2021 Team Preview: Pusch Ridge Christian

<span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>Overview</strong></span> Pusch Ridge Christian is one of the most well known smaller programs down in southern Arizona, and is loaded with talent for a 3A program. They come off a strong 8-2 season from 2020, as their only two losses came against 3A state runner up Yuma Catholic during week 2 (14-7) and Yuma Catholic once again in the semifinals (36-20). To say they were a dominant team in 2020 is an understatement, as 7 out of their 8 wins were blowouts, with the exception against Safford where they won 31-19. Despite their week 2 loss against Yuma Catholic, the Pusch Ridge defense only gave up 14 points, which was the lowest amount of points Yuma Catholic was held to all season (Snowflake also held Yuma Catholic to 14 in the 3A championship). Pusch Ridge will lose a handful of players to graduation, which includes standout RB [player_tooltip player_id="42677" first="Evan" last="Lovett"] who will play DII ball at Minot State. But Pusch Ridge will also retain some highly talented players who have all the potential to help Pusch Ridge make another run at a 3A state championship in 2021. They will face some tough opponents here in the fall as they take on some notable programs such as the defending 3A Champs Snowflake, a much improved and matured 3A Eastmark, 2A contender Benson, and not to mention their tough region games. Pusch Ridge will be an interesting team to follow as they look to make another strong run in 2021. <hr /> <span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>Players to Watch</strong></span> [player_tooltip player_id="162068" first="Hayden" last="Hallett"], <em>QB, 2022</em> Hallett lead Pusch Ridge in 2020 with 776 yards passing and 5 TD's, and also picked up 4 TD's on the ground. He shows a solid pre-snap read with the ability to identify soft spots in coverages. Solid arm as he can stretch the field well vertically and can throw receivers open. He does a good job distinguishing whether to use velocity vs touch with strong potential to dice up defenses with his arm.<img class="alignright wp-image-76937" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/11/Prospects-to-watch-300x169.png" alt="" width="334" height="188" /> [player_tooltip player_id="100703" first="Ryan" last="Fontaine"], <em>QB 2022</em> Fontaine is another talented QB for Pusch Ridge, and is a game changer with his playmaker ability. He is an absolute escape artist with the ability to extend plays and either find receivers downfield or pick up solid chunks of yards on his feet. Nice burst as a ball carrier and is shifty to make opponents miss, and it will be a fun duo to watch behind center in 2021. [player_tooltip player_id="100720" first="Jayden" last="Rittenbach"], <em>WR, 2022</em> Rittenbach led Pusch ridge last year with 606 yards receiving and 6 TD's as a junior, in which he flashes a ton of potential to have a breakout senior campaign. He does a good job generating a clean release at the LOS off press coverage and possesses the ability to haul in athletic catches with body control. Good ball carrier after the catch to bounce off tackles and he holds strong potential going forward as he should see a large number of targets. [player_tooltip player_id="110093" first="Tyler" last="Mustain"], <em>LB, 2023</em> Mustain is a flat out beast for Pusch Ridge, as he led the team with 77 tackles, 9 TFL's, and 6 sacks as a sophomore. He sizes up with a solid frame and build at 6'2" 190lbs with room to add weight. Good football IQ overall with the ability to diagnose plays. He's strong at the POA and explosive through the tackle, and projects to be one of the top defensive players in the state in 2021. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><em><strong>Other Names to Know:</strong></em></span> [player_tooltip player_id="110156" first="Brysen" last="Barrios"], <em>ATH, 2023</em> [player_tooltip player_id="100685" first="Javier" last="Grajeda"], <em>RB, 2022</em> [player_tooltip player_id="100711" first="Christian" last="Cromwell"], <em>LB, 2022</em> [player_tooltip player_id="110129" first="William" last="Way"], <em>TE, 2023</em> [player_tooltip player_id="165931" first="Bryce" last="Jewell"], <em>DB, 2023</em> <span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>Key Departures</strong></span> [player_tooltip player_id="42677" first="Evan" last="Lovett"], RB *1,401 yards and 17 TD’s with 12 receptions for 112 yards and 2 TD’s receiving <strong>Kannon Jewell,</strong> WR/DB *60 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 INT’s: 11 receptions for 109 yards and 1 TD <strong>Justin Ripperdan,</strong> <em>OL</em> <strong>Nick Urias,</strong> <em>OL</em> <hr /> <span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>2021 Schedule</strong></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><em> *3A South Region Game</em></span> 8/27- @ Benson 9/3- Vista Grande<img class="alignright wp-image-180945" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/08/Prep-Redzone-Graphics-Football555-300x172.jpg" alt="Cape Coral Mariner 2021 Football" width="443" height="254" /> 9/10- @ Eastmark 9/17- *Sahuarita 9/24- Snowflake 10/1- Palo Verde Magnet 10/8- *@ Sabino 10/15- *@ Safford 10/22- *Thatcher 10/29- @ AZ College Prep &nbsp;