Arizona

Arizona HS football roundup: Brophy, Horizon, Mountain Pointe post wins

Published

1 year ago

September 28, 2024

Press Room

Arizona HS football roundup: Brophy, Horizon, Mountain Pointe post wins

azcentral sports
| Arizona Republic

Here is a roundup of key high school football games covered by The Arizona Republic’s sports staff on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.

Brophy routs Notre Dame in battle of unbeatens

By Mohana Holloway

A shutout game between two 4-0 teams saw the 6A Brophy Broncos top the 5A Notre Dame Prep Saints and further establish themselves as top contender for the Open Division playoff with a 40-0 win.

Key plays

Brophy first found the scoreboard with a rushing touchdown by quarterback Case Vanden Bosch. At 7:55, Brophy linebacker Dominic Woods earned a safety to make the score 9-0.

A 61-yard run by wide receiver Devin Fitzgerald brought the Broncos up to the 15-yard line. Vanden Bosch, behind the help from his O-line, struck again with a second rushing touchdown just before the end of the first quarter with the score 16-0 Brophy.

The second quarter started with yet another Broncos touchdown – a 35-yard run by running back Harrison Chambers. Two minutes later, Brophy running back Carlos Estrada scored again, to widen the lead to 30-0. Once again, with the help of the Broncos’ offensive line, Vanden Bosch struck once more, with a successful pass to wide receiver Fitzgerald, who ran for a 29-yard touchdown. The quarter ended Broncos 37,- Saints 0.

The Saints showed a brief sign of life two-thirds of the way through the third quarter with an interception by Dylan Lavinia. Nothing came of it, though, and a running clock commenced. Brophy scored once again, capping off the game with a 30-yard field goal by kicker Ryder Hampton.

Key players

Broncos QB Case Vanden Bosch: Accounted for five TDs total rushing and passing; Broncos WR Devin Fitzgerald: 1 TD; Broncos RB Carlos Estrada: 1 TD

Quotes:

“We have weapons on the outside… but it really comes to our offensive line though. They’re paving the way for what we really want to accomplish. Not just for the offense, but it’s for the rest of the team.” – Brophy Prep Broncos Head Coach Jason Jewell

“We have the best O-line in the state, and I can just rely on them and my receivers to make it easy for me.” – Brophy Prep Broncos Quarterback Case Vanden Bosch

“If it wasn’t for the O-line, we wouldn’t be 5-0 right now. Their ability to protect the quarterback, and influence a great run game, makes our receivers and running backs thrive.” – Brophy Prep Broncos Running Back Carlos Estrada

Next up:

Brophy (5-0) will take on Basha (4-1) on Oct. 4, in a battle of top 6A teams. Notre Dame (4-1) has a bye week then will host the Horizon Huskies (4-1) on Oct. 11.

Horizon offense rolls in win over Millennium

By Howard Schlossberg

Horizon is doing just fine, thank you.

Rebounding nicely from what could’ve been a hangover defeat, the Huskies piled up 457 yards of total offense and scored a 38-8 win Friday night over visiting Millennium, moving to 4-1 in the process.

Head coach Tyson Ditmore admitted he had a slight twinge inside over how his team might respond after last week’s difficult loss to Pinnacle, but his Huskies laid that to rest immediately and authoritatively. On their first possession, they held the ball almost six minutes and ran 15 plays before Johnny Issitt bolted over from 3 yards out and Ryker Floyd put the exclamation point on it with a 2-point conversion run.

The rout was on.

Key plays

Issitt paced the thumping, gaining 155 yards, but everyone pitched in, especially the defense. Millennium only snapped the ball on Horizon’s side of the 50 once in the first half, so dominant was the Huskies D. And that snap, early in the second quarter, resulted in a Colton Becker leaping interception of a Donovan DeLong pass into the end zone.

Two plays later, Horizon was on the board again, this time on speedy Adam Wagner’s catch and run of 80 yards of a Jase Ashley perfectly tossed easy post.

Was there anything Horizon would do wrong? Not really. It was 21-0 by halftime as Floyd added two field goals, easily hitting from 30 and 32, the latter as time expired in the second quarter.

The second half was a carbon copy, except throw in Issitt’s 56-yard dash for a score. Millennium finally scored on Isaiah Whitfield’s 59-yard dash in the closing minute against Horizon’s No. 2 defense.

Key players

Issitt was the standout, with 155 yards on 18 carries. Ashley threw for 193 more on 12 of 23, including the TD to Wagner. Jordan Partridge, had 52 yards on five carries and two receptions for 20 more. Horizon’s defense chased alternating quarterbacks for Millennium all over, recording 10 tackles for loss and limiting the Tigers to 131 total yards, 59 on Whitfield’s late TD run.

Key quotes

“I’m really pleased with how we played, how the defense played,” Ditmore said. “We need to continue to get healthy,” and clean up the 11 penalties for 105 yards. He also noted the team has a ”gauntlet” of a schedule after next week’s bye.

Up next

Horizon is at Notre Dame on Oct. 11 after next week’s bye. Millennium is home to Desert Edge next Friday.

Mountain Pointe defeats Cesar Chavez in chippy contest

By Anthony Perez

Laveen Cesar Chavez came into Friday night’s Week 5 contest looking for a signature win against a Phoenix Mountain Pointe program that’s become a rival of sorts to them. Mountain Pointe though was ready to make a statement and they certainly did, picking up 13 points off of turnovers in the first quarter en route to a comfortable 43-13 home win that proved to be a chippy, penalty-filled game.

Key plays

With Cesar Chavez moving down the field on its opening drive of the game, Mountain Pointe set the tone for the night when junior linebacker Jaylyn Colter picked off a pass around midfield, he took it back the other way for the touchdown to give his team an early 7-0 lead and the early momentum, both of which it would not give up the rest of the night.

Key players

Mountain Pointe never surrendered the lead and momentum in large part to Jamarlon “Bobo” Otis. The senior running back had an impressive game, scoring four touchdowns, including a 54-yard run early in the second quarter that gave his team a comfortable 19-0 cushion.

Cesar Chavez’ biggest attempt to get back into the game came with 8:09 left in the first half when sophomore quarterback Mason Penrod had a one-yard run into the end zone to cut the Mountain Pointe lead to 19-7.

Key quote

“We started out rocky the first couple of games but we just had to get it right to make the plays that can work for me and that’s really it.” – Bobo Otis on his progression over the first half of the season

Next up

Cesar Chavez (3-2) hosts Mesa Desert Ridge next Thursday, while Mountain Pointe (4-1) visits American Leadership Academy-Queen Creek next Friday.

Arizona College Prep downs Yuma Catholic

By Jackson Shaw

Summary

Arizona College Prep receiver Ashton Sanchez caught three touchdowns and led the Knights to a 43-29 win at home against the Yuma Catholic Shamrocks Friday.

Key Plays

On fourth down of the Knights’ opening possession, Evan Heinrich found Sanchez down the middle to put ACP up early.

Alec Grant broke free for a big gain that set the Knights up at the one-yard line, then finished off the drive with a touchdown. Knights went up 14-0 in the first. Nash Ott got things going early in the second for the Shamrocks with a 26-yard pass placed right in the arms of WR Sir Stokes in the end zone.

With three minutes to play in the half, Yuma’s Hunter Hancock returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. Then Max Sasso decided he wanted in on the fun and did the exact same thing on the very next kickoff for the Knights. 99-yard house call.

Sanchez caught his second touchdown of the night to end the half off a perfect ball from Ott. The halftime score read 36-14.

A huge connection from Ott to Sir Stokes set up the Shamrocks at the four-yard line, which Rocky Stallworth turned into a touchdown on a short pass.

But Ashton Sanchez was not done yet. He caught a short pass from Heinrich and took it 43 yards to the end zone for his third touchdown of the day.

The Shamrocks would find the end zone one last time off of a 20-yard throw to Stokes once again.

Key Players

Ashton Sanchez was huge for the ACP Knights, finding the end zone three times. Evan Heinrich connected on big throws deep all game and rushed in a touchdown to add to his two through the air.

Despite the loss, Sir Stokes caught two touchdown passes on the night for the Shamrocks, his second and third for the year.

Quotes

“Our players were extremely motivated. [Yuma] got us in a close game down at their place last year, so some of our message was kind of getting revenge from last year’s game.” – ACP head coach Steve Vaught

“The mindset was honestly just to dominate. Not let their name get to us. They’re a great team, obviously, but we just wanted to play a hard game, do our thing. We worked hard in practice all week long and that translated to the game.” – ACP receiver Ashton Sanchez

Next Up

AZC Prep will travel to Vista Grandebfor a region matchup next Friday (Oct. 3). Yuma Catholic also has its first region game when they host St. Mary’s.

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Arizona

11 illegal Indian national truck drivers arrested at Arizona border last month

Published

7 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

11 illegal Indian national truck drivers arrested at Arizona border last month

Eleven illegal Indian national truck drivers were arrested at the Arizona border in the month of February.

The Yuma Sector Border Patrol arrested 11 total Indian national truck drivers in Yuma, Arizona in February 2026.

According to a Facebook post by the Yuma Sector Border Patrol, all 11 truck drivers held commercial drivers licenses from the states of Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and California. All were “found to be present in the United States illegally.”

“Border Patrol remains committed to upholding immigration laws and protecting our communities,” the post continued.

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Arizona

Arizona Independent Party to appeal ruling erasing name

Published

19 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Arizona Independent Party to appeal ruling erasing name

The Arizona Independent Party will appeal a court ruling that invalidated its name, guaranteeing more legal limbo and possibly a new chapter of confusion in the effort to give unaffiliated voters a viable third-party option at the ballot box.

Party chair Paul Johnson confirmed he would appeal the ruling from Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Greg Como, which forces the party to revert to its prior name: the No Labels Party. The ruling ordered elections officials in Arizona to follow suit.

The decision was a high-profile loss for Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, who Como said had permitted a “bait and switch” on voters by allowing the name change.

“We were given due process, the judge did a fair job,” Johnson said. “I don’t agree with his final position, but I like the way our country works in terms of the rule of the law.”

“I don’t feel discouraged at all,” Johnson said, adding that an appeal could proceed in federal court and raise claims of First and Fourteenth Amendment violations.

It is unclear how the judge’s order, if it stands, could impact candidates who submitted signatures to qualify for the ballot under the Arizona Independent Party label.

“The commission’s position has been that this would cause confusion,” said Tom Collins, executive director of the Clean Elections Commission, which was part of the case. “This is an example of that confusion.”

The number of signatures required to make the ballot is a percentage of registered voters for each party, but unaffiliated candidates had to collect roughly six times as many as Republican or Democratic candidates. Running with the Arizona Independent Party meant only 1,771 signatures were needed.

Como’s order was signed March 19 but made public on March 25, after a March 23 deadline for candidates to file signatures to make the ballot.

“Unfortunately due to the court order, this question is left unaddressed,” said Calli Jones, a spokesperson for Fontes. “This question will be left to the challenge process or other court proceedings.”

Clarity could come through any lawsuits filed challenging Arizona Independent Party candidates’ signatures. No such challenges had been filed as of March 25, and the deadline is April 6.

What’s preventing ‘Arizona Nazi Party’ or the ‘Arizona Anarchists’?

Last October, Fontes agreed to change the name of the No Labels Party to the Arizona Independent Party, saying to do so was not explicitly prohibited in law. The change was done at the request of Johnson, a former Phoenix mayor and advocate for open primaries. To Johnson, the party is something of a can’t-beat-them-join-them way to put independent candidates on an even playing field with those from the two major parties.

The name change quickly led to a trio of lawsuits filed by the state’s voter education agency, the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission, and the Arizona Republican Party and Arizona Democratic Party. Those cases were merged into one, which ultimately led to the March ruling.

The commission and political parties argued the name change would create confusion for voters and election officials in terms of distinguishing when someone wanted to be part of the new party versus and independent voter in a colloquial sense, which means not registering with any party. Fontes did not dispute there could be confusion.

State law does not directly address when a political party wants to change its name, but Como said that request should follow the process for creating a new party. That includes gathering signatures from supportive voters. Como has been on the bench since 2015.

Como raised concerns of transparency, noting that voters who registered for the old party may not support the new party name. He said a party could gather support with an “innocuous sounding name,” then change it entirely. Como offered a grave example.

“Would the same 41,000 people who signed petitions to recognize the No Labels Party have signed to support the ‘Arizona Nazi Party’ or the ‘Arizona Anarchists’?” he wrote.

His ruling is guided by and affirms Arizona court precedent that statewide elected officials’ powers are only those that are given explicitly to them in statute or the constitution.

Legal challenges needed to bring clarity

Jones, Fontes’ spokesperson, said the office had no power to address whether signatures were valid, because the office presumes “anyone who met the requirements at the time of filing their signatures are valid candidates.” Fontes, a Democrat seeking reelection this year, said he would not appeal the ruling given the “fast approach of the election and the challenging job election administrators have before them.”

He also stood by his decision, but said the court ruled with voters. “Both approaches, being reasonable, the Court entered an order with a lean towards the voters, not the party leaders,” Fontes said.

Como did not find Fontes’ approach was reasonable, saying it was beyond Fontes’ authority.

“The judge noted that even Fontes admitted this issue would cause confusion for the voters, but Fontes disregarded that concern and the obvious truth, and proceeded to allow them to continue the charade,” Arizona Republic Party Chair Sergio Arellano said, responding to the ruling.

That Fontes will not appeal was welcome, because “he has already cost taxpayers too much money” and “further eroded trust in our election officials at a time when that trust is already at an all-time low,” Arellano said.

Eleven candidates are running for office with the Arizona Independent Party name, or whatever it turns out to be. That includes candidates for Congress, governor and state Legislature. Hugh Lytle, the party’s preferred candidate for governor, said in a statement the ruling proves “how far the political parties will go to protect their grip on power.”

Lytle is among the candidates who could face a challenge to his just over 6,000 signatures. Of those, just 132 were gathered via the state’s online system, which requires verification before signing. The remaining could be more vulnerable to objections.

Ultimately, Lytle said, the judge’s ruling wouldn’t change much.

“We are on the ballot,” he said.

Reach reporter Stacey Barchenger at stacey.barchenger@arizonarepublic.com or 480-416-5669.

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Arizona

Arizona Senate committee passes three bills aimed at reforming the Department of Child Safety

Published

1 day ago

March 25, 2026

Press Room

Arizona Senate committee passes three bills aimed at reforming the Department of Child Safety

A state Senate committee passed three bills Wednesday morning aimed at reforming the Arizona Department of Child Safety.

The bills are part of a search for solutions following the murders of three girls known to Arizona’s child welfare system in 2025.

One of the bills strengthens the rules to place children with relatives or other adults they know. HB2035 would make kinship care presumptive and require a written explanation if a different placement were made.

Another bill, HB4004, encourages DCS to investigate new reports of child abuse, even if caseworkers had designated a “protective parent” who would shield the child from harm.

The third bill, HB2611, aims to improve the conditions of group homes. This includes improved building security, allowing foster children to participate in enrichment activities and live free from bullying, and randomly drug testing group home workers.

Hayden L’Heureux, who lived in foster group homes, spoke about the conditions youth face.

“For many foster youth group homes are not experienced as places of healing but as places of punishment or setback,” L’Heureux said.

Angelina Trammell also lived in foster group homes and shared her experience.

“I’ve been through things no child should ever have to go through in the hardest part. A lot of it could’ve been prevented,” Trammell said.

All three bills have already passed the state House and will move forward for consideration by the full Senate.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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