Mountain View’s long-awaited return: Toros charge toward state title

The Mountain View Toros are heading to the state championship on Saturday, determined to claim their first title in years.

Their journey to state has been anything but easy, marked by hard-fought wins, relentless practices and a renewed team spirit that has brought the Toros closer than ever.

Brady Goodman, starting quarterback for the Mountain View Toros, said in a personal interview, “I am going to give it my all out there and trust my teammates and coaches that they’ll make good decisions and help me in the game.”

Goodman is coming off of an ankle injury and has not been able to regularly practice with his team. “It was weird, especially not being able to practice much with the team throughout the week.” Goodman said, reflecting on his limited participation during practices.

Goodman’s return comes at a critical moment for the Toros, as his leadership and skill will be essential against a tough opponent.

Despite his limited practice time due to the ankle injury, the quarterback remains confident in the team’s preparation, determination and chemistry built throughout the season.

This season, however, has been different, with a mix of seasoned players, fresh talent and a new head coach, the team has shown remarkable resilience and skill.

Among this fresh talent is outside linebacker Cannon Raban.

“I am confident with our team. Our coaches do an amazing job preparing us and doing everything they can to get us ready for games. We all have the opportunity to watch film on the teams that we are playing,” Raban said. “It was a very close playoff game against Brophy. There were some big plays that went our way.”

Key victories against top-ranked opponents have also been due to stand out performances from other players, such as Talan Arnett, Dominic Girard, and Jackson Socha.

Regardless of the outcome, the season has already been a victory for the Toros, and the community who has rallied behind them.

The Toros will be facing Centennial High School for the 2024 6A high school football championship at 1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7, at Arizona State University’s Mountain America Stadium.