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| Jason
Stone photo |
Senior
quarterback Phillip Aholt became one of the best passers
in the state last year under the guidance of DeGrenier,
a former college and Arena Football quarterback. Aholt
rewrote the school record books with 2,800 passing yards,
including two games in which he connected on six touchdowns.
(Click
picture for full size image) |
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| Jason
Stone photo |
Cactus
Shadows coach Chad DeGrenier (center) knows the Falcons’
state championship chances will rest largely on how
opponents contain quarterback Phillip Aholt (left) and
wide receiver Kyle Watkins (right).
(Click
picture for full size image)
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Cactus
Shadows football aims for state glory in 2006
by
Jason Stone
CAVE
CREEK – It sounds crazy to believe now, but seniors on the
Cactus Shadows football team say they have never played
a game they didn’t think they could win.
While
that might not seem like much since athletes are usually
confident in their abilities, consider that this is coming
from players who once went an entire season without winning
one game.
“We
always thought we could win,” senior quarterback Phillip
Aholt said about the 2004 season in which the Falcons finished
0‑10. “I don’t think the community thought we could
win. We just couldn’t put four quarters together.”
Fast
forward to less than three years later, and the players
have that same winning attitude. Only this time the Falcons
have the talent to back up their confidence–and a student
body fully on their side.
“The
community expects us to win, the players expect to win and
the coaches expect to win,” third‑year coach Chad
DeGrenier said. “We have a tradition now.”
If
close losses are considered moral victories, then Cactus
Shadows has already won the Super Bowl of Expectations.
After all, the Falcons’ second season under DeGrenier didn’t
even produce a winning record (5‑6), yet the team
made the playoffs for the first time at the 4A level, and
expectations soared.
With all but four seniors back from last year’s team, DeGrenier
raised the bar immediately after the Falcons bowed out of
the playoffs in the first round at Queen Creek. Not only
would his team win in the playoffs in 2006, he said, the
Falcons would win it all.
“We
have a little bit of respect now,” said DeGrenier, a former
Arena Football quarterback, who spent some time with the
Arizona Rattlers. “That’s good for the program.”
Of course, having Aholt back at quarterback helps. The 6‑foot‑4
signal caller shattered school single‑game and season
records last year and came close to a 3,000‑yard passing
season. One of his top targets, senior Kyle Watkins, is
back, and the team also returns a 1,000‑yard running
back in senior Eric Gorraiz.
“We’ve
just all gotten better during the summer,” Aholt said. “We’ve
done a lot of hard work, and ... become men.”
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