So much to get to and so little time so let’s dive into my takeaways from another crazy and entertaining week of high school football here in Arizona.
What’s Your Pointe?…Doing the same thing over and over isn’t the definition of insanity at Mountain Pointe. Sure, everyone knew the Pride had talent but who saw coming last Thursday in Ahwatukee?
The Pride takes down the Chandler Wolves, 52-7. #ROLLPR1DE
— Pride Football (@MPHS_Football) September 9, 2016
A running clock AGAINST Chandler? You can’t be serious.
“Everybody did their thing,” head coach Norris Vaughan said after the game. “We run a pro offense, we just don’t run a spread offense. You see our game on Sunday’s. That’s how we try to play.”
A common MP theme in the games I’ve covered over the years is they have mastered the short touchdown run, usually between the tackles. It’s not always fancy but the results speak for themselves. Last week was certainly no different.
Happy to see senior quarterback Noah Grover playing well after patiently waiting for his opportunity to start. Easy to see why his teammates respond so well to him.
Snap To It!…The fastest way to a college scholarship necessarily throwing for 6,000 yards or catching 40 touchdowns. Our home features some of the top specialists in the nation. Williams Field’s Brandon Ruiz is headed to Alabama next season to play for that Saban guy. I recently featured another one of the state’s best on a full ride next fall. If you’re really, really good you could be like Missouri commit Adam Bay.
DRIdge’s Adam Bay @LongSnapper42 receiving his jersey for the @AllAmericaGame @Sports360AZ pic.twitter.com/37L8UQRC7x
— Andy Silvas Photo (@PhotoSilvas) September 13, 2016
Deer Valley’s Joey Ramos was just offered by Iowa State.
Further proof hard work pays off at all levels.
Eight Is Enough…Arizona State’s Kalen Ballage wasn’t the only in-state running back to enter the record books last week. Down in Tucson Rincon High’s Ty Grigsby set a big-school state record hitting pay dirt eight times himself against Buena. 
Grigsby’s outburst (just under 300 rushing yards) was a welcomed sight for a team which scored just seven points COMBINED in lopsided losses to Tucson Pueblo, Dobson and Marana Mountain View. Here’s more on Grigsby in this week’s Recruiting Roundup.
Mark Your Calendar…It didn’t take former former Desert Mountain High star Mark Andrews long to make himself comfortable in Bob Stoops’ offense at the University of Oklahoma. Despite only starting one game as a redshirt freshman last year the six-foot-five, 250-pounder had seven touchdowns on just 19 receptions. Through three games this season the sophomore’s already tallied three more. 10 touchdowns in just 15 games. Not bad. The 14th-ranked Sooners host #3 Ohio State Saturday evening in Norman.
Cruz Control…Great note from my guy Andrew Luberda who is always in the loop on the high football scene in the far east Valley and southern Arizona. Santa Cruz Eloy went 6-23 from 2012-2014 but have turned it around in a big way under head coach Rishard Davis. The Dust Devils, second favorite in-state high school nickname behind Page (Sand Devils), went 9-3 last season and are a perfect 3-0 in 2016 outscoring their opponents 159-32. Duel-threat senior quarterback Emilio Cosillos is averaging around 260 total yards a game. Expect a challenge from Tonopah Valley on Friday.
Parting Shot…Stat of the Week from @gridironarizona who is a must-follow on Twitter for every high school football fan here in AZ. Research team on point after Desert Ridge beat Hamilton for the first time in school history.
The last time Chandler AND Hamilton lost in the same week was Week 6 of 2001!
Chandler to Kofa (20-13)
Hamilton to Gilbert (22-18)— Gridiron Arizona (@gridironarizona) September 10, 2016
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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.