ALLSPORTSTUCSON.COM CONTINUES ITS 50 POSTS FOR THE 50-DAY COUNTDOWN TO THE 2025 SEASON THAT STARTS AUG. 22 FOR SOME SCHOOLS WITH A LOOK AT THE TOP LOCAL PLAYERS WHO LEFT THE AREA TO ATTEND COLLEGE. CATCH UP WITH ALL THE POSTS BY CLICKING HERE.
The All-Southern Arizona team (years played in high school in parentheses) who left town for college over the last 50 years:
Current players in college in bold
OFFENSE
QB: Rodney Peete, Sahuaro (1980-82)/USC — Went on to 16-year NFL career
RB: Bijan Robinson, Salpointe (2017-20)/Texas — Two-time Doherty Award winner, state-record 7,036 career rushing yards
RB: Mario Bates, Amphi (1987-90)/Arizona State– Set state record with 2,740 yards as a senior
RB: Jon Volpe, Amphi (1982-85)/Stanford — Senior All-American rushed for 1,780 yards that year
WR: John Mistler, Sahuaro (1973-76)/Arizona State — Caught 21 passes in a game vs. Sabino as junior
WR: Brian Poli-Dixon, Sabino (1993-96)/UCLA –PrepStar All-American as a senior
WR: Dezmen Roebuck, Marana (2021-24)/Washington — Doherty Award winner/Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year
TE: Matt Bushman, Sabino (2011-14)/BYU — Parade All-American as senior
OL: Mike Saffer, Sabino (1994-97)/UCLA — USA Today All American first-team selection as a senior
OL: Kevin Thomas, CDO (1979-82)/Arizona State — Starting center on ASU’s Rose Bowl championship team
OL: Danny Villa, Nogales (1979-82)/Arizona State — Finished college career as consensus All-American
OL: Kris O’Dowd, Salpointe (2004-07)/USC — Became All-Pac-10 selection at USC
Current players in college in bold
DEFENSE
DL: Elijah Rushing, Salpointe (2021-24)/Oregon — 216 tackles (42 for loss) with 32.5 sacks in career with Lancers
DL: John Romero, Salpointe (2002-05)/Nevada — Two-time all-state selection
LB: Riki (Gray) Ellison, Amphi (1975-78)/USC — Parade All-American as a senior
LB: Blake Martinez, CDO (2008-11)/Stanford — Set CDO record with 18 tackles in a game
LB Osia Lewis, Tucson (1978-81)/Oregon State — Became All-Pac-10 player and longtime coach
LB Jon McGee, Amphi (1988-91)/USC and Oklahoma — Prep All-American as a senior
LB Jake Casteel, Salpointe (2011-13)/Northern Arizona — Recorded 167 tackles and 12 sacks in last two years at Salpointe
DB: Steve Doolittle, Amphi (1974-77)/Colorado — Went on to play in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills
DB: Lathan Ransom, Salpointe (2016-19)/Ohio State — 188 tackles and 11 interceptions in Lancer career
DB: Levi Wallace, Tucson (2010-13)/Alabama — Walk-on became two-time national champ at Alabama
DB: Derick Bush, Salpointe (2014-17)/Coastal Carolina — Went on to be four-year starter at Coastal Carolina
SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Cole Ford, Sabino (1992-95)/USC — Led Sabercats to state title senior year
P: Luke Holley, Cienega (2009-12)/Navy — All-state first-team punter as a junior
RET: Terrell Hayward, Cienega (2015-18)/Northern Arizona — Nine punt/kickoff returns for TDs in Cienega career
HONORABLE MENTION
Current players in bold
PK Luis Aguilar, Nogales/Northern Arizona
LB Rick Avelar III, Walden Grove/Dayton
RB Omar Bacon, Sahuaro/Utah
WR Shamar Berryhill, Sabino/New Mexico Military Institute
QB Jovoni Borbon, Buena/UMass (long snapper)
QB Trenton Bourguet, Marana/Arizona State
QB Treyson Bourguet, Salpointe/BYU
OL Ian Brinker, Salpointe/Oregon State
OL Kyle Calloway, Cienega/Iowa
WR Jack Darlington, Salpointe/Nevada
DE Keona Davis, Salpointe/Nebraska
WR Eric Drage, Santa Rita/BYU
OL Jack Endean, Tanque Verde/Oklahoma State
DL Marcus Edwards, Sabino/Navy
LB Rollie Escarcega, Catalina Foothills
OL Bruno Fina, Salpointe/UCLA and Duke
OL Roman Fina, Salpointe/Duke
RB Mitch Fischer, Ironwood Ridge/Pima College
RB Sean Fitzsimmons, Empire
OL Travis Fister, Salpointe/SMU
QB Ryan Fontaine, Pusch Ridge/Northern Arizona
PK Kyah Francone, Salpointe/New Mexico State
LB Daniel Gonzales, Cienega/Navy
RB Ty Grigsby, Rincon/University
QB Cameron Hackworth, Sabino/Lake Forest
LB Anthony Henderson, Salpointe/Idaho State
WR JJ Holiday, Santa Rita/Arizona State
RB Chris Hopkins, Salpointe/Arizona State
QB/WR Jamarye Joiner, Cienega/Arizona and Jacksonville State
TE Cody Jones, Sabino/California
OL John Kadous, Salpointe/Notre Dame
DE Jimmy Leon, Mica Mountain/UTEP
WR Steve Martin, Sahuaro/Arizona State
OL Matteo Mele, Salpointe/Washington
OL Andrew Mike, Sabino/Florida and Rice
OL Jonah Miller, Salpointe/Oregon and UTSA
QB Bubba Mustain, Pusch Ridge/United States Merchant Marine Academy
LS Trey Naughton, Salpointe/Western Kentucky and Arizona
WR Keanu Nelson, Sabino/Stanford
PK Tyler Nolan, Pusch Ridge/Northern Arizona
DB Donovan Olumba, Salpointe Catholic/Portland State
RB Mario Padilla, Salpointe/Ole Miss
TE Daniel Peabody, Ironwood Ridge/New Mexico
DB Brandon Perkins, Desert View/Western New Mexico
WR Edgar Poe, Cienega/Army
LB Taylor Powell, Salpointe/Northern Arizona
WR Josh Robbins, CDO/Arizona and Adams State
QB Reggie Robertson, Sahuaro/California
RB Stevie Rocker, CDO/Arizona and Montana
QB Rhett Rodriguez, Catalina Foothills/Arizona and Louisiana-Monroe
DB Jalen Rogers, Cienega/Hawaii
OL Antonio Rosales, Tucson/San Diego State
RB Philo Sanchez, Sunnyside/Pima College and Northern Arizona
WR Spencer Schuller, Bisbee
QB AJ Skaggs, Sabino/Colorado State-Pueblo and Fort Lewis (Colo.)
DB Cole Sterns, Sahuaro/Northern Arizona and SMU
LB Trent Strong, Salpointe/SMU
LB Aaron Tevis, CDO/Boise State
QB Bobby Valdez, Sunnyside/Arizona State
RB Manny Vera, Cienega/Phoenix College
OL Will Way, Pusch Ridge/Weber State
WR Ty Williams, Ironwood Ridge/Air Force
RB Willie Willis, Cienega
DL Sa’Kylee Woodard, CDO/New Mexico
RB Cody Woody, Empire
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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 in 2016 and is presently a special education teacher at Sunnyside High School in the Sunnyside Unified School District.
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