Jared Cohen
Through seven weeks of high school football in Arizona and one of the best stories in the state is the Sunnyslope Vikings.
The undefeated Vikings after their 30-14 win of La Joya Community on friday night have reached as many wins in 2013 as they did in 2011 and 2012 combined.
A key contributor is the man they have under center, six-foot, nine inch senior Michael Humphrey. Many know Humphrey in the valley as not only one of the top basketball prospects in the state but also on the west coast. But not with the success Humprhey and his team are having on the gridiron this season, he is also becoming known as the Michael Humphrey the quarterback.
“We worked really hard in the off-season and everyone is coming together really well,” Humphrey said. “I feel like it is the best team we have had since I have been here so it’s fun to be a part of.”
It is rare to see the two-sport athlete anymore when that athlete is being as highly recruited as Humphrey is in one of the sports. Especially when the other sport is football. But that is not stopping him from enjoying playing one last time during his final year of high school.
“I love playing,” Humphrey stated. “Some of my best friends are out here and you know, as a fourth year senior I thought I might as well play and it really helps out with basketball so I enjoy that part as well.”
“They really go hand in hand with each other,” Humphrey added. “Obviously basketball helps out with football. I think the cone work we do with football and some of the stuff we do in basketball just translates really well.”
While Humphrey’s focus now is on football, basketball is still his future after high school. He recently narrowed down his list of scholarship offers and will ultimately choose between Stanford and the University of Arizona.
“Both of those are dream schools,” Humphrey mentioned. “I love both schools. It’s going to be a tough decision. I have a visit down to U of A soon then after that I hope to decide.”
While many in the college hoops world are looking forward to his decision, those in the Sunnyslope community are dialed into what Humphrey and the Vikings are hoping to achieve on the football field this season.
