4A GILA — SAHUARITA
2022 record: 0-10 overall, 0-5 in 4A Gila (sixth)
2023 record: 1-1 overall
Head coach: Jake Price, 2-19 third year at Sahuarita and overall.
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Key returners:
- QB Raul Velez, Jr.
- RB/LB Hayden Niedt, Sr.
- WR/DB Carlos Martinez, Jr.
- RB/DB Santiago Caudillo, Sr.
- OL/DL Keymon Hollis, Sr.
- WR/DB Alden Fox, Jr.
- OL/DL Wyatt Dahl, Sr.
- WR/DB Andrew Riley, Sr.
- RB/DE Malcolm Williams, Sr.
SAHUARITA COACH JAKE PRICE
Sahuarita head coach Jake Price has built a culture based on selfless servitude and he is seeing results in practice ahead of the first game of the season at Alhambra on Friday. @AllSportsTucson @SahuaritaFB pic.twitter.com/O9InOwWUhX
— Kevin Murphy (@KevinMurfee) August 24, 2023
OL/DL KEYMON HOLLIS
Sahuarita senior defensive end and offensive lineman Keymon Hollis embraces his leadership role in his second season playing football. I spoke with him and the team before a scrimmage against Nogales last week. @AllSportsTucson @SahuaritaFB pic.twitter.com/4iGnEACFdQ
— Kevin Murphy (@KevinMurfee) August 24, 2023
RB/DE MALCOLM WILLIAMS
Senior fullback and defensive lineman Malcolm Williams said the practices so far this season have a different feel from last season. @AllSportsTucson @SahuaritaFB pic.twitter.com/7LvmBMrnp6
— Kevin Murphy (@KevinMurfee) August 24, 2023
RB/DB SANTIAGO CAUDILLO
Senior fullback and defensive lineman Malcolm Williams said the practices so far this season have a different feel from last season. @AllSportsTucson @SahuaritaFB pic.twitter.com/7LvmBMrnp6
— Kevin Murphy (@KevinMurfee) August 24, 2023
OL/DL WYATT DAHL
Sahuarita senior offensive lineman and defensive end Wyatt Dahl reflects on what he learned from last season and the recently renewed rivalry with Walden Grive being put on hold. @AllSportsTucson @SahuaritaFB pic.twitter.com/Yg97FrIey7
— Kevin Murphy (@KevinMurfee) August 24, 2023
RB/LB HAYDEN NIEDT
Sahuarita senior linebacker and running back Hayden Niedt is excited about the revamped offense ahead of the season opener on Friday at Alhambra-Phoenix. @AllSportsTucson @SahuaritaFB pic.twitter.com/Wr6dKU5IIo
— Kevin Murphy (@KevinMurfee) August 24, 2023
Notes: Jake Price took over at Sahuarita in 2021 after Don Watt departed after three seasons. A student at Northwestern State at Natchitoches, La., Price relocated to Tucson and attended Arizona to live closer to his mom’s family that resided in Douglas. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Education at Arizona in 2004 and became an assistant coach at the high school level. Price has coached under the likes of Gary Minor, who made Ironwood Ridge a winning program from scratch after it opened in 2001, Andy Litten at Marana and Matt Johnson at Mountain View. Price left Tucson in 2018 because his wife Kiki’s employment took her to Dallas. He experienced the spectacle of high school football in Texas, serving as an assistant at Community High School there. A year later, he and Kiki and daughter Cyra were forced to move back to Tucson because of health reasons within his family. … Sahuarita is in the second year in the 4A Gila after previously competing in the 3A South. … Sahuarita’s rivalry with Walden Grove 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. … Sahuarita’s defense has been impressive through the first two games. Seven different players are in double-digit tackles this season and the Mustangs have combined for seven sacks. … Senior DE Keymon Hollis leads the team with 19 tackles, five tackles for loss and three sacks. … Sahuarita hosts Maricopa and plays at Flowing Wells before beginning region play Sept. 29 at home against Empire.
Keep an eye out for: RB/LB William Thwaits, 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, sophomore. Thwaits has 11 tackles, three for loss, through the first two games.
SAHUARITA
Head coach: Jake Allen (first year at Sahuarita, 15-15, fifth year overall).Mustangs compete in the 4A Gila. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
Date | Opponent | W/L | Ovr | Reg |
---|---|---|---|---|
8/30 | Alhambra | -- | -- | -- |
9/6 | at Deer Valley | -- | -- | -- |
9/13 | at Maricopa | -- | -- | -- |
9/20 | Flowing Wells | -- | -- | -- |
10/4 | at Empire* | -- | -- | -- |
10/11 | at Rio Rico* | -- | -- | -- |
10/18 | Cholla* | -- | -- | -- |
10/25 | at Rincon/University* | -- | -- | -- |
11/1 | Amphi* | -- | -- | -- |
11/8 | Douglas* | -- | -- | -- |
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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