Mountain View Off to an Impressive 2–0 Start: Key Performances

<p>Mountain View High School is off to a hot start this season, going 2-0 under new head coach Andy Litten. The Toros kicked things off with a solid 42-20 win over El Camino, setting the tone with a balanced offensive attack. They kept the momentum rolling in their second game against Saguaro, shaking off an early pick-six to storm back and win 57-27. It's clear this team is firing on all cylinders, and we're going to break down the key performances that have been driving their early success on the field.</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">One of the top linebackers in all of Arizona, [player_tooltip player_id='1116108' first='Beckham' last='Barney'] committed to Cal this June and is already showing why they want him through two games. Already accumulating 23 tackles, four of them for loss, he has impeccable instincts around the line of scrimmage. At 6'3" 210 lbs, he certainly has an imposing presence on the field. Barney's athletic ability allows him to really excel in coverage as well as on offense. When the Toros get the ball, he's been a driving force for their offense when handed the rock. He has five touchdowns through the team's first two contests while averaging more than six yards a carry. Barney's impact on both sides of the ball is a huge reason why Mountain View has gotten off to the start that they have. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/MVToro_Football/status/1832260585796567062 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1369417' first='Brady' last='Goodman'] has been on fire to start the season. Completing 88% of his passes and leading an offense that's amassed 99 points through eight quarters of football is nothing short of impressive. He throws a really nice deep ball and is not afraid to show it. Goodman can take advantage of open space with his legs if he needs to — rushing for 82 yards and a touchdown as well as consistently extendeing plays. With impressive accuracy outtside the numbers, he does a great job of spreading the ball around and not getting to locked onto a single target. The Toros' junior leader has stepped up in a big way this year and makes them a dynamic threat that can give any team serios problems. </p>      <p class="text-gray-700">Wreaking havoc up front for the Toros' defense, Tom Pau'u has a ton of power that's proven to be hard to handle. Doing a gret job of keeping linemen at arms length so that he can keep his eyes on the ball, he has a very aggressive single-arm punch that drives his oponent back. With his momentum going forward — and knowing where the ball is — he wastes no time disengaging with the offense and attacking the ballcarrier. through two games Pau'u has 4 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and a quarterback pressure as well. His versatility as a pass rusher and run stopper only increases his value to the team. </p>      <p class="text-gray-700">The guy this offense looks to for a big play and a spark is undoubtedly Talan Arnett. Possessing incredible top end speed, he's so hard for defenders to keep up with. It''s not as if his big plays are against broken coverage; instead, Arnett is winning one on one matchups and finishing it with contested catches. He currently has over half the Toros' receiving yars with 192, and three of the team's four receiving touchdowns. Arnette is always a danger to take the top off the defense when he's out on the turf.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/MVToro_Football/status/1832257565943558467 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">Another Mountain View player making his presence felt on both sides of the ball, [player_tooltip player_id='1003945' first='Dominic' last='Girard'] has some really impressive footwork on the defensive end. Even speedy wideouts have trouble getting much separation simply because he always seems to be in the right position. He's been close enough to passes to rack up a team-leading four passes defensed. On the offensive side of things, those quick feet are constantly on full display. He has no trouble making defenders miss, yet still has the toughness to break through tackles when he needs to. Both him and Barney taking handoffs are quite a tag team that can quickly wear out defeses. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/MVToro_Football/status/1832277706568036838 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">Barney's tag team partner on the defensive end, Reign Curiel, is having a nice start to his junior season. The extremely physical linebacker has 15 tackles, an interception, a quarterback pressure, and a tackle for loss through Mountain View's first two games. He's strong enough to shed blocks effortlessly and is constatnly coming up to make big hits against the run. Curiel also has the speed needed to stick with slot receivers in coverage long enough for his defensive line to get home. It's on'y been two games, but Curiel is really making an impact on this defense. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Other Key Performances</h2>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1682389' first='Cannon' last='Raban'] - OLB: </strong><em>17 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery</em></p>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Raban is a really solid outside backer who does well and coverage and uses his speed to beat offensive linemen and get into the backfield.</li> </ul>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='368946' first='Mikey' last='Sumko'] - WR:</strong> <em>5 catches, 73 yards, 14.6 yards per reception</em></p>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Coming off a year with 812 receiving yards, the lengthy Sumko runs really refined routes. I'd expect to see his production take a jump shortly. </li> </ul>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1369434' first='Caleb' last='Larson'] - EDGE</strong>: <em>8 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 quarterback pressure, 1 fumble caused, 1 fumble recovery</em></p>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Larson does a great job of crashing down the line of scrimmage against the runa nd using his incredibly long arms to disrupt passing lanes. </li> </ul>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='368968' first='Porter' last='Wilhelm'] - TE:</strong> <em>4 catches, 61 yards, 15.3 yards per reception, 1 touchdown</em></p>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>This acrobatic touchdown below is just a glimpse of what the 6'4" tight end can do. A scary downfield threat that's rare to find in a tight end, his string hands have been shining so far this season.</li> </ul>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CodyTCameron/status/1832245662949544123 </div></figure>

Mountain View High School is off to a hot start this season, going 2-0 under new head coach Andy Litten. The Toros kicked things off with a solid 42-20 win over El Camino, setting the tone with a balanced offensive attack. They kept the momentum rolling in their second game against Saguaro, shaking off an early pick-six to storm back and win 57-27. It's clear this team is firing on all cylinders, and we're going to break down the key performances that have been driving their early success on the field.