4A GILA — DOUGLAS
2022 record: 4-6 overall, 1-4 in the 4A Kino (fifth)
2023 record: 1-1 overall
Head coach: Hunter Long, 10-21, fifth year at Douglas and overall.
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Key returners:
- ATH Emiliano Berthely, 5-9, 155, Sr.
- QB Ivan Higuera, 5-7, 145, Soph.
- TE/DE Isaac Higuera, 6-2, 235, Sr.
- OL/DL Luis Bacaparra, 5-8, 220, Sr.
- OL/DL Jovan Valenzuela, 5-11, 255, Sr.
- ATH Justin Hurtado, 5-6, 140, Soph.
- WR/DB Luis Castillo, 5-8, 150, Sr.
PODCAST WITH DOUGLAS COACH HUNTER LONG, DE/TE ISAAC HIGUERA & ATHLETE EMILIANO BERTHELY
Notes: Hunter Long returned to his alma mater to become the head coach in 2019. Hunter, 30, was a three-year starter for Douglas as a fullback and linebacker during his varsity career from 2007-10. After being an all-state selection as a senior, Long played at Victor Valley College in Victorville (Calif.) before playing his last season as a walk-on defensive lineman with the Wildcats in 2014 when they won the Pac-12 South title under coach Rich Rodriguez. … Douglas is in search of its first winning season on the field since 2011, when it finished 7-3 under Dick Keith. The Bulldogs were 8-2 in 2018 but they had to forfeit six of the wins because of the use of ineligible players. … Douglas won the 154th meeting with Bisbee 39-38 last week at home. The Bulldogs lead the series 82-64-8 since it began in 1906 at the old Don Luis Park in Bisbee. Douglas has defeated Bisbee three consecutive years after the Pumas kept The Pick in six of the previous nine years. … ATH Emiliano Berthely will make a college coach happy starting next season. The Berthely can leap and dive to catch any ball thrown in a 5-yard radius around him, he is fast and he is hard to track down and tackle. He is coming off a junior season in which he had 817 rushing yards and 619 receiving yards. As a defensive back, he also tallied 37 tackles and two interceptions. … DE/TE Isaac Higuera is one of the most physically imposing players in Southern Arizona at 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds. One of his best maneuvers is the stiff arm, which makes it even more difficult for defenders to bring him down. He averaged 22.9 yards a reception last season (15 receptions for 343 yards).
Keep an eye out for: QB Ivan Higuera, a sophomore who is Isaac’s cousin, is in position to be a three-year varsity starter at Douglas. He played sparingly last year behind Aiden Rodriguez, who exhausted his eligibility. Higuera scored on a 34-yard run for the Bulldogs’ final touchdown in their victory over Bisbee last week. He ran for 118 yards on 17 carries and the three TDs.
34. DOUGLAS (3-4, 2-1)
Head coach: Hunter LongBulldogs compete in the 4A Gila. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | Ovr | Reg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/25 | at ALA - Ironwood | L, 28-2 | 0-1 | 0-0 |
| 9/1 | Bisbee | W, 39-38 | 1-1 | 0-0 |
| 9/8 | Sahuaro | L, 48-29 | 1-2 | 0-0 |
| 9/15 | at Ironwood Ridge | L, 47-14 | 1-3 | 0-0 |
| 9/22 | at Empire* | W, 34-21 | 2-3 | 1-0 |
| 9/29 | at Amphi* | L, 47-14 | 2-4 | 1-1 |
| 10/6 | Cholla* | W, 41-0 | 3-4 | 2-1 |
| 10/13 | Rio Rico* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/27 | at Rincon/University* | -- | -- | -- |
| 11/03 | Sahuarita* | -- | -- | -- |
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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
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