Rush Hour, Pt.2: Big-School QBs Commanding the Ground in Week 1

As Arizona high school football kicks into high gear, the opening weekend did not disappoint. From thrilling comebacks to dominant displays, teams across the state put on a show. While the spotlight often shines brightest on the aerial attacks, Week 1 proved that the ground game is just as captivating, especially when quarterbacks are leading the charge. With all the showings on the ground from signal-callers across 4A, 5A, and 6A, we're highlighting the top rushing performances by quarterbacks who took matters into their own hands—literally.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">6A</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='739440' first='Tait' last='Reynolds'] — Queen Creek: 101-6 | 16.8 Y/A | 2 TDs [player_tooltip player_id='739440' first='Tait' last='Reynolds']' recruitment took off in a rocket this offseason with Division 1 offers coming in left and right. Previously committed to ASU to play baseball, he's now committed to Clemson to play BOTH football and baseball. If that isn't evidence enough of how dynamic an athlete he is, look no further than his play on the football field. The highly coveted Queen Creek quarterback didn't disappoint with his arm — throwing for 237 yards and 3 TDs with a final quarterback rating of 147.7 — but he also dazzled fans and scouts with his legs as well. Every time he took off down the field he was a threat to score and ended with an average of 16.83 yards per attempt, finding his way into the endzone twice. With nearly 300 total yards and 5 touchdowns in his first game, Reynolds is already living up to the hype.   [player_tooltip player_id='368975' first='Wyatt' last='Horton'] — Pinnacle: 39-9 | 4.3 Y/A | 2 TDs [player_tooltip player_id='368975' first='Wyatt' last='Horton'] was faced with a tall task going against MaxPreps' top-ranked team in New Mexico, La Cueva, in Week 1. On a day where the passing game didn't catch fire out of the gate, it was the rushing attack, mixed with some impressive defense, that got Pinnacle a lead late in the fourth. Horton used his legs to get into the endzone twice in regulation and was able to throw his only touchdown pass of the game in the first overtime to give Pinnacle the lead back. Though it may not have been for an eye-popping amount of yards, Horton's ability to move around and outside of the pocket to keep plays alive was on full display throughout the game. Having a real test in the first week, he and the entire Pinnacle team showed that they came to play this season.   Will Mencl — Chandler: 3-31 | 10.3 Y/A | 1 TD Only playing half of the game due to splitting reps with junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='401158' first='Dominic' last='Carmigiano'], Will Mencl put on an efficiency clinic both on the ground and through the air. He only took off to use his legs three times throughout the game, but he made the defense pay when he did by averaging more than a first down per carry. He also managed to get into the endzone one of those times, giving him a score in a third of his rushes. Using his arm, Mencl went a perfect 11 for 11 finishing with 113 yards and another score. Keeping in mind that he did this as a sophomore in just a single half of football, (he and Carmigiano switched each drive) Mencl is a dynamic and efficient quarterback that coaches should be watching closely this season.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">5A</h2>   Khavontae Paul — Ironwood: 215-17 | 12.7 Y/A | 3 In <a href="https://x.com/EpicSportsTV">Epic Sports Network's</a> first Thursday Night Kickoff, Ironwood's first matchup against Trevor G. Browne was aired live on <a href="https://cw7az.com/high-school-football/#:~:text=CW7%20will%20air%20a%20pre,kick%20off%20at%207%20p.m.">CW7 Arizona</a>. The lights weren't too bright for Khavontae Paul, whose impressive showing was done mostly on the ground to will his team to a hard-fought 19-14 victory. Running the ball nearly twice as many times as he passed it, Paul realized that the opposing defense was struggling both to stay in front of his quick feet and to catch his impressive top-end speed. He was single-handedly responsible for 249 of the offense's 320 total yards and all three of the touchdowns in the win, showing you just how valuable he is to Ironwood's offense.   [player_tooltip player_id='401159' first='Donivan' last='Dixon'] — Cactus Shadows: 125-8 | 15.6 Y/A | 3 TDs Coming off a season where he ran for more than 1,000 yards as a sophomore from the quarterback spot, [player_tooltip player_id='401159' first='Donivan' last='Dixon'] picked up right where he left off. He's shown great instincts when he's in the pocket and has zero hesitations to take off when it starts collapsing and he finds a seam. What makes him so dangerous once he decides to tuck the football is his quickness. His first two steps are something that few defenders (if any) are able to match and by the time they try to react, it's too late. Dixon averaged a whopping 15.6 yards every time he decided to run with it, gashing the Camelback defense left and right. Being one of two Cactus Shadows players to surpass 100 yards on the ground, this explosive rushing attack will be something the offense can lean on while they gain their footing in the passing game.   [player_tooltip player_id='954315' first='Ronald' last='Coty'] — Kellis: 116-6 | 19.3 Y/A | 1 TD [player_tooltip player_id='954315' first='Ronald' last='Coty'] got Kellis' season off to a hot start in a 44-0 win over Independence. With four total touchdowns on the night — throwing for three and running for one — his versatility was undeniable. Though it was his arm that did a majority of the damage inside the endzone, it was his legs that were most effective getting his offense close enough to score. He averaged an unbelievable 19.3 yards per rush as he ran wild on the Independence defense. Once he got past the line of scrimmage, his vision was similar to a running backs with his ability to find cutback lanes. Coty's speed proved to be too much for the defense to handle, and that could quickly turn into a common theme among Kellis' opponents.   Donovan Delong — Millennium: 121-12 | 10.1 Y/A | 1 TD Donovan Delong kicked off his senior year with over 250 total yards and four total touchdowns in a convincing 42-13 win over Westview. Proving to be a real dual-threat, Delong passed for 136 yards and ran for another 121 in the victory. At 6'1" 180 lbs, he may not look like a speedster, but he can be really difficult for defenders to catch up to when he gets a full head of steam. Very smart about when to tuck the ball and run was potentailly Delongs biggest asset in Week 1. Going through progressions and seeing nothing but green grass in front of him, he often made the smart choice to use his legs and often made the most of it.   Tyler Friedenberg — Flowing Wells: 78-5 | 15.6 Y/A | 1 TDs Tyler Friedenberg was the quarterback and leading rusher for a ground game that amassed over 300 total yards between a whopping eight different players. Only having to throw the ball three times on the way to a 41-0 win over Agua Fria, it was his legs that did most of the damage throughout the game. The 6'0" quarterback is a solid 170 lbs and showed plenty of toughness in the win. After the game Friedenberg was asked what this win means for the rest of the year: "It's a good way to start, but we've got nine more games to go." The Flowing Wells quarterback isn't going to let one win get to their head.   [player_tooltip player_id='954411' first='Jase' last='Ashley'] — Horizon: 61-7 | 8.7 Y/A | 1 TD [player_tooltip player_id='954411' first='Jase' last='Ashley'] came out seemingly on a mission to show that he belongs in the conversation with the top quarterbacks in the state, and I'd say it was mission success following an impressive outing that lead to a 48-8 win over Canyon View. Through the air, Ashley completed over 70% of his passes for over 250 yards and three scores. His quarterback rating of 144.4 just reaffirms how efficient and effective he is as a passer, but it wasn't just his arm that hurt the defense. using his legs to get another 61 yards and a score, he proved that he's a dynamic quarterback on top of an accurate passer. With Ashley at the helm, Horizon is going to be a difficult offense for any defense to handle.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">4A</h2>   Jacob LaDuke — Snowflake: 83-9 | 9.2 Y/A | 3 TDs As just a sophomore, Jacob LaDuke is showing how special of an all around athlete he is. Being the team's leading rusher on the way to a 47-27 win over Bradshaw Mountain, he was making plays through the air and on the ground. He was able to run his way into the endzone three times while also finding a receiver for a final tally of four total touchdowns in his first varsity action. As he continues to develop as a passer, LaDuke should be able to rely heavily on his legs to keep drives alive for Snowflake's offense.   [player_tooltip player_id='1145565' first='Hone' last='Wray'] — Estrella Foothills: 106-15 | 7.7 Y/A | 1 TD Estrella Foothills' offense somehow managed to get three different players over 100 rushing yards as they beat Youngker 40-13. One of those 100 yard rushers was their quarterback, [player_tooltip player_id='1145565' first='Hone' last='Wray']. A player who worked a lot on his arm this offseason decided to show that he has a lot more to offer than just that. He still impressed with his arm, completing 80% of his passes and scoring a touchdown, but it was his legs that surprised people most. Having rushed for just 246 yards all of last season, Wray has nearly half that after just one game.   Aiden Deleon — Apache Junction: 68-10 | 6.8 Y/A | 0 TDs Aiden Deleon was able to show his dynamic ability from the quarterback position despite a hard fought 27-13 loss to Peoria. Matching sophomore Ben Garcia for the most rushing yards on the team, he did a nice job of using his legs in critical situation to try and keep drives alive of his team. The passing game didn't get off to a great start for the Apache Junction offense, but as teams start to fear Deleon's ability to run more and more, that could start to open things up for himself on the back end.

As Arizona high school football kicks into high gear, the opening weekend did not disappoint. From thrilling comebacks to dominant displays, teams across the state put on a show. While the spotlight often shines brightest on the aerial attacks, Week 1 proved that the ground game is just as captivating, especially when quarterbacks are leading the charge. With all the showings on the ground from signal-callers across 4A, 5A, and 6A, we're highlighting the top rushing performances by quarterbacks who took matters into their own hands—literally.