2026 High School Football

Si Charro! Football Report: Cholla above .500 at midway point of season for first time in a decade

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Cholla senior Damian Estrella battles for extra yards against Amphi (Gilbert Alcaraz/AllSportsTucson.com)

FINAL SCORE

Cholla 48, Amphitheater 7

The storylines were thick in this one. Former Amphi standout and assistant coach Roland Youngling, in his second year as Cholla’s head coach, led the Chargers to victory over his alma mater at Ed Brown Stadium. Youngling, who played for late legendary coach Vern Friedli, was not retained or promoted at Amphi when Jorge Mendivil retired after the conclusion of the 2024 season. He sought to fill the vacancy at Cholla and was hired by the Chargers. He brought with him longtime Amphi assistants David Watson, a former Arizona offensive lineman, and Moe Espinoza. Youngling coached Cholla at Amphi last year and that game ended prematurely because a brawl on the field resulted in ejections that left the Chargers without enough players to complete the game. Cholla lost by forfeit before the game reached halftime. The Chargers avenged that loss Friday and drenched Youngling with a Gatorade barrel of water afterward.

PHOTO GALLERY BY GILBERT ALCARAZ

FRIEDLI’S SPIRIT LIVES ON WITH YOUNGLING

Youngling was a senior linebacker/tight end at Amphi in 2011, one year before Friedli retired after 36 years of coaching.

Friedli was known as being a no-nonsense disciplinarian who got the most out of his players through his firm style. Because of Youngling’s young age at 33, he is more of a players’ coach.

He saw members of his team run toward the Gatorade barrel after the game and yelled at them to stop. They grabbed the barrel anyway and he became drenched.

Although he has that type of bond with his players, Youngling said he often catches himself sounding like Friedli during practice.

“Every once in a while, I’ll say things at practice and uh, ‘Oh, that’s what Friedli said, now I’m getting old,'” Youngling said with a laugh. “Friedli’s Friedli, and there’s only one of them. He had more in his pinky toe than I ever probably will. To be compared is an honor.

“I love Coach Friedli and I hope Mrs. Friedli is doing well.”

Youngling said he has a “soft spot” for Amphi (1-4) because he graduated there. Coaching against his alma mater is something he can deal with because “they’ve got what they’re doing and we’ve got what we’re doing,” he said.

“I’m happy, and I wish them the best of luck,” he added. “I wish them a great rest of the season here. Of course, beating them, especially after last year when we didn’t get to play the whole game, it was good. … But now, ‘Go Chargers,’ right?”

EARLY WAVE OF SUCCESS FOR YOUNGLING

Cholla’s winning record of 3-2 at the midway point of the regular season is the first time that has been accomplished since the 2017 season, when the Chargers started 3-2 en route to a 4-6 season under Ryan Scherling.

The Chargers are three wins away from achieving their first winning season since 2015, when they were 6-4 under Virgil Henderson. That’s the lone winning season for Cholla in the last 15 years.

Youngling is 7-8 through his first 15 games as Cholla’s coach. The Chargers were 7-23 in the three seasons before he arrived.

“Last year, we just had to teach them,” Youngling said of Cholla’s 4-6 season in his first year. “We always said Cholla has the talent, we just had to get them right. Last year, a couple of those games, we should have won, but we were still doing things that we need to do, but weren’t doing them to win.

“Tonight was good because that’s what we needed. We showed we can full do that and dominate and actually come out here and take care of the game.”

Youngling mentioned Cholla was averaging 40 to 50 players in the weight room, the best participation that the Chargers have seen in years.

The senior quarterback-running back captain combo of Damian Estrella and Dom Vurro is an example of the growth of the program under Youngling and his staff.

Estrella and Vurro endured a 1-9 season the year before Youngling was hired. Youngling is their third head coach at Cholla.

“It’s way more organized now,” said Estrella, who completed 8 of 11 attempts for 205 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions against Amphi. “We were individuals (in 2024) and now we’re team. We feel like we’ve come together a lot.

“Especially with the help of the coaches, we know they can lead and what they can do. The results are showing on the field. … Our freshman year we were 4-6 and we’re on track to beat that right now. It’s our goal and it’s been our desire to leave a legacy here at Cholla.”

Vurro, who rushed for 108 yards on 10 carries with two touchdowns, said the foundation for success was put in place in Youngling’s first year.

“They’re really able to bring us together and help us figure out what we need to work on with ourselves,” Vurro said of the coaching staff. “Last year, we were able to build it up, figure out what we needed to fix, and we came this year to dominate.”

ESTRELLA BECOMING A STAR

Estrella has passed for at least 200 yards in consecutive games for the first time since he was a sophomore.

Last week in a 24-20 win at Yuma Kofa, the mobile quarterback at 6-foot and 170 pounds passed for 226 and two touchdowns without an interceptions while completing 12 of 20 passes.

He is 35 of 59 for 676 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions. He has also rushed for 149 yards on 35 carries with three touchdowns.

“Last year, he was looking more to take off with his feet,” Youngling said. “We really challenged him in the offseason to work in that pocket, stepping up. … Now, he is keeping his eyes downfield, and you can see that maturation in his head. The football knowledge is continuing to grow.

“That’s just a testament to my coaches. (Espinoza) who does the quarterbacks, he’s with him every day and I think that process is really starting to show. I’m proud of (Estrella).”

Estrella said he has had to work out of his habit of being a run-first quarterback since playing youth football with the Tucson Redskins.

“Now, since we’re more organized, I have more trust in my line and I can step up and throw,” Estrella said. “I’ve been playing with these guys since middle school, so we have a bond and chemistry. I know what they can do and they know what I can do.”

RUNNING CLOCK SECOND HALF

Cholla’s Emilio Desantis (3) and William Heath corral an Amphi runner (Gilbert Alcaraz/AllSportsTucson.com)

After Cholla took a 42-7 lead into halftime, the clock kept running in the second half.

The Chargers established control on the opening possession of the game, going 84 yards on 11 plays in 6:10, culminating with Estrella’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Gonzalez.

After Vurro capped another scoring drive with a 10-yard touchdown run, Victor Rojo returned a fumble 16 yards for a touchdown with 11:52 left in the second quarter to give Cholla a 21-0 lead.

Rojo’s interception at Amphi 21 set up another score, a 21-yard touchdown pass of Estrella to Emilio Desantis with 10:03 remaining in the second quarter.

In Cholla’s next possession, a 23-yard run by Vurro and 34-yard pass from Estrella to Rojo set up Vurro’s 7-yard touchdown run, putting the Chargers ahead 35-0 with 7:20 left in the half.

Amphi finally responded with a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Joshua Tippins, but Cholla quickly answered with Estrella’s 80-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Moses Mboussau with 6:52 remaining in the half.

As well as Cholla played on offense, the Chargers were even better defensively, pitching a shut-out against the Amphi offense.

Amphi mustered only 63 yards of total offense, 44 on the ground and 19 via the pass.

NEXT WEEK

Cholla begins play in the 4A Gila with a home game against Empire (0-5) on Friday at 7 p.m. Empire has forfeited two games this season because of a lack of players, including Friday against Walden Grove.

Amphi opens its 4A Kino schedule at home against Catalina Foothills (1-4) on Friday at 7 p.m. The Falcons are coming off a 29-28 upset win over visiting Pueblo.

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