2023 High School Football

2023 Southern Arizona High School Football Spotlight: Walden Grove Red Wolves


4A KINO — WALDEN GROVE

2022 record: 8-2 overall, 5-0 in 4A Gila (champion)

2023 record: 0-2 overall

Head coach: Corey Noble, 41-20, seventh year at Walden Grove and overall.

Walden Grove coach Corey Noble is in his seventh year as the Red Wolves’ new coach (Stephanie van Latum/Special to AllSportsTucson.com)

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Key returners:

  • WR/CB Paul Guy, 5-11, 150, Sr.
  • QB Gabriel Smith, 5-9, 170, Sr.
  • WR/CB Skyler Allen, 5-9, 160, Sr.
  • WR Jayvon Coleman, Jr.
  • LB Carlos Montoya Jr., 5-9. 205, Jr.
  • RB/LB Robert Cash III, 5-10, 195, Jr.
  • DE AJ Gonzalez, 5-11, 230, Sr.
  • OT/OG Sebastian Garcia-Ontiveros, 6-3, 285
  • WR/SS Eduard Lopez, 5-7, 165, Sr.
  • LB/RB Jayden Bitton, 6-1, 200, Sr.

WALDEN GROVE COACH COREY NOBLE

WALDEN GROVE QB GABRIEL SMITH

WALDEN GROVE WR PAUL GUY

Notes: Corey Noble, a Sahuarita alum, also serves as a social studies teacher at Walden Grove. Noble was named the interim coach heading into the 2017 season after Chris May submitted his resignation a month before fall practice started that season. The interim tag was removed five games into the season when the Red Wolves started 4-1, more wins than what the program achieved in 2016 (3-7 record). …Walden Grove’s rivalry game with Sahuarita is on indefinite hold. The Red Wolves moved from 4A Gila to 4A Kino in the offseason. Walden Grove’s 56-7 win over the Mustangs last season marked the first time the two varsity programs faced each other in the regular season since an on-field fight in 2015. … QB Gabriel Smith has passed for 494 yards in the first two games this season while completing 33 of 54 pass attempts with five touchdowns and one interception. His career totals in three varsity seasons: 3,642 yards, 246 completions, 373 attempts (66 percent completion percentage), 39 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He is approaching Alex Lopez’s school record of 5,062 yards achieved from 2017 to 2019. … WR Paul Guy is working his way back from an ACL tear in the final game of last season. He has eight catches with 133 yards in the two games this season after compiling 59 catches for 1,004 yards last year. He had 13 receiving touchdowns last season and already has two this year. … RB Robert Cash III and Walden Grove’s running game looking to get on track. He rushed for 604 yards last season and has 85 through two games this year.

Keep an eye out for: LB Carlos Montoya Jr., 5-9 and 205. Coaches selected him to the All-Class 4A second team and to the All-4A Gila first team last season. Also the 4A Gila Defensive Player of the Year. He tallied 85 tackles, including 15.5 for loss, last season. He also had 1.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hurries. Through two games this season, he has 23 tackles, including 7.5 for loss.

WALDEN GROVE

Head coach: Corey Noble (47-23, eighth year at Walden Grove and overall)

Red Wolves compete in the 4A Kino. *Region games. Games at 7 p.m.
DateOpponentW/LWGOpp
8/30Northwest Christian------
9/6at Arcadia------
9/20at Cienega------
9/27at Desert View------
10/4Mountain View------
10/11at Sahuaro*------
10/18at Pueblo*------
10/25Catalina Foothills*------
11/1Mica Mountain*------
11/8Canyon del Oro*------

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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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