2023 Southern Arizona High School Football Spotlight: Cienega Bobcats

5A SOUTHERN — CIENEGA BOBCATS

2022 record: 5-5 overall, 4-1 in 5A Southern (first)

2023 record: 0-1 overall

Head coach: Justin Argraves, 13-10 third season at Cienega and 69-60 in his 14th season overall.

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Key returners:

• QB Evan Weber, 6-1, 185, Sr.
• RB/LB Jimmy McCormack, 5-11, 186, Sr.
• WR/DB James Kendryna, 5-11, 170, Sr.
• WR/DB Sean Cadena, 5-9, 155, Sr.
• LB Liam Moore, 6-2, 185, Jr.
• WR/DB Ari Dubin, 5-11, 165, Sr.
• WR/DB Manny Morales, 5-10, 175, Sr.

CIENEGA COACH JUSTIN ARGRAVES

CIENEGA WR/DB JAMES KENDRYNA

CIENEGA QB EVAN WEBER

Coaching staff:

• Head coach: Justin Argraves
• Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks: Louis Nightingale
• Running backs/JV head coach: Chris Blancarte
• Wide receivers: Demencio Solorzano
• Offensive line: Ryan Patterson
• Offensive assistant: Ovean Moore
• Defensive coordinator/linebackers: Bryan Lopez
• Defensive line: Marcos Vasquez
• Defensive backs: Reggie Walker
• Kickers/punters: Kevin McDonald
• Strength & conditioning coach: Steve Schween

Notes: Cienega suffered a 49-8 loss at Mesa Desert Ridge on Friday in the opener. RB Jimmy McCormack, younger brother of former Bobcat standout Richie McCormack, rushed for 65 yards on 12 carries. … Justin Argraves, a University of Arizona and Santa Rita High School graduate, was 53-43 in his 10 seasons at Tucson High before his hire at Cienega ahead of the 2021 season. His head coaching debut was in 2010 at Mountain View when he went 3-7. Argraves is the son of legendary Mike Argraves, who coached softball, volleyball, track and basketball for 32 years at Tucson, Cholla and Santa Rita before passing away in December 2016. Cholla named its auxiliary gym after Mike Argraves in a ceremony in June 2022. … Cienega is playing with heavy hearts this season after the sudden, unexpected passing of defensive backs coach Roy Perkins in early July. Reggie Walker is the new defensive backs coach. … Cienega is coming off a season in which it went 4-1 in the 5A Southern, winning the region title, but its 5-5 overall record prevented it from qualifying for the state playoffs based on power points. … In the last six seasons of full competition, Cienega is 26-2 in region play. … Argraves again has a difficult non-region schedule, starting with the game last week at Desert Ridge. The Bobcats host Paradise Valley on Friday. Paradise Valley was 8-2 last season with a 5A Central Valley title. They lost their opener Friday at Phoenix Central 61-21. Cienega then hosts Tucson High in a game that pits Argraves against the school where he previously coached.

Keep an eye out for: LB Liam Moore, a junior who had five tackles and a sack in Cienega’s game at Desert Ridge. Still developing and gaining strength at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds.

22. CIENEGA (3-3, 0-1)

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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 Sunnyside High School in the Sunnyside Unified School District