The Camp Verde Cowboys football team made several appearances on the 2018 2A Verde all-region team.
“It made me feel really proud that those guys were that impressive to the other coaches in our region,” Camp Verde coach Rick Walsworth said.
Last season the Cowboys finished 4-6 on the year and 4-1 at home in Walsworth’s first season.
One player that stuck out to opposing coaches was Camp Verde running back Cale Cook, who earned a spot on the first-team all-region this season, along with Steven Petty as a punter.
“Cale was the first player that every coach talked about this season before and after the game,” Walsworth said. “They consistently mentioned how hard of a runner he was along with his solid vision.”
Steven Petty also earned second-team all-region at defensive back, joining teammates Peyton Kelley, Jacob Kane and Jacob Oothoudt.
Players Josh Lake, Matt Loza and Damian Wathogoma rounded out Camp Verde’s honors with honorable mention recognition.
With Camp Verde’s inside-heavy running game, Walsworth believes the Cowboys line had a big impact on Cook’s success.
“Almost all of his yards come between the tackles, so I think that shows how well our offensive line did this year,” Walsworth said. “It is tough for Cale to get yards without the linemen getting him started, and they consistently
gave him running lanes this season.”
After rushing for 744 yards and four touchdowns in his junior year, Cale is eyeing the 1,000 yard mark for his senior season.
“I think that goal is completely reasonable for Cale but he cannot accomplish that goal alone,” Walsworth said.
“Hopefully, we can come through as he will need his teammates to improve as well if he hopes to reach that plateau.”
Reaching 1,000 yards is not the only goal for Cale in his final season at Camp Verde.
“He also wants to have a winning record for his senior year and qualify for the state playoffs as well,” Walsworth said. “Those accomplishments were more important to him than his individual goals.”
Walsworth believes Camp Verde’s playoff chances come down to the team’s work-ethic during the offseason.
Though the regular season ended last month, it is never too early for the Cowboys to shift focus to next year’s team.
“ It is up to each individual player getting stronger and adding muscle mass in the offseason as we look to next season,” Walsworth said. “ But we also have a lot of players partaking in winter sports.”
Many of Camp Verde’s returning football players are currently in a weight-training class to stay in game shape.
To pass the time leading into next season, many football players are partaking in winter sports such as basketball and wrestling.
While some coaches may only want their players focusing on one sport, Walsworth encourages his kids to partake in many.
“As high school coaches, we should always push our kids to play as many sports as possible,” Walsworth said. “Few if any make it to the next level and I believe it is a disservice to them to try and hold them back.”
