Cottonwood football needs teenagers.
While the two Coyotes teams in Camp Verde Youth Football have been able to divvy up nearly 50 players, just 14 players have come out this fall for the Cottonwood Wildcats.
They are the only youth football team in the Verde Valley for players over age 11. No matter how many players end up practicing for first-year head coach Mike Lopez, they will all play Saturday, Aug. 27 — opening day in the Minors and Mighty Mites divisions in Camp Verde as well as High Desert Youth Football in Cottonwood.
Wildcats
“That’s our biggest downfall, right now, is the number of kids,” said Lopez, in his second year as a High Desert Youth Football coach. “During practice, man, it’s hard to run a scout defense, or a scout offense or a scout anything, because we don’t have enough guys. Guys tap out, need a breather, we’re looking at three [substitute players].”
By the time five other High Desert Youth Football teams open their season Saturday, Aug. 27, Lopez is going to need 20 to 25 players on his final roster, he said — and he’ll take them from anywhere.
“Any parents in Sedona and Camp Verde who have kids you really want to play, bring them out here,” Lopez said. “We need to get them conditioned. They’ve got to get ready.”
Lopez is working with assistant Steven Roszko and former Mingus Union High School football players Andrew and Steve Pierce to get late arrivals like 12-year-old Imani Russell their 10 required days of practice in pads so they can all suit up for the opener.
Quarterback Jayden Earl — late of the Minors division Colts last fall — will run behind 12-year-olds Eduardo Castillo, Angelo Chrisodoulou, Anthony Islas, Hayden Rosas and Austin Wharff. Also looking to contribute at the skill positions are 12-year-olds Keaton Hughes, Aurey Lopez, Carter Parlin-Hanzel, Devon Perkins and Riley Rice.
Barring a late infusion of 12- or 13-year-old players, though, the starters are set.
“We actually have to get our starters going,” Lopez said. “Based on what we have, we have our 11 guys pretty much picked out.”
All youth football players need 10 hours of proper conditioning drills before they can even put on a helmet. Then another two to 10 days have to pass before the player is allowed to put on pads for full contact practice.
“First or second quarter, we might be up by 21 points,” Lopez said. “We could be blowing a team out, man, in the third quarter. But once we get tired, we might lose that lead just because our guys are too gassed.
“So it’s like, no matter how conditioned we get, no matter how good we teach, we’re not going to have enough for these kids to sub out and get rest like they need to be good in the third and fourth quarters.”
The good news for the players is that they will all get to play every game in a nine-game schedule against teams from Bagdad, Chino Valley, Wickenburg and Williams.
The bad news for the coaches is that incoming experience among the players will be a challenge. Only wide receiver Alexander Benda and fellow 13-year-old Isaac Rauschkolb are older than 12 years old.
The team’s schedule was not available as of press time. For more information, call Danica Briseno, High Desert president, at 451-1018.
Coyotes
Ryan Turnbell won’t be heard complaining, however, as 26 Camp Verde Minors — including 10 new players — are dressed out for their first week of full contact practices.
“We had a couple of kids quit, and one get injured, but I’m happy,” he said. “Right now, everyone’s coming out excited to play. That’s ultimately what the youth program is about: Getting them to fall in love with the game.”
Already sold is Turnbell’s 10-year-old son, Xander, who “will definitely play a huge part in our offense and defense” even though he is in his third year with the team as a running back. He is being pushed by versatile fifth-graders Keegan Hardy and Tristan Palmer — one of whom will start at quarterback.
“When it comes to my skill players, they’re 10,” said Turnbell, who plans to use a two-back set with Gabriel Tapia and sixth-grade tight end Sam Williams. “When it comes to my linemen, they’re 11.”
Ten deep to boot, featuring “pretty good-sized” offensive guards Mario Baca and Josiah Hicks, Turnbell added.
“My goals for the team is that everybody leaves with great experience, everybody gets a little bit better at their positions and that they all fall in love with the game.”
The Mighty Mites coaching staff of second-year head coach David Barton and defensive assistant Joe Ogle hope their 6- through 8-year-olds — 75 percent of whom are new to the sport — feel the same way.
“Winning is important, but really, the goal is just to get kids out there to have fun, do their best and learn some values along the way,” Barton said. “We’re mostly just going to run the ball.”
Which means Jeremiah Cook and Yavapai-Apache Nation athlete Keahi Ogle will get the call, as two of the 15 new players on Barton’s 20-player roster.
“We’ve got two pretty good running backs,” he said. “Jeremiah’s not too stout, but he’s tall. Keahi’s pretty big for his age — probably a few inches taller than our biggest quarterback.”
Leading the team at that position will be quarterback Jase Seekins — physical, smart and with a good arm, Barton said.
“I’m really impressed,” he added. “He’s going to be good.”
Snapping the ball to him at center will be Gavin Athey.
“He can play some fullback,” Barton said. “Whenever he plays the line, he’s always beating his chest and distracting the other team.”
Bolstering Athey along the line will be two even bigger cousins, also Yavapai-Apaches — Khale and Jacobe Jackson.
“Khale started for me last year,” Barton said. “He’s 7 this year, and man, he is a big kid.
“Other teams he played are always amazed. They’re like, ‘Oh, my God, is he aging out?’”
For more photos and full Camp Verde and High Desert Youth Football schedules, please see the Wednesday, Aug. 17, issues of the Camp Verde Journal and Cottonwood Journal Extra.
