Thursday, November 12, 2020
PHOENIX – If fans look a little, well, stiff at Saturday’s Arizona State game, don’t be alarmed.
They’re not real.
The Pacific-12 Conference’s decision to allow only family members to attend football games this season prompted the university to follow the lead of professional teams by allowing fans to buy cardboard cutouts of themselves and loved ones.
Those loved ones include dogs, cats and yes, even iguanas.
Chandler’s Sherry Brooks bought four cutouts, one for each member of her family.
“Someone sent me a photo and we are already in our seats,” she said. “We like to get to games early.”
Gilbert’s Megan Foutz, 28, has attended ASU games for years and was disappointed at the direction the season took. She was grateful when her parents bought a cutout of her although she mused, “I would have preferred to see my dog, Bailey.”
The cutouts cost $40 for faculty and season-ticket holders, and $50 for everyone else. About 1,000 have been produced for students and another 1,000 for other fans.
ASU will also place cardboard cutouts of famous alums in the stands. The university’s student spirit group, the 942 Crew, will determine who they will be.
Cutouts of band members will be there, too, so that the group that provides game-day entertainment will have a presence.
The university turned to the ASU Print and Imaging Lab instead of sourcing the orders out to cut down on cost and provide more money to the athletic department. After printing, the lab delivers large pallets with the cutouts so they can be installed in the stadium.
We were blown away by the response,” said Michael Meitin, ASU senior associate athletic director. “We kind of predicted it would get good response based on what we’d seen in the professional leagues, but we were still surprised at just how excited people were.”
If Saturday’s game against California will be played remains a mystery. The decision to allow the Golden Bears to compete is in the hands of Berkeley Public Health, which has required players from one entire position group to quarantine for up to 14 days after being exposed to a teammate who has tested positive for COVID-19.
Kickoff is set for 8:30 MST and will be televised by ESPN2 if the game is allowed to go forward.
PHOENIX – It’s official. AZ Preps 365 has released its first football rankings after a one-week delay.
As usual, they are full of surprises, like they are most every year.
But this year, the rankings endured a different process because so many teams had to cancel games and shuffle their schedules to accommodate either their own or opponents’ COVID-19 outbreaks.
The undefeated Chandler Wolves are in the 6A top spot, followed by the 5-0 Hamilton Huskies and then, surprisingly, the 4-2 Liberty Lions. Undefeated Corona Del Sol and Mountain View round out the top five.
The Saguaro Sabercats, who are ranked No. 3 in the state by Maxpreps, clocked in at No. 6 in the 5A state rankings. The Sabercats have had numerous last-minute cancellations, but have been able to replace two of their canceled games and are on pace to move up in next week’s rankings. 5A newcomers Desert Edge and Salpointe Catholic, both undefeated, sit at the top of the conference rankings.
“Last year, 97% of the eligible 207 schools for postseason play completed a minimum five games prior to the first release of the rankings, with all schools playing at least four games,” said Seth Polansky, AIA sports information coordinator. “With the cancellations due to this unique year, only 73% of the eligible 145 schools for football postseason have completed a minimum of five games, with some schools only completing two to three games thus far. It is based on those statistics the AIA has decided to push the first release of the 11-man football rankings to Nov. 10.”
As it stands right now, the Open Division features 6A’s Chandler, Hamilton, and Liberty, 5A’s Desert Edge, Salpointe Catholic, Sunrise Mountain and Sunnyslope, and 4A’s Casa Grande. This would leave out 2019 Open Division No. 2 seed Centennial, No. 8 seed Chaparral and Saguaro, which was seeded third.
“With the amount of planning that goes into this event, we feel there is too much uncertainty to take the chance of continuing forward at this time,” Mark Baird, Chairman of the Board, Tucson Rodeo said in a released statement. "This difficult decision is in the best interest of the health and safety of our community, guests, volunteers, vendors, sponsors and contestants."
The Tucson Rodeo typically brings in $15 million in revenue to surrounding businesses in the area each year, according to the release. The board donates approximately $250,000 to charitable organizations on average.
Organizers hope COVID-19 subsides in the near future and are already planning the 2022 Rodeo for Feb. 19-27.
Tuesday, November 3, 2020
PHOENIX – Amid an otherwise relaxing Halloween weekend, Kliff Kingsbury’s biggest scare proved to be breaking news on the virus front, not spooky costumes. And this time, it hit home hard.
Two Arizona players tested positive for COVID-19 during the team’s bye week – starting outside linebacker Devon Kennard, who revealed on Twitter that he had been infected, and second-year cornerback Byron Murphy. Both are homegrown products.
Kingsbury did not disclose the identity of the players who tested positive, but their names were placed on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list, and will remain there until satisfying league protocols.
“It wasn’t a matter of if, it was a matter of when this would occur,” Kingsbury said Monday morning. “There (were) a couple positives, and luckily the contact tracing was limited and yesterday’s test results were all negative, so we’re just moving forward with that protocol and taking it from there.”
Kingsbury said it would be “business as usual when it comes to practice” Monday, which means the Cardinals will try to stay on track as they prepare for the suddenly daunting Miami Dolphins, who thumped the NFC West-contending Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
PHOENIX – Saturdays on the West Coast look and feel a lot different this fall.
In a time when college communities from Tucson to Seattle, and everywhere in between, are accustomed to college football Saturdays, the COVID-19 pandemic has wiped out nearly half of the typical season. And for a time, it appeared as if there would be no Pac-12 Conference football at all.
With their season in limbo, the conference’s players were forced to watch as some of the country’s other premier leagues played actual games.
“I love football, so I kind of want to watch it, but I also get pissed off when I’m watching it because I know I should be out on the field playing the same day,” Washington State running back Max Borghi said. “No one really loves watching football if you should be out there playing.”
However, the Pac-12 finally received its reprieve in September, when the conference agreed to return and play an abbreviated seven-game schedule beginning November 7. It will mark the latest return to play for any of the Power Five conferences.
“It was disappointing at times, but as a team, we never really got down,” Arizona quarterback Grant Gunnell said. “We just kept working, hoping and believing that we were going to have a season eventually, whether that be in the fall, winter or spring.”
Because the Pac-12 was much later to return than its Power Five counterparts, the conference’s players found themselves in a unique situation with their fall camps taking place while teams in other conferences were already playing games.
“It’s definitely different,” Southern California safety Talanoa Hufanga said. “Usually, you’re ready to play in September or late August. You’re itching just to be on the field and not watching other teams.”
However, while it may be difficult for players to watch rather than play, most are trying to take advantage of the unusual circumstances presented by a pandemic.
“It’s been interesting to sit back and watch college football from a viewer’s perspective after having played it for a few seasons,” Utah wide receiver Britain Covey said. “I feel like everybody’s becoming a student of the game.”
Covey added that even a shortened season “with daily COVID tests, with all these protocols and restrictions,” beats the alternative of practicing and training without getting to play the games.
“In my mind, (that) is what hell would be like – just football practice with no game to look forward to,” he said.
Covey isn’t the only player that took advantage of the extra time off to learn the game more. Two-star running backs representing the Oregon schools made the most of the weeks and months they spent waiting for the season.
“This time off, I’ve been watching a lot of film by myself, trying to learn the game of football more, learning offenses and defenses and different stuff and trying to find new things that I can see,” Oregon State running back Jermar Jefferson said.
“Watching college football on a Saturday kind of hurts me a little bit, but it helps me a lot, learning the game of football. Sitting down and seeing football at home can help your game on the field when you’re playing on Saturdays. You can learn stuff from other running backs or other offenses… It’s good, and it’s bad.”
Oregon running back CJ Verdell took an approach similar to his rival’s.
“I’ve definitely been watching other teams, trying to see the things that they do and maybe even their mistakes, and just trying to use that as a learning tool to see things we shouldn’t do when we go into a game and we start playing,” Verdell said. “I’ve definitely used this time to reflect on those things.”
Given their nearly identical strategies for handling the unexpected time away from football, the battle between those Beaver State rivals should be fascinating to watch during the abbreviated season. But then it would have been even without the pandemic.
After all, Jefferson finished third in the Pac-12 in rushing in 2018, and then Verdell topped him by ranking second in 2019. They expect to be at the top of the rankings again this year.
Verdell said one of his goals for 2020 is to rush for 1,000 yards, which would be quite a feat in a seven-game season.
Players in the Pac-12 South also took advantage of their unexpected free Saturdays. For Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels, the delay was an opportunity to root for other sophomore quarterbacks around the country.
“Just being able to watch football, watching those college games, I’m very interested in watching the guys that are in my class: Spencer Rattler, Bo Nix, Sam Howell,” Daniels said. “Just seeing what those guys are doing so far, I’m just happy for their success and happy to see them just keep balling out.”
Daniels will be a key figure in the Pac-12’s return. As of now, the conference’s first game is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7, when ASU will visit USC. Fox Sports picked up the game for it’s “Big Noon Saturday” matchup beginning at 10 a.m. Arizona time.
The season-opening matchup marks the Pac-12’s first appearance in Fox Sports’ principal college football timeslot and is expected to bring major exposure to the conference, which is accustomed to playing most of its games later in the evening after much of the viewing public has stopped watching football for the day.
Hufanga was confident about USC’s ability to be ready for the kickoff at 9 a.m. local time in Los Angeles. Turns out the pandemic has prepared the Trojans for that, too.
“We wake up at 5:15 most days just to get a COVID test in at 6 a.m., so for us to be ready at 9 a.m., I can’t tell you that we haven’t been training for this for two years, three years, since we’ve been in college,” Hufanga said. “We’re going to put the ball down anywhere on the field at any time, anywhere, anyplace, so we’re just extremely excited and grateful for this opportunity.”
Still, the Pac-12’s players have about two weeks to get through on and off the field before a game day arrives, and it could be challenging for some.
“It could be (hard) for a lot of people on the team,” said Washington defensive back Elijah Molden. “You get on the college scene, and you want to have a social life. And now that’s taken away from us, but that’s our responsibility now. We’re supposed to deal with that. For some people, it’s easy. For me, it’s pretty easy just because I go home, take care of business and then come here to work. But it’s definitely a challenge.”
Tuesday, October 20, 2020
LOS ANGELES – The intersection of sports and politics took center stage again Monday night when a campaign ad featuring a Northern Arizona football player aired during ESPN’s broadcast of the Arizona Cardinals-Dallas Cowboys game.
Tristen Vance, a Hamilton High School graduate and linebacker for the Lumberjacks, expected to play his final season this fall before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The Big Sky Conference postponed its football season until the spring, pushing Vance’s true senior season back to next fall.
“I’ve been working my whole life towards a dream to play professionally,” Vance, 23, says in a 30-second ad supporting Joe Biden. “Missing this season puts those dreams in jeopardy.”
Tags: dallas cowboys , arizona cardinals , trump , biden , Tristen Vance , northern arizona university , Image
Monday, October 19, 2020
PHOENIX – Inde Motorsports Ranch has been a staple among motorsports enthusiasts across North America for a decade.
The 2.75-mile road course sits in Willcox, a community of 3,500 about 80 miles of Tucson. It grants its 200-plus members exclusive access to private garages, trackside casitas and 40 different track configurations, while boasting one of the greatest scenic backdrops in Arizona.
The racing country club serves as an escape for people across the United States, ranging from doctors, dentists and everyone in between looking to test their skills or relieve the stresses of everyday life. Initiation fees range from $25,000 to $75,000 as the facility delivers an intimate and exclusive feel to the premier motorsports experience – which the club says is about to get even better.
As it celebrates its 10th anniversary, it is receiving a major facelift in the form of a complete track resurfacing, among other additions, promising an enhanced experience for everyone.
Purchased in 2008 by track president CJ Dorland and his father, Graham, the duo transformed a working cattle ranch owned by dealership titan Tex Earnhardt into one of the most desirable destinations in motorsports.
Friday, October 16, 2020
PHOENIX – In the first two weeks of the high school football season, the 6A conference has seen a high volume of blowouts. Twenty-five out of 34 matchups in the first two weeks in the 6A conference have been won by at least 17 points.
You can probably blame the pandemic.
Week two saw multiple head-scratching beatdowns, including Chandler’s 64-0 shutout of Pinnacle, Liberty’s 30-0 shutout of Red Mountain and Hamilton’s 64-22 smackdown of Perry. Pinnacle and Perry were 2019 state quarterfinalists in the Open Division and 6A conference, respectively, and Red Mountain came up six points short of the 2019 6A Conference state title.
Coach Rick Garretson credited the Chandler Wolves’ outscoring of their first two opponents 108-10 to his team’s length of preparation in the offseason. Many other schools have had less time to prepare.
Tags: high schools , high school football , sports , covid , Image
Monday, October 5, 2020
The announcement comes days after UA announced the team’s delayed 2020 Pac-12 football schedule on Saturday, Oct. 3. The Wildcats plan to start pre-season practice on Friday, Oct. 9.
“My positive test result, while a shock, is a stark reminder of how we must all remain vigilant in our focus on handwashing, physical distancing and face coverings,” Sumlin said in a statement released by UA. “I am feeling well and will be engaged in our ramp-up activities on a virtual basis until I complete the isolation protocol.”
The university has begun contact tracing protocols and has determined “the test result is not related to any team activities and no close contacts were identified within the football program”, according to the school’s press release.
“I look forward to being back on field in time to begin preparing for the season,” Sumlin said in the release.
The Wildcats are scheduled to play their season opener against the University of Utah Utes on Nov. 7.
Tags: ua football , sumlin , covid , Image
Friday, September 25, 2020
The Arizona Wildcats 2020-2021 football season is expected to resume on Nov. 6 after the Pac-12 CEO Group voted to bring back fall sports this week.
The Pac-12 conference season was originally suspended in early August due to coronavirus concerns.
University of Arizona Director of Athletics Dave Heeke applauded the CEO group’s decision.
“Arizona Athletics fully supports the decision from the Pac-12 Conference and its CEO Group to move forward with a plan for the safe and healthy return of football and men's and women's basketball,” Heeke said. “President Robbins and university leadership have been unwavering in their commitment to the safety, health and well-being of all students, staff, faculty and members of the Wildcat Family.”
UA football coach Kevin Sumlin said he is thrilled for his team to return to the gridiron this November so they’ll have a chance to compete in the 2020-2021 season.
“I am proud of the patience, resilience and commitment that our team has shown during an unprecedented time,” Sumlin said. “We will continue to work hard preparing for the moment when we once again take the field while staying committed to keeping each other and those around us safe and healthy."
No word on who the Wildcats will face when they take the field in November.
UA basketball season is slated to begin on Nov. 25.
