Brad Cesmat
Camp T happened for the Arizona State football team on Saturday. They came, they saw, they left after about four-and-a-half hours.
If you’re new to ASU football, Camp Tontozona is 22 miles east of Payson on Highway 260. It’s a magical spot(or a dump), depending on which former coach you happen to come across.
One year during the Dennis Erikson era, we were trapped mid-day under a tent by a torrential downpour that left the head coach more than a little teed off. I saw Dirk Koetter use a squeegee on the end of a broomstick to try and clear water. He wasn’t very happy. 
I came to know Camp T through the Arizona State football team that last went to the Rose Bowl for a game in January rather than just the regular season. The 1996 team was close. Very close. “Brotherhood” is a term thrown around a lot in football, but that team was the definition of tight. Go east of the practice field around the trees, and you’ll come upon Tillman Rock. Yep, it’s named after Pat.
These days Camp T is used primarily for high school camps and retreats. The dorms are still not in the 2,3,4, five-star category, but that shouldn’t matter to a head coach trying to get a team to come together. Much of the angst in recent years from longtime fans and big cigars falls back to the lack of interest in making Tontozona an annual part of the program. Monsoon storms roll in, and the field is underwater. The team then takes buses to Payson for workouts at Rumsey Park. Having disruptions to the practice schedule has frustrated many of the coaches that have since followed the 97 Rose Bowl team.
To me, it’s pretty simple. Deal with it. Football is a game of adjustments. You have to make changes on the fly. If the team is stuck in a lightning storm and doesn’t get on the practice field, then practice when there isn’t a lightning storm. It just isn’t that hard. The next head football coach at Arizona State will be asked at the introductory press conference about connecting with boosters and Camp T. They will say all the usual things, but there are more than a few longtime supporters who would like to see the tradition carried on in a meaningful way of a three-four day stay. It doesn’t seem that hard, but maybe I’m missing something…
This and That…
Not many better Valley-centric stories from the first weekend of preseason football than what happened in San Francisco. Former Perry high school star QB Brock Purdy made his NFL debut for the 49ers and had a touchdown pass. How he got the ball back for safe-keeping was something…
#49ers QB Trey Lance made sure to save Brock Purdy’s touchdown pass 🥹
🎥: @NBCS49ers
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) August 13, 2022
Would you want the Diamondbacks to pursue Fernando Tatis? He’s going to be available this offseason. Too much damage to trust has been done in San Diego…
So what is the magic number to bring Torey Lovullo back as manager for the hometown 9? The team has 49 games left and has matched the win total from 2021. The back end of the bullpen has come into games with a gas can and matches more often than a ball and glove. Is that the manager’s fault? Look at the Baltimore Orioles for what could be the blueprint in Arizona for 2023. The Orioles lost 110-games a year ago(including 19 in a row), and yet here they are a year later with one of the wild-card slots in the AL. It can be done…
Sat in on the AIA press conference with David Hines on Friday. Several exciting changes for the coming year, including a shot-clock in boys and girls basketball. The role of the shot-clock operator will undoubtedly be one to follow. There are going to be mistakes, no way around it. A ball that may have grazed the rim but not seen from the shot clock operator’s location. Two ref teams vs Three ref teams that may miss a reset. Hines said that the best person for the role of running the shot clock is a “gamer”. I’d have to agree. Seeing parents or assistant coaches who get too caught up in the game rather than paying attention to the job at hand. Yes, the shot clock operator will be a paid position. Looking for a side hustle?…
Is it time for the AIA to add lacrosse and water polo while dropping soccer and tennis? I think it’s worth a discussion. Club sports have made some sports obsolete in the high school space. I know of many, many soccer kids who don’t play for their school. Tennis feels as though it’s more of a club sport now. Love both sports, but I’m looking at what’s realistic with the financial resources, coaches, and commitment. Girls flag football sounds great too, though I believe it should be tackle rather than pulling flags…
