40 AUGUST 2023 By Justin McCoy Football fans are in for an exciting few months, with high school teams ready to hit the field at the end of August. Coaches at Arcadia High, Brophy Prep and Veritas Prep are also looking forward to the 2023 season, and getting the players – who have been hard at work practicing over the summer – out on the field for some well- deserved victory laps. ARCADIA HIGH Coach Ray Brown is anticipating a solid 10 game-season for the Titans in hopes of bolstering last year’s achievements. The team is currently in first place in the 4A Desert Sky Division. “We had a little bit of success last year, so we’re going to try to build on that in 2023,” Coach Brown said. The players had a solid summer workout schedule, consisting of three-hour training sessions Monday-Thursday. Brown said that attendance was excellent throughout. “We’ve got good numbers now – we just need to sustain that through the season,” he said. His pride is in the team’s exceptional core offensive wide-receivers, along with their star quarterback Braylen Rooney, who led the Titans to the playoffs last season during his first year as a footballer. “We are very excited about the upcoming season. We made the playoffs, but our goal now is to win games in the playoffs,” Braylen said. “We know what we are capable of. We just have to put our heads down and work for it.” Last year, the team’s record was six wins, five losses, with 17 points for average in 2022. Senior wide receiver Brady Forst led the team with 37 receiving yards per game; graduate Quintyn Isabell had nine total touchdowns, and graduate Thomas Guerrero led with six tackles per game. Opening night kicks off with an away game on August 25 at St. Mary’s. BROPHY PREP Broncos Head Coach Jason Jewell is looking forward to another exciting season at Brophy, with last year’s fourth-place finish in the 6A Division – and a three-win, eight- loss streak – acting as a motivator for both the coaches and the team. Jewell said that this year’s practice games attempted to mirror real-world scenarios so the players are ready from the jump. Every practice this year has been fast-paced. “We coach them hard, but we love them up too,” Jewell said. He said the team’s strength is in their offensive and defensive lines, eluding to past seasons and saying that while their playing was good, he saw the team growing from strength to strength this summer. “It has taken a few years, but we finally look like a 6A football team in the trenches. We have multiple Division 1 players on both sides of the ball,” Jewell stated. Another crucial element is Brophy’s experience and depth, as the team has returned 17 full-time starters and has 20 players with starting experience. “Last year, we lost some very close games to some of the best teams in the state. While those losses hurt, they are going to pay dividends in ‘23. We are experienced, have depth and are very strong along the offensive and defensive lines,” Jewell said. The team looks to expand on last year’s stats, including over 2,800 offensive yards and 22 total touchdowns. Jewell said that senior defensive end Mardale Rowe will go down as one of the top pass rushers in school history, and senior defensive end Devan Kennedy has already committed to Iowa State. According to Jewell, the team’s ultimate goal this season is to make the championships or have another run at the 6A playoffs – or both. VERITAS PREP The training schedule at Veritas Prep has been intense this year, with heavy weight room training and plenty of 7-7 tournaments so the team can learn coverages and new techniques. Coach Jason Black said the goal of the grueling schedule, which consisted of weight training four times a week and practice games twice a week, is to be able to laser focus on what the team needs to do this year to get better at strategy. Black said this season’s roster is the healthiest it’s ever been, with 42 players – 10 more than last season. “Many new kids on the team have never played football before, so there’s a big learning curve. Last year we had a slow 2023 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW Arcadia High PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAYLEN ROONEY

41 AUGUST 2023 start, but we’re looking to begin this season strong and not let anything sneak up on us,” Black said. The Falcon’s goal this year is modest: to win a few more games than last year. The team ended their 2022 season third in the 2A Verde Division, with a five win, six loss streak. “We had 14 freshmen come out for varsity football last year, and had to fill some major roles,” Black said. “We started the season 0-3 – two blowout losses and a forfeit – and did not have a positive vibe going forward.” The team worked hard in the weight room, with film study and on the field and ended up winning five of the last seven games to make the playoffs. “Even the two losses were strong battles, holding a solid Tonopah Valley to half their average score and losing to a top ranked Scottsdale Christian team, by one score, late in the fourth quarter,” Black said. In a playoff-clinching game against Valley Lutheran, junior quarterback Casen Lentz rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns to secure the win. “We only lost four seniors from last year, and with a roster size of over 40, the largest in my nine-year tenure as head coach, it’s going to be an exciting season,” Black said. He spoke highly of the morale this season, saying there are many new younger players, but the seniors are stepping up to provide leadership. “Their commitment every day is admirable,” Black said. “The end goal for every athlete is always to improve, but my personal goal over the next three years is to bring a state title to Veritas Prep,” sophomore Baylor Arnold said. The team is taking a few weeks off to enjoy the summer and will resume practicing in preparation for their first game against Madison Highland on August 18. ARCADIA 8/25 @ St. Mary’s 9/1 @ Walden Grove 9/8 vs. Benjamin Franklin 9/15 vs. Coconino 9/22 @ Camelback 9/29 vs. Desert Sunrise 10/6 vs. Mesquite 10/20 @ Combs 10/27 vs. Vista Grande 11/3 @ AZ College Prep *All games at 7 p.m.* BROPHY 9/1 @ Cathedral Catholic* 9/8 vs. Sunnyslope vs. Sunnyslope 9/14 vs. Chaparral 9/22 @ Notre Dame Prep 9/28 @ Basha 10/13 vs. Desert Vista 10/20 @ Corona Del Sol 10/27 @ Mountain Pointe 11/3 vs. Salpointe Catholic *All games at 7 p.m. except San Diego (7:30)* VERITAS 8/18 @ Madison Highland 8/25 @ Miami 9/1 vs. Sequoia Pathway 9/8 vs. San Tan Charter 9/15 @ Shadow Mountain 9/22 vs. Scottsdale Prep 9/29 vs. Scottsdale Christian 10/6 @ Parker 10/20 vs. Valley Lutheran 10/27 @ Coronado *All games at 7 p.m.* Brophy Prep Veritas Prep PHOTO COURTESY OF JASON JEWELL PHOTO COURTESY OF JASON BLACK 5800 N MONTE VISTA DR. | PARADISE VALLEY $8,950,000 | 5 BEDS | 7 BATHS | 7,782 SQ. FT. THOMAS SCOTT | 480-482-9260 KELLY JONES | 480-399-9322 5738 N CASA BLANCA DR. | PARADISE VALLEY $40,000,000 | 6 BEDS | 13.5 BATHS | 23,417 SQ. FT. KATRINA BARRETT | 520-403-5270 5719 E STARLIGHT WAY, 18 | PARADISE VALLEY $14,000,000 | 2.9 ACRE LOT | 126,549 SQ. FT. KATRINA BARRETT | 520-403-5270  7620 N RED LEDGE DR. | PARADISE VALLEY $29,000,000 | 6 BEDS | 8.5 BATHS | 15,500 SQ. FT. KATRINA BARRETT | 520-403-5270 7540 N RED LEDGE DR. | PARADISE VALLEY $19,500,000 | 5 BEDS | 7 BATHS | 11,500 SQ. FT. KATRINA BARRETT | 520-403-5270