2024 Team Preview: Perry Pumas

We will continue to preview teams to cover players that you should be on the lookout for when watching these programs. We will wrap up the 6A Premier Division with the Perry Pumas.   The Perry Pumas are an intriguing team to see what they are capable of in 2024 led by their third year head coach, Joseph Ortiz. They went 8-4 in their 2023 season, making the 6A playoff and picking up a postseason win in a close contest against Mountain Pointe before losing to the 6A state champion Saguaro Sabercats in the 2nd round. With a relatively young squad of offensive players and a experienced defense, this is a diversely talented group of players to see how well they gel together over the course of the season.   Here are some X-factor guys to watch for on Perry:    2027 Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='883279' first='Kael' last='Snyder'] is set to be the new signal caller for the Pumas offense this season. After their previous starting quarterback transferred, Snyder is now set to be the next man up. He has a textbook clean throwing motion, having a high release point when throwing, providing a good amount of velocity and getting the ball out with quick timing. His arm strength is above average, as he can consistently get the ball outside the numbers with ease, leading his targets downfield. His throwing skills on the run are already excellent, as he has sound mobility and accuracy when dishing out the ball to his receivers. He can tuck it and run it outside of the pocket if he needs to move the sticks with great elusiveness to escape defenders in the open field. With Snyder now in the driver's seat of the offense, it will be fun to see how he can produce as a full first year starter.      A freshman phenom coming into this Perry team will be 2028 Wide Receiver [player_tooltip player_id='451400' first='Amos' last='Augustine']. Already standing at a great height of 6'1 185lbs, he is ready to become the next big time weapon in the state of Arizona. He will have no problems finding the endzone for his team, as his ideal frame will allow him to box out and physically outmatch other defensive backs. His body alteration mid-air and vertical ability are exceptional at the catch point, high pointing the ball and displaying assure hands to bring in the catch. Additionally to his magnificent redzone threat ability, he can make defenders miss in space with great change of direction and shiftiness to avoid tackles. Before even playing a snap of high school football, Augustine holds two offers, both from Arizona State and Arizona. With him being the youngest player on this Perry offense, look for Augustine to set himself apart in his first varsity season.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/TheAmos_/status/1798943261366919415 </div></figure>     2025 Wide Receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1258663' first='Leonard' last='Walker Jr'] is a combination of speed and size at the wide receiver position, making for gifted athletic ability. At an ideal 6'0 190lbs, he played both out wide and in the slot for the Pumas last season. He brought in 24 catches for 283 receiving yards and 6 TDs in his previous season. He can burn past the defense with his speed, getting upfield with outstanding quickness and acceleration in space. He displays a nice, reliable catch radius for his quarterback, having sticky hands and great ability to look in the ball. Once he makes the catch, it's like he is a running back in space with his stature, breaking tackles left and right with excellent power and precision having his eyes set on the endzone. Heading into his senior year, Walker seeks to be the go-to guy for his new quarterback this upcoming season.      Another weapon that will be able to help their young quarterback will be 2026 Wide Reciever [player_tooltip player_id='1408738' first='Max' last='Wendelschafer']. Being dominant at the junior varsity level last season for his team, coming up to varsity should have his skills translate nicely to the slot position. He is a reliable target, excellent about reading coverages and finding the holes in zones to sit down and make himself available for the quarterback. Once he reels in the catch with his great hands, he is electric in his yards after the catch, displaying great elusiveness and craftiness to cut his way through the defense. As he gears up for his first year at varsity, Wendelschafer will make an instant impact for his offense in 2024.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/perrypumas/status/1826485612150751258 </div></figure>     A player that is ready to surprise a lot of people this year is 2026 Defensive Back Devin Sarpy. An outside corner for the Pumas defense last season, he shined on the brightness stage for Perry. In his first full season starting as only a sophomore in 2023, he reigned in 36 total tackles, 2 TFLs, 2 INTs, 2 pass deflections, and 2 fumble recoveries. The first thing that jumps out to you when you watch Sarpy is his ball skills. His diagnosis and recognition once that ball goes in the air is phenomenal, showing exceptional quickness and speed breaking towards the ball and high pointing like he is the receiver. His ability to key pattern recognition and instinctually break on routes are great traits you want to see from a corner. Sarpy in his junior year is a secret weapon on this defense for the Pumas, but he will have people's heads turning once the season starts.      2025 Defensive Back [player_tooltip player_id='954396' first='Jayden' last='Kimling'] is going to be a great returning piece for this Perry defense. At an impressive 6'3 170lb frame, he played as the down safety in the Pumas scheme as a spark plug for this team. Last season, he had 59 total tackles, 30 of those as solo tackles, 6 TFLs, and 5 pass deflections in his junior year campaign. When he comes down from depth, you better watch yourself as he is on a mission to take someone out with exemplary angles of pursuit and power behind his hits. He plays with high energy and flies to the ball, looking to disrupt the other team's offense in any way he can. Kimling heading into his senior year will be seeking to do more of the same from his previous season, assisting his team in helping this defense become a top-tier unit.      2025 Linebacker Jackson Sands will be another experienced player for the Pumas defense to lean on. He played both inside and outside linebacker last season, with more of his snaps catered to him being on the outside. He had 73 total tackles, 30 of those as solo tackles, 4 TFLs, and 2 INTs. He plays sideline to sideline with outstanding lateral movement and agility to cover the field. He has remarkable awareness and ability to read his keys, dialing in on what the offense might do next and always being around to wreck havoc on the play. He has extraordinary ball skills for his position group to turnover the ball for his team, making game-altering plays. Sands in 2024 will be a key component for the Perry defense's success going forward.      2025 Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='954366' first='Maddox' last='Ford'] is a crucial difference maker for this Perry defense to be an elite force for this upcoming season. He played primarily as the middle linebacker, but he did show some snaps in his film as an edge rusher. Ford's stats from 2023 include 90 total tackles, 47 of those as solo tackles, 18 TFLs, 11 sacks which led his team as well as the 6A premier division, a forced fumble, and an INT. His best skill set is getting after the quarterback, whether it is rushing off the edge or spying at the line of scrimmage. He exhibits remarkable agility and speed in space, finishing by running through the ball carrier when delivering his tackles. Ford is a guy who will shut down offensive momentum and hunt quarterbacks in the backfield, a skill set his team can utilize especially late in games.

We will continue to preview teams to cover players that you should be on the lookout for when watching these programs. We will wrap up the 6A Premier Division with the Perry Pumas.