Here we are again, talking about the show. There is so much energy and hype surrounding high school football. It feels like the moment where parents can still cling to that hope their kid is going to be the next big thing. Some of these kids undoubtedly will be. There is always a next big thing. For me it is more about the journey and the steps my kid needs to take in order to get to the next level. Will he be the next big thing? That’s not up to me. He has some say in it. He needs to put in the work in order to maximize his opportunities. He definitely has opportunities now. With the new schedule out it is time to talk about what those opportunities look like.
Junior year kicks off with a battle against Cesar Chavez. The team went 7-3 last year, marking them as 13th in 6A. His school was 31st. On the surface this is a beat down. However, the two teams performed similarly against teams they both played. expect a close game here, with the history and the fact DV is on the road giving us the edge.
One of those teams both Chavez and DV played and lost to is Mountain Pointe. That team was loaded with talented seniors and a talented coaching staff. All of those things are gone now. MP will be competitive, but this is DV’s year. We start the year 2-0. We keep it rolling past a very bad Valley Vista team @home. By the time we face Mountain Ridge on the 18th we will be 3-0 and possibly 4-0 because MR is also a team in the rebuilding phase. However, they played a lot of good teams close. This could be the first L.
It is on to Westwood, a talented team with a strong incoming senior class. That game figures to be the second loss. ALA Queen Creek will be the 3rd. However, the skid should stop on 10.17 vs Casteel. Another loss, this time to Queen Creek, will be followed by wins vs. Tucson High and @ Corona Del Sol. That leads the team to a likely 6-4 record, which is leaps and bounds above a season where we didn’t win a single game.
Hope is in the air. The talent level on this DV squad is sporadic, but there are a few bright stars that ought to shine their way into the next level this year. I’m excited to see it happen.