2025 Team Preview: Desert Mountain Offense

<p>As we continue to roll out our team previews, we'll shine some light on the top storylines and the breakout players you won't want to miss. We will resume in the 5A Northeast Division with the Desert Mountain Wolves offense.</p>   <p>With back-to-back seasons of making the Open Division playoffs, head coach Conrad Hamilton will be looking to make it a 3rd consecutive season for this program that he has been building since 2019. This team went 8-3 last year in its second Open Division postseason appearance, but ultimately lost in the first round to ALA-Queen Creek. This offense boasts a wealth of young, electrifying talent that should make this team dangerous not only for this season but also for future seasons.</p>   <p>Here are key players to watch out for in the Desert Mountain offense:</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">2027 Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='884097' first='Grant' last='Garduno'] is ready to be the next signal caller for this Desert Mountain offense. A two-sport athlete in both football and baseball, he demonstrates a natural ability to throw the ball. He has good pocket manipulation and mobility, able to outrun defensive linemen and throw on the move. He can dish it out to his playmakers with good ball placement and leverage to allow them to maximize yards after catch. Garduno gave us sneak peeks of what he is capable of in the limited action we saw of him last season and during this spring. Get ready for Garduno to shine under the lights in his junior season.</p>      <p class="text-gray-700">2028 Running back [player_tooltip player_id='1258544' first='Easton' last='Conner'] is one of the most exciting underclassmen weapons that this Desert Mountain team will be thrilled to utilize. He competed on Varsity as a true freshman last season, compiling over 200 scrimmage yards, 147 of those yards through the air off of 7 catches and 3 total touchdowns. Conner's most electric trait in his game is his vision, as he reads the field incredibly well and has remarkable anticipation. He showcases big-time playmaking ability, especially out of the backfield, with his smooth hands and elusiveness to make tacklers miss. His speed out in the open field is unmatched, as he can accelerate to another gear and burn past defenders. Conner is going to be one of the most electric playmakers that this Desert Mountain team aims to capitalize on.</p>      <p class="text-gray-700">2027 Wide Receiver [player_tooltip player_id='222909' first='Evan' last='Dowd'] looks to be a centerpiece for the Desert Mountain passing game. In his sophomore season, he had 18 catches for over 220 receiving yards, which averages to about 12.2 yards per catch. Dowd primarily worked as a slot receiver last season, picking apart defenses with his intellect and savvy route running. He was excellent at adjusting his route according to the defense, especially on crossing patterns, always aiming for the sticks and picking up the first down. Dowd can find spaces in the zone and work for open space for easy completions for the quarterback. With some senior talent leaving from the previous season, look out for Dowd to get a higher volume of targets in this offensive attack.</p>      <p class="text-gray-700">Another exhilarating weapon that this Desert Mountain team hopes to incorporate into their lineup is 2029 Athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1611916' first='Kai' last='Hasenyager']. The Phoenix AYF 14U Conference All-Star Offensive MVP comes into this offense ready to prove that he can be a day-one contributor. He already has a good sense of route running and the ability to run a variety of different route combos. His YAC ability will be game-changing, both with his speed and shiftiness. He can make secondary defenders miss easily and take easy completions to the house. Additionally, he is a basketball player as well as a baseball player, so it's clear he has a love for competition. Hasenyager could be a future two-way star in his high school career, but look for him to get early snaps with his talents at the wide out position.</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/HasenyagerKai/status/1867046725161976022 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">2027 Offensive Lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1399762' first='Aaron' last='O'Daniel'] is poised to be a massive component upfront for this Desert Mountain team. With a season of playing right tackle on varsity under his belt, he is now ready to be a reliable force for his offense. At a solid 6'3 280 lbs frame, he displays incredible strength, particularly in his upper body. He can use this physical strength to launch defenders to the ground with his violent push and powerful hands. He gets great drive at the point of attack, firing out of stance and leveraging his body to create a gap for the ball carrier. He's showing promising mobility, with the ability to slide in pass protection and hold up against edge pressure. O'Daniel has unlimited potential in his junior season to be a well-rounded offensive lineman.</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/AaronO95167/status/1931022349899530391 </div></figure>

As we continue to roll out our team previews, we'll shine some light on the top storylines and the breakout players you won't want to miss. We will resume in the 5A Northeast Division with the Desert Mountain Wolves offense.