when they host 4A newcomer Mesa Eastmark, which opened in 2019, at 7 p.m. The Firebirds won the 3A state championship last year.
Canyon del Oro’s Chase Laux (14) bounces off Jakob Coker of St. Mary’s (1) on a second quarter catch-and-run during the first round of the 4A state playoffs last November.
Senior offensive and defensive tackle Sa’Kylee Woodard, who was All-4A last season, and senior quarterback Tristen McClelland, are among those former Dolphins.
“I think to play with the same quarterback I’ve been playing with since I was in eighth grade, same skill guys, same running back, some of the same linemen — I just think it’s awesome,” Woodard said. “Because of the camaraderie and the brotherhood that we share (it’s) just like no other.
“I can respectfully say that nobody has as strong a brotherhood as our team.”
Other than Salpointe Catholic in 2013, three of the last four Southern Arizona state champions came from Oro Valley. That includes Pusch Ridge Christian Academy, Ironwood Ridge and CDO. Canyon del Oro and I-Ridge are part of the Amphitheater Unified School District.
Canyon del Oro returns nine three-year starters from last year’s 10-3 team and has 29 seniors out of 41 players. That includes three returning offensive linemen as starters, with eight starters returning on offense in all to go alongside nine on defense.
Canyon del Oro’s head coach Dustin Peace greets his players one at a time as they go through their pre-game warm-ups before kicking off against St. Mary’s in the first round of the 4A state playoffs last November.
McClelland started playing for the Dolphins when he was 9.
“It definitely helps and creates a big advantage,” McClelland said. “It’s super cool just being able to play with them all the way through.”
Canyon del Oro’s Chase Laux (14) tip-toes out of the arms of St. Mary’s Ryan Castillo (3) on a first quarter catch-and-run in a 4A state playoff game last November.
CDO returns six All-4A Kino Region selections, including senior Chase Laux, the region defensive player of the year. The Dorados also have three All-4A players.
The Dorados are the 4A preseason No. 1 according to the Arizona Republic and Sollenberger’s AZ Football Prep Magazine.
Canyon del Oro’s path to the 4A state championship could take another turn as the open tournament selects the top eight 4A to 6A teams. The open, which started in 2019 has been won by Chandler, Scottsdale Saguaro and Chandler Basha.
“Whatever happens we just take it a day at a time, one game at a time,” Woodard said. “We’re highly ranked in Arizona but that doesn’t matter though, we gotta continue to build and sharpen our craft so I think just taking it game by game see what happens.”
Canyon del Oro gets close but can’t recover their own onside kick in the first quarter against St. Mary’s in the first round of the 4A state playoffs last November in Oro Valley.
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