HS athlete of the week: Marana's Dezmen Roebuck etches name in Arizona history books

The state record-holder for all-time receptions in Arizona high school football history belongs to Marana star wide receiver Dezmen Roebuck, who set the record in the Tigers’ 36-28 statement win over Gilbert Higley last week.

Roebuck has 288 catches in four seasons, and the Tigers still have seven more regular season games left this year — and potentially a spot in the Open Division playoffs considering Marana is 3-0 with wins over Higley and Salpointe Catholic.

Becoming the all-time Arizona receptions leader is “truly a blessing,” Roebuck said.

“Just to do it at a school I grew up at and went to all the games to watch my older cousins ball out here and me wishing I could play and break some records — and I did it, so it’s a blessing,” added Roebuck, who is committed to play for former Arizona Wildcats head coach Jedd Fisch at Washington.

Roebuck has 288 catches for 3,460 yards and 31 touchdowns touchdowns in his career at Marana. Following his 10-catch, 131-yard and two-touchdown performance against Higley, he is our high school athlete of the week.

Roebuck spoke to “Spears and Ali” on ESPN Tucson, which can be heard on Apple and Spotify. Here’s part of that interview:

How do you make sure to keep everyone focused for the remainder of the season?

A: “Our coach really harps on focusing on one game and going 1-0 every week. We know what we can do and how good our team is, so if we just go 1-0 every week, everything will play out for us.”

What do you think wins over Salpointe Catholic and Higley showed?

A: “We definitely showed that we can play with anybody in the state. We showed that we’re going to play until the last whistle for every game. The fight that we have, the connection that the team has, is great.”

What made Washington the school you want to play for?

A: “Coach (Jedd) Fisch and (wide receivers coach Kevin Cummings) recruited me as a freshman. I had a good connection with them over at Arizona and we just had a good connection all the way up to when they went to Washington. I took my visit and loved the campus, loved the fans, loved the team, the coaching staff and everything. It just felt like home.”

What was unique about the connection with Fisch and his coaching staff?

A: “Them keeping in contact with me. Most of the other schools didn’t really harp on asking about my family is and how my day is going. Really, they just showed they care and want me to be on the football team.”

Have other schools contacted you about changing your commitment?

A: “I’ve had a couple, but I feel like my mind is where I want to be. I want to be at Washington, so I’m good right now.”

Which NFL wide receiver do you emulate your game after?

A: “I would definitely say Amon-Ra St. Brown. He’s a guy that I watch every Sunday. He kinda plays similarly to me. He’s a little bit bigger than me, but we both have a feel for the game and both have the mindset of, ‘If the ball is in the air, go up and get it.’”

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What do you like to do outside of football?

A: “I’m a big fisherman guy, so I like to go fishing with my family whenever I can. I also recently just started getting into golf with my coaches and some of my friends. I like to do both of those.”

How did you start golfing?

A: “Our quarterback, Colten Meyer, he’s been golfing since he was in middle school. One day, he was like, ‘Let’s go golfing with one of our coaches.’ We went, I had a blast and I was actually pretty good. Ever since then, we’ve been going.”

What are your favorite golf courses in Tucson?

A: “We go to Quarry Pines and Crooked Tree. Those are the only two I’ve been to so far.”

If you could golf with any three people, dead or alive, who are they?

A: “Tiger Woods, Kevin Hart and Shaquille O’Neal.”

What kind of fishing are we talking about? Deep-sea fishing or catching fish at your local lake?

A: “I haven’t really been to the ocean to fish. Ever since I was little, my dad and grandpa used to take me all the time and we used to fish for catfish. That’s what I still fish for. We go out to lakes or ponds around town or in Phoenix and catch fish.”

What’s the secret to catching fish?

A: “My secret ingredient — well, it’s not really a secret ingredient, but you go to Walmart and there’s these garlic worms. Those work really good. I make my own bait at home: I cut up some hot dogs and put garlic juice on it and let it marinate for a couple of days. That works pretty good, too. I also use shrimp.”

Your younger sister, Malaysia Roebuck, is a standout for Marana’s girls flag football team and led the Tigers to a state championship appearance. How has it been watching the sport grow, and your sister thrive?

A: “It’s definitely grown a lot in Tucson and the world. It’s definitely a good thing for females to show they can play football, too. My sister is just a different breed. She grew up playing football with us. Since we were little, she played on the boys team. Everything she’s doing now, she’s been doing since she was a little kid. I’m just so proud of her for what she’s accomplished so far.”

What’s the scouting report on your sister? Any similarities to your game?

A: “She’s a bigger, taller, faster receiver. If the ball is in the air, she’s going to come down with it. If she catches a slant, she can take it to the crib every time. Her speed, the way she catches the ball, the way she tracks the ball in the air sets her apart from every other girl in the state.”

How would you describe the chemistry Marana football has right now during your three-win start?

A: “Most of the kids on the team, more than 20 of them, we all grew up together playing football. We have a good connection and we all know that we don’t have to rely on somebody to do their job; they’re just going to do it. The coaching staff, they know what kind of players we are and what we bring to the table, so they have full trust in us and know we’re going to go out and make plays for them.”