Many have been hit hard by the news that schools will not return to campus for the remainder of the academic year. It’s a tough and transformative time for all, but especially for the senior class, the class of 2020. Sports360AZ wants to hear from those seniors on how they’re adjusting, what they’re feeling and how this experience can make them stronger moving forward in a segment we call “2020 Vision.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has allowed time for some to explore new things this spring.
Adam Maldonado is no different.
“Cooking,” the Tucson Canyon del Oro outside linebacker/defensive end said with a chuckle in a recent Skype interview with Sports360AZ.com. “For breakfast, I make French toast, bacon, eggs, sausage, oatmeal. I go out.”
You could say the same for Maldonado on the field last fall for the Dorados after registering 68 tackles (10 for loss), 2.5 sacks and an interception which he returned for a touchdown as a senior. CDO went 8-3 and made the 4A State Playoffs.
Now, it’s time for the play maker to take his talent to the next level.
“I will going to Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kansas which is right next to Kansas City,” Maldonado said of the NAIA school. “It’s a great school. [I’m going] to a business major so I’m excited for that, too. They’re a powerhouse football team, too.”
You could say that confidently.
The Coyotes have gone 25-2 over the last two seasons.
The near 6-foot-4, 190-pounder said his role with KWU will be similar to what he played in Dustin Peace’s defense at Canyon.
“In high school I played a lot of different positions on defense,” he explained. “For their scheme I’m going to be doing the exact same thing which is awesome because that’s always what I wanted to do.”
After serving in a limited role as a junior, Maldonado wanted to make sure they left their mark in the rich tradition of CDO football.
“Me and my teammates realized that this could be the last year a lot of us get to play together,” he said. “So, we thought, ‘Might as well make it the best, right?'”
Mission accomplished.
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Eric Sorenson
A Valley native, Eric has had a passion for the Arizona sports scene since an early age. He has covered some of the biggest events including Super Bowls, national championships and the NBA and MLB playoffs in his near 20 years in local media.