4A Kino: Canyon del Oro
2020 record: 3-1 before COVID-19 protocol shut down the season, 18-8 the last three seasons.
Head coach: Dustin Peace, 88-42, 13th season at CDO and overall. Peace is a former Flowing Wells and NAU standout who led the Dorados to the 2009 state championship with a team that had Ka’Deem Carey, Jared Tevis and Josh Robbins. The Dorados went 14-0 that year and then 13-1 the following year, losing only to Scottsdale Saguaro in the state championship game.
Key returners:
- WR/CB Daylon Beck, 5-10, 155, Jr.
- QB/DE Jose Zazueta, 6-1, 248, Sr.
- DE/TE J.J. Armenta, 5-11, 192, Sr.
- DT/OT Christian Holman, 6-1, 280, Sr.
- DT/OT Sa’Kylee Woodard, 6-3, 300, Soph.
- DE/OT Donovan Rodriguez, 6-1, 200, Sr.
Coaching staff:
- Head coach/offensive coordinator: Dustin Peace
- Defensive coordinator/defensive line: Eric Rossi
- Quarterbacks/strong safeties: Matt Powell
- Offensive line: Jordan Hitchye
- Wide receivers: John Vallejos
- Cornerbacks: Jody Basye
- Safeties: Andy Basye
- Linebackers: Dylan Peace
Notes: Aside from Cienega, CDO was the hardest hit from players graduating after last season. The list includes RB Stevie Rocker Jr. (now standing out at Arizona), QB Montana Neustadter, DT Chase Randall, S Ethan Seppala and CB Raife Anthony. … The Dorados feature high-profile Class of 2024 lineman Sa’Kylee Woodard, who already has a scholarship offer from Arizona and has taken an unofficial visit of USC. … Woodard’s former Tucson Youth Football & Spirit Federation 14U All-Star teammate Kayden Luke, another budding prospect as a running back and linebacker, is a sophomore who transferred from Catalina Foothills. Luke, 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, must sit for half of CDO’s regular-season games per AIA transfer rules. The first game of which he will be eligible will be Oct. 8 at home against Peoria. … The Dorados will utilize senior PK Nikki Basye on PATs. Basye, daughter of CDO assistant coach Jody Basye, has a soccer and basketball background. … CDO opens at Salpointe in an anticipated matchup Sept. 3. The Dorados play three non-region games against schools outside of Southern Arizona — at home against Apache Junction (Sept. 10), at Poston Butte (Sept. 17) and against Peoria.
Schedule:
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon. He became an educator five years ago and is presently a special education teacher at Gallego Fine Arts Intermediate in the Sunnyside Unified School District
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