2025 Team Preview: Mountain Pointe Offense

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <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 now move over to the 5A San Tan Division starting with the Mountain Pointe Pride offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's a new era for the Mountain Pointe Pride as they will be looking to first-year head coach Jon Roberts with a fresh start in the competitive 5A conference. This team went 6-5 last year, making the 6A playoffs before losing to Pinnacle in the first round. The Pride are reloading after graduating a highly productive senior class. With an influx of transfers, promising young talent ready to break out, and a veteran offensive line presence, this team has all the ingredients for something special.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are key players to watch out for on the Mountain Pointe offense:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["883313"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6887a186b9c90"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">2027 Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='883313' first='Kristian' last='Escobedo'] has some big shoes to fill from the previous season in Mountain Pointe's QB room. Transferring from Tolleson High to Mountain Pointe, Escobedo will be stepping into the void left at the quarterback position from last year's senior tandem the team had. Escobedo can really drive a ball into a tight window, especially in the short area. He plants, sets, and zips the ball with tons of power right on target to where it needs to be. His ability to layer the ball effectively, particularly over the top of second level defenders, is advanced. Escobedo is a distributor at the quarterback position, and it will be fun to see how he distributes to his playmakers in 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/K1_Escobedo/status/1934109478561210422","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/K1_Escobedo/status/1934109478561210422 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Jamier McKinney","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2028","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'8u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"160","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2408","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Mountain Pointe","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6887a186b9d53"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">2028 Running Back Jamier McKinney will look to be the new workhorse back for this Mountain Pointe offense. He mainly played on the freshman team last season for Mountain Pointe; however, he was able to showcase what he could do at the varsity level in the last few games of the season. McKinney's best trait is his body control, able to take hit after hit and still remain balanced and upright to keep churning away for yardage. He is best out in space, getting the ball in his hands out on the perimeter. If he gets the edge, he is gone, as he has remarkable acceleration to turn it to another gear and outrun the defense. McKinney is a young, soon-to-be star for this Mountain Pointe offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/20864606/675cf1397718943c169812d5' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6889423dc3b64"} /--> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1177550"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6887a186b9da5"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">2026 Offensive Lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1177550' first='Aaron' last='Thomas'] will be the headline offensive player for this Mountain Pointe offense. The Ohio State commit at his astounding 6'7 275lb frame will be protecting the blind side for his young signal caller, playing at the left tackle position for this offense. Thomas is a force in the running game. He does an excellent job washing down edge rushers into the interior and working his way up to the second level. He displays solid mobility to lay those key blocks to spring fourth big-time plays. In pass protection, he is a stone wall, as edge rushers won't be able to beat him with power to the quarterback. He has violent and explosive hands that can disrupt edge rushers' pass-rushing plans at a moment's notice. Thomas is back to dominate the trenches for one last season, protecting his QB and proving he's built for the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/19510722/670aab2a37226bdf3adb3e51' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-688acb4c9dcaa"} /--> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1682171"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6887a186ba181"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">2026 Offensive Lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1682171' first='Charles' last='Lott'] adds a fiery factor to this big man unit for the Pride offense. Standing at 6'5 280lbs, he is a very versatile player who can play both guard positions and the tackle position in a pinch. Lott is best when he is on the move, pulling around blockers and leading for the ballcarrier to pave an open rush lane. He exemplifies "playing through the whistle" perfectly as he will not stop driving and pushing his defender until he is either 10-20 yards downfield or buried in the turf. He is just as aggressive and nasty in pass protection, presenting a reliable anchor for the quarterback, and will toss rushers around if they are off balance. Lott adds another veteran presence to this offensive line as he will be the tone setter for this unit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/19688068/670733fa135b421cc8eb67d0' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-688acb4c9dd37"} /--> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1326130"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6887a186ba13c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">2028 Wide Receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1326130' first='Makai' last='Nelson'] is looking to be the go-to playmaker for this Mountain Pointe passing game. Transferring in from Chandler, Nelson has been lighting it up in spring ball in 7v7 showcases. He presents as a big, reliable target for his quarterback on the outside and over the middle, as he played WR and TE at his time in Chandler. He is an opposing force, high-pointing the ball and bringing it down with strong hands for the catch. He is also a great in-line blocker if you need him to chip or light up an in-box player to get to the outside edge. Nelson will undoubtedly be a key piece in Mountain Pointe's success, but look out for him to produce more on the outside this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/16328602/674793401a0be782ea79e836' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6889423dc3bd9"} /--> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1615593"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6887a186ba1c5"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">2028 Wide Receiver Aiden-Caleb Rodriquez will be the go-to redzone target for this Mountain Pointe offense. After spending last season on the freshman squad, he's prepared to take the next step as he joins the varsity team for his debut season. Standing at an already imposing 6'3 160 lbs frame, he has some nice crisp route running in the endzone. Whether it's running a fade or a slant, he is great at maintaining body positioning and space for his quarterback to place the ball. Once it is in the air, he will go up and get it with marvelous leaping ability and strong hands at the catch point. Look out for Rodriquez to be the main target in the endzone for this Pride passing attack.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/22792582/6756a6219006720ed658f234' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-688acb4c9ddfd"} /--> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["325194"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6887a186ba05c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">2027 Wide Receiver [player_tooltip player_id='325194' first='Josiah' last='Smith'] will look to be an immediate impact target out wide for this Pride passing attack. Transferring from Iowa, he comes to the valley ready to prove his capability, as he has all spring ball so far. Smith's body control when high-pointing the ball is already stellar. His ability to contort his body and make sweet toe-tapping catches with minimal amounts of grass showcase a rare blend of athleticism and artistry at the position. He has reliable hands and a vast catch radius for his quarterback to make him a dependable player. When he gets the ball in space, he can get crafty and make a defender miss in the open field for extra yards after the catch. Smith is a player to keep your eyes out for on this Mountain Pointe team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/JosiahSmith27/status/1932178894909788235","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/JosiahSmith27/status/1932178894909788235 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->