PODCAST: 2021 TYFSF 14U All-Stars celebration at Frog & Firkin

PODCAST HIGHLIGHTS

• In the first part, interviews with TYFSF 14U All-Stars coach Clarence “Bam” McRae, who played tight end at Arizona from 2001 to 2004, retiring president Julius Holt, also a former Wildcat standout as a defensive tackle/linebacker, and standouts Roman Pit-Og, Sean Young, Justin Elder and Andrew Garza. In the interview with McRae, I suggested he look into being an analyst for Arizona football games either on radio or television. He certainly has the knowledge and the voice for it.
• In the second part, I interviewed line coach Kenny Golden, who is a former Tennessee Vols lineman who went on to serve for two decades in the U.S. Marine Corps. His son Kai was a Mountain View standout who played for McRae when McRae was the coach there. The elder Golden was also an assistant of McRae at Mountain View. Kai went on to play at New Mexico State before a heart condition forced him to retire from football. The Aggies still honored his scholarship.
• Pit-Og is headed to the 2022 AYF 8th Grade National All-Star Game at Las Vegas during Pro Bowl festivities with the game Feb. 5 at Bishop Gorman High School. The top 60 8th Grade AYF players will compete in an East vs West game. Fellow lineman Noah Banhie of the Tucson Jaguars is also slated to play in the game. Pit-Og played for the Oro Valley Dolphins, who normally serve as a feeder to CDO but he is moving with his family to Virginia after this school year because his father got a job there.
• CDO coach Dustin Peace has the potential to have eight of the all-stars play for his program next season. Other high schools that will likely have many of these all-stars: Mica Mountain 12, Cienega 10 and Buena five. Further reason to believe that Mica Mountain coach Pat Nugent will have one of the most competitive programs in the state within a couple of years.

TYFSF 14U All-Stars

Roster information provided by Tucson Youth Football & Spirit Federation

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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.