10 Players to Watch in the 3A State Championship
In a small town showdown for the 3A state championship, both Snowflake and Yuma Catholic are loaded with talent. Small towns like Yuma and Snowflake don’t get a lot of attention from college programs, yet they have some of the…
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Continue ReadingIn a small town showdown for the 3A state championship, both Snowflake and Yuma Catholic are loaded with talent. Small towns like Yuma and Snowflake don’t get a lot of attention from college programs, yet they have some of the most gritty, competitive kids in the state. Here’s a look at 10 players to watch in the 3A championship:
Yuma Catholic (10-0)
Richard Stallworth, QB (C/O 2023)
Stallworth has thrown for 3,788 yards and 49 TD’s while adding another 5 TD’s on the ground. He is already your ideal pocket passer and shows excellent arm strength, accuracy, and is poised in the pocket. He drives the ball downfield often with great touch. He is a legit D1 talent as he is 8th in the nation in passing yards.
Austin Rush, WR/DB (C/O 2022)
Rush has been a ball hawk DB and a reliable target as a WR. He has snagged 4 INT’s and contributed 40 tackles, and has 50 receptions for 983 yards and 16 TD’s. He shows good closing speed as a DB, and can take the top off a defense or find soft spots to sit in as a WR.
Brannon Weatherby Brannon Weatherby 6'2" | 260 lbs | OL Yuma Catholic | 2021 State AZ , C (C/O 2021)
Weatherby is a very aggressive lineman and a battler in the trenches. He possesses a strong base with a good punch, and is able to get significant leverage on opponents. He’ll face a handful of blitz packages where he’ll have to step up and protect Stallworth from a nasty Snowflake front.
Dezmend Esquivel, LB (C/O 2022)
Esquivel is a solid run stopper with 101 total tackles, 72 of them solo. He has been solid with play recognition and has a strong POA, and will have a busy night as you can expect him to go toe-to-toe with workhorse RB Terren Green between the tackles throughout the night.
Devon Black, RB/LB (C/O 2022)
Black has been an outstanding all-purpose player by rushing for 455 yards and racking up 576 through the air, with 12 total TD’s. On defense, he has accumulated 15 tackles and has been a solid kick returner as well. He should get many touches on Saturday and could be a sneaky difference maker for the Yuma Catholic offense.
Snowflake (9-1)
Terren Green, RB/LB (C/O 2021)
Green is a two-way standout and a solid all around athlete. He’s ran for 767 yards and 3 TD’s, and has racked up 97 tackles with 57 solo. He is very strong at the POA with a good striking ability, ad has excellent reaction and range. As a ball carrier, he shows good balance and physicality, and shows a mean north-south style and punishes opponents as a workhorse ball carrier.
Payson Cardon, DE (C/O 2021)
Cardon has good length and athleticism and has been a huge mismatch against OT’s. He is quick on the edge making him a lethal pass rusher, recording 12 sacks and 20 hurries. He will be huge factor as Snowflake will depend on him to put pressure on Stallworth. He can be a game wrecker and holds a massive role to disrupt the Yuma Catholic pass game.
Ryson Stuart, DB (C/O 2021)
Stuart has been excellent in the secondary with 5 INT’s, and does a very good job of punching through the ball to force PBU’s. He has good short area quickness and a solid ability to bait QB’s, which is highly effective against young gunslingers. Overall he does a good job of staying on the WR’s hips, and will have a busy night on Saturday.
Mayson Mckinlay, ATH (C/O 2021)
Mckinlay is very talented all-purpose player. He shows good body control and strong hands a receiver, and does a good job of being patient to explode through holes as a ball carrier and is a big play threat. On defense, he shows good closing speed and is a fly around player. He is a solid kick returner as well, as he is a swiss army knife for Snowflake. He’s racked up 859 AP yards with 6 TD’s, and 41 tackles on defense.
Caden Cantrell, QB (C/O 2022)
Cantrell has thrown for 1,661 yards and 13 TD’s with just 4 INT’s. He does a great job taking care of the football and shows a good pre-snap read to get the ball out quick. Cantrell displayed solid arm strength last week hitting deep field side out routes and can be a sneaky gunslinger. He’s shown ability to improvise and make plays on his feet as well and his been an excellent game manager this season.