The 2022 season opens with a bang for many of the best schools in state 48.
Since out-of-state competition has been limited the past 2 years, many schools opted to schedule them to open the 2022 campaign.
Here’s how they fared:
Friday September 2
Red Mountain @ Mater Dei Catholic (San Diego)
35-16
Kyle Enders gets his first win as head coach of Red Mountain. Lenox Lawson was named MVP of the game after returning the second half kickoff for a touchdown and rushing for one as well to open the game. Quarterback Carter Crispin threw two touchdowns to Preston Heap and one to Taveon Sueing.
Defensively the Mountain Lions were dialed in. A name to watch out for is freshman linebacker Jameson Wade, who had three sacks in his varsity debut.
There’s a lot to unpack in this clip with @CoachEndersRMHS following his 1st win as HC. @ZachAlvira officially makes up the nickname “The Blade” for freshman LB @JamesonWade13 @RedMtnFootball played with a BIG chip on their shoulder.
+ water bath No. 2 @Sports360AZ pic.twitter.com/371Yq8xyLp
— Jordan Spurgeon (@spurge_) September 3, 2022
Chandler @ Cathedral Catholic (San Diego)
63-7
Whoever said Chandler took a “step back” was way off. Coach Rick Garretson and his crew have heard all the chatter about them this offseason. Cathedral Catholic had plenty to say too, and that didn’t work out so well for them. Chants of “overrated” were thrown around during Chandler’s first drive. They went on to drop 63…
Dylan Raiola showed why he’s the best 2024 player in the country. He threw three touchdowns and rushed for another to cement his MVP performance in the Honor Bowl. Some of his throws were off the charts. Every coach is raving about how easy he makes it look and how in command of the offense he is. It’s game one in a Chandler uniform and he’s already calling plays to get out of bad situations.
The 1st TD in a @chandler_wolves uniform for @RaiolaDylan goes to @kadenanderson & nearly takes me out.
The Wolves scored again after a blocked punt & QB sneak TD. They now lead 13-0 in the 1st quarter. @Sports360AZ pic.twitter.com/GHxFzcrnTS
— Jordan Spurgeon (@spurge_) September 3, 2022
“He’s not even touching the surface yet.” @GarretsonRick knows what he has in @RaiolaDylan. He also knows the WR room is loaded with talent around him, and it’ll only get better from here as they compete everyday. @Sports360AZ pic.twitter.com/pMMKmq5zT1
— Jordan Spurgeon (@spurge_) September 3, 2022
The defense took all the talk to heart too. Kennedy Urlacher had a few tackles that might’ve been heard in Chandler… A’Mauri Washington obliterated the Cathedral line. Then he took his jersey off to reveal that he’s committing to Oregon.
BREAKING: 4-star 2023 Chandler defensive tackle A’Mauri Washington has committed to Oregon. This is how he told his teammates. pic.twitter.com/D6bfyfL87J
— Zach Alvira (@ZachAlvira) September 3, 2022
Pinnacle @ El Camino (Oceanside)
43-6
Pinnacle quarterback Wyatt Horton had a big night in Oceanside. He threw for at least three touchdowns and ran for two more.
https://twitter.com/JUSTCHILLY/status/1565897607678898178
Mountain View @ Helix (San Diego)
21-24
Mountain View played one of the best teams in San Diego and nearly won with a late comeback.
There’s no reason for the Toros to hang their heads. Joe Germaine’s program is trending up in the second year of his tenure. The defense didn’t break. Jack Germaine made clutch throws…
TD Toros. Opening Drive. Jack germaine with the QB sneak. Toros up 7-0. 4 mins to go 1st pic.twitter.com/teXl8U4kMo
— Toro Nation (@MVToro_Football) September 3, 2022
Bergen Catholic (New Jersey) @ Saguaro
28-7
The one weakness this Saguaro squad appears to have is on the interior lines. They lost many starters at those spots from last year. The size of Bergen Catholic exposed that weakness. But, Jason Mohns knows this is part of the process. He knows this team will learn more about themselves and their identity because of this obstacle.
Saguaro coach Jason Mohns feels there are some 'positive takeaways' after losing 28-7 to New Jersey champ Bergen Catholic to open the season pic.twitter.com/BHR2MMgrGf
— Richard Obert (@azc_obert) September 3, 2022
This will likely take them out of the top 25 rankings nationally, but they’ll be back by the end of the season…
Perry @ Spring Valley (Nevada)
19-14
Joe Ortiz can check win number one off his list at Perry. This was also their first out-of-state win, because it’s the first time playing out-of-state in program history.
Congrats to Head Coach Joe Ortiz and the Perry Puma staff on their 1st win!!!
History made! 9-2-2022@perrypumas @PerryPumas07 @CUSDAthletics pic.twitter.com/0WJiwh67Nw— Perry High Athletics (@perry_pumas) September 3, 2022
One player to be on the lookout for this season is Aiden Herring, an edge rusher committed to the Air Force.
Aiden Herring is a MONSTER‼️Swims over tackle, shoves RB aside, and sacks the QB for a big-time loss @herring_aiden @perrypumas @perry_pumas @AZHSFB @gridironarizona @JosephO24 pic.twitter.com/eExw0xbxON
— Cody Cameron (@CodyTCameron) September 3, 2022
Saturday September 3
Basha @ Los Alamitos (Los Angeles)
33-28
The Basha Bears trailed 21-0 early in the game against Five Star Quarterback Malachi Nelson. Demond Williams Jr, Bryson Dedmon, and crew went on to come back and win. Going toe-to-toe with Los Alamitos and winning is a huge boost for Basha.
https://twitter.com/JUSTCHILLY/status/1566256835329269761
Coming off a 10-0 season and a slew of juniors with varsity experience, this Basha team is ready to show they belong with the top dogs. The schedule won’t get any easier from here on out.
Desert Vista @ Madison (San Diego)
Queen Creek @ San Joaquin Memorial (Los Angeles)
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Jordan Spurgeon
Jordan Spurgeon enjoys covering sports all across the state and telling feature stories that impact people.