AUGUST 29, 2013

Falcons are strong at Maryvale; Open season at home Friday night

Named Captains for 2013 are Nathan Brockman, Tanner Buchert, Corey Harper and Brad Souva
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cshs cheer and pomChamps cheering for the Falcons! When the home team takes the field Friday night against visiting Raymond Kellis (Glendale), they’ll have Spirit Line Head Coach Rika Cuff’s 2013 State Champions on their sideline. Spirit Line (Cheer and Pom/Dance) has won the Arizona Interscholastic Association (A.I.A.) state title seven out of the last eight years, a record that probably will never be equaled.  Front row (l-r): Bevin Ketter, Shelby Brown, Jessica Rohm, Anna Welsh, Taylor Gommels, Kaleigh Stafford.  Back row (l-r): Brooke Cuff, Samantha Vaughn, Tatum Campbell, Jordan Gunning, Rachel Kazemi and Dorie Reiter.


“Cactus Shadows! Cactus Shadows! Pride of Blue and Gray!”  Tomorrow, at approximately 6:25 p.m. (give or take a few minutes), CSHS Music Director Gary Wycoff’s “Fightin’ Falcons Marching Band” robustly playing the Cactus Shadows Fight Song will step off from the south entry at the East Stands. Following the Band will be the 2013-2014 “Spirit Line” ladies and, hopefully, a sizable contingent of Falcon students. C’mon Class of 2017!  There’ll be no better opportunity to start showing your “Falcon Pride!” Be proud to march around the track to “The Nest” (student section) in the West Stands. Were I 14-15 instead of 76, I’d be marching with you! I guarantee you that showing your school spirit can be a big part of your four years at Cactus Shadows. Get in the good habit of supporting all Falcon teams.

Minutes before the 7 p.m. kickoff, the Band and Spirit Line will form a corridor extending from under the south end zone goal post. Led by the “C”, “S”, “H”, and “S” flag bearers, the Falcons, in their new uniforms, will race to midfield and thence to their west sideline. In the vanguard will be Nathan Brockman, Tanner Buchert, Corey Harper and Brad Souva named today by Head Coach Greg Davis as captains for the 2013 team. Congratulations, captains, on your well-deserved honor!

Coach Davis also selected junior Payton Ringwald as his starting quarterback, with sophomore Mike Maloney “a close second.” Ringwald and Maloney will give the Falcons valuable depth at the signal-calling position. They’ll face the tough challenge of following the QB likes of Jake Van der Stad, Chris Clarke, Phillip Aholt, Dillon Classen and Bryce Kinsler, all of whom posted solid numbers for the Falcons – Aholt, Cactus Shadows’ first football State Championship (4A-II) in 2006. And last season Kinsler established a new Arizona High School record for career passing yards.

But gone (at least for this fall) will be the Falcon aerial circus of the last 12 seasons. Ringwald and Maloney will direct a more run-oriented attack, paced by senior Joe Kuhlmann and sophomore Antonio Marchita, both of whom were cited by Coach Davis for their solid performances at the August 21 scrimmage against Maryvale. For 2013, Falcon fans, get used to “one if by land.” “Two if by air” will be a game-situation complement. “Run the ball,” I can still hear Falcon parent P.J. Stephens booming from the west stands! P.J. … this season should be your kind of year.

But the main storyline from Maryvale scrimmage was the Falcon defense, which racked up seven takeaways – five interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Coach Davis had special praise for the Falcon secondary, “We’ve got a lot of seniors on the field.  And there’s no doubt; playing a two-platoon system gives more energy – on both sides of the ball. For right now, I’m not planning to play anyone both ways.” Compared with past early seasons, that improved manpower should be a big plus for these Falcons. “Dee-fense!” Indeed … seven takeaways are virtually guaranteed to win most, if not all, ballgames.

“We are the finest team in all the land!” Here’s hoping that Friday night will end with the Falcons victorious, traditionally serenading the west stands!

~ Pete Mohr