2026 High School Football

Si Charro! Pigskin Report: Desert View continues its rise under Bonillas, claim first El Sol Cup against rival Sunnyside

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FINAL SCORE

Desert View 41, Sunnyside 12

The first El Sol Cup goes to Desert View. In the 24th renewal of the Duel in the District rivalry between the Jaguars and Sunnyside, the Sunnyside Unified School District is presenting the winning team with the Cup trophy much like the Territorial Cup goes to the winner between Arizona State and Arizona. The victory is Desert View’s 17th straight in the regular season, starting with the season-ending victory at Sunnyside in 2024. Desert View is 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the 5A Southern. Sunnyside is 2-4 and 1-1.

Desert View coach Robert Bonillas holds the El Sol Cup trophy the Jaguars earned by beating Sunnyside; his standout running back/linebacker Greg McKinstry III is holding the MVP award (Javier Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)

GAME STORY BY SABIAN BERMUDEZ:

JAGUARS ON THE INCLINE THIS CENTURY

Since the turn of the century, Desert View’s win totals by decade have increased with the last six years (2020 to 2026) showing a drastic increase. From 2000 to 2009, the win total was 20 games, an average of two a year. From 2010 to 2019, that increased to 32 (3.2 a year) and from 2020 to now, the victories are 40 with four games remaining in the regular season, potentially four in the playoffs, and then the 2027, 2028 and 2029 seasons to follow. The victory average a year could more than double from the previous decade when the 2020s are done.

The reason behind the change is the culture head coach Robert Bonillas and his assistant coaches have instilled in the players, developed from their bond in youth football. The Southwest Rams, who once had Sunnyside as their base, have shifted their operations to Desert View in recent years.

That continuity and bond, in addition to a high talent level and effective coaching, have made Desert View a formidable program.

“I’m proud of the work they put in,” Bonillas said of his players, “the assistant coaches, and the families that support us. It’s a feel-good season, but at the same time, it just feels that it is still not complete.”

That’s Bonillas in a nutshell — a no-days-off mentality to get the players to outwork the competition and reach excellence, all within the team concept.

Like many of Dick Tomey’s former players at Arizona, Bonillas brings up, “the team, the team, the team …” to the Jaguars and his staff to accentuate the purpose of them running on the field every Thursday or Friday.

PHOTO GALLERY BY GILBERT ALCARAZ

DOWAYEE & MCKINSTRY FILLING THE VOID ADMIRABLY

When star junior running back Jaylee Abraham decided to transfer to Peoria Centennial during the summer to conclude his high school career, the thought existed by some in Southern Arizona that Desert View would suffer a decline.

Obviously, that has not materialized.

Duel in the District MVP Greg McKinstry III, a junior, and senior standout Desmond Dowayee have adequately filled the void left by Abraham’s departure.

McKinstry rushed for 76 yards on carries, which included a 65-yard touchdown run in the second half against Sunnyside.

Dowayee gained 78 yards on seven rushes and had touchdown runs of 8, 14 and 33 yards in addition to a 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown (in which he was untouched) on the first play of the game.

“One guy leaves, next guy up,” Dowayee said. “We’ve been having that mentality. There were some doubters. We just have to prove them wrong.”

McKinstry, who earned the MVP with his balanced game with multiple tackles as a linebacker, indicated that he, Dowayee and Keanu Romero (out with an injury) have taken their game to another level to make up for the loss of Abraham.

“After we lost Jaylee, everyone that we were going to go down,” McKinstry said. “But we only went up from there. We’ve got a phenomenal running back room. One of our running backs (Romero) is out right now.

“We’ve just got to wait for him to come back and release it all on all the other teams we’ll be playing this year.”

Dowayee (419 yards) and McKinstry (347) have combined for 766 yards on 65 carries, an incredible average of 11.8 yards a carry. Romero, more of a situational back, has 95 yards on 15 carries with three touchdowns.

MCKINSTRY HOPES TO FOLLOW IN DAD’S FOOTSTEPS

Greg McKinstry II coached at Catalina and Catalina Foothills before taking on the challenge at Empire this season.

He said he is trying to coach the Ravens through a lack of participants resulting from injuries and eligibility issues, but he keeps plugging away searching for positives much like he did at Catalina.

He also coaches his son after Desert View’s practices and games, providing analysis and suggestions any player would want from a former Division I players. The elder McKinstry played as a defensive back at Ohio University and Northern Iowa during his collegiate career.

“I get the knowledge from him,” said the younger McKinstry, who played for his dad at Catalina Foothills when he was a freshman. “He teaches everything I know. He went to college and he gave me the tools he learned in college.”

McKinstry attended Bill Belichick’s camp at North Carolina during the summer.

“It was a pretty good experience to see all the competition from out of state,” he said. “I did good out there.”

DESERT VIEW OVERCOMES SUBPAR GAME BY QB

Although Desert View junior Andrew Godoy struggled more than he has in any game this year, the Jaguars still won by four touchdowns.

Godoy, the reigning APS Digital Print/Frog & Firkin Player of the Week, completed 9 of 15 attempts for a season-low 65 yards against the Blue Devils. He was averaging 215 yards passing a game.

Backup quarterback Rasheed Martin, a former standout at Sahuarita, was eligible for his first game after sitting out the first five games per AIA transfer rules. He completed his lone attempt for 26 yards late in the fourth quarter to Anthony Rodarte.

Rodarte, a budding talent as a sophomore, finished with five receptions for 60 yards.

Bonillas anticipates Godoy will bounce back strong the rest of the way because of the expectations involved between the coaches and the players and within the players themselves.

“Holding them accountable,” Bonillas said when asked how his players keep their edge in the midst of the program’s 17-game winning streak in regular season games. “Holding everybody accountable from the littlest things to, ‘Get your hand on the line,’ at practice.

“Push day in and day out. They’re responding. The good thing is we’re bringing them together, a little closer every single day and we’ll go from there.”

BROTHERLY LOVE

A touching moment occurred when Desert View ran on to the field for the first time. Lineman Esteban Ortiz was greeted by his brother Isaiah, wearing his U.S. Naval Academy uniform, after Isaiah darted through the running Jaguars to get to Esteban. They embraced for a few seconds before Esteban rejoined his teammates to prepare for the game. Isaiah remained on the sidelines as an honorary coach. Their father is on Bonillas’ staff.

NEXT WEEK

Desert View will visit Nogales, Bonillas’ alma mater, next Friday at 7 p.m.

Sunnyside will host Cienega next Friday at 7 p.m.

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