Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here
Otherwise, follow the link below to join.
To Our Valued Readers –
Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.
For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.
Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.
Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.
PHOENIX — Some called them one-dimensional. Some even called them boring.
Just make sure you also call them 5A state champions.
The Sunrise Mountain Mustangs won their first-ever state football title on Friday night, using their punishing ground game and an inspired defense to manhandle Ironwood 42-20 at North Canyon High School. But a further glance back at this football season reveals Sunrise Mountain overcame a ton of adversity that might’ve knocked some other teams down for the count.
“For this program to finally get over the hump, it’s really special,” Mustangs Head Coach Steve Decker said after collecting the championship hardware. “These guys were resilient in everything we did and everything we asked of them. They peaked at the right time.”
For quite a while, Peoria Unified schools didn’t know if they would even play a football season. While some COVID-19 restrictions were loosened for other school districts and programs, Sunrise Mountain and other PUSD schools were allowed to do nothing — no practice, no weightlifting, no summer 7-on-7 competition.
“We are blessed to be in this position right now,” said Mustangs senior running back/linebacker Tommy Arnold, who rushed for more than 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the title game. “We really weren’t sure during the summer if we would even get a football season. I’m really glad we did.”
Once things finally got moving, the Mustangs’ eight-game regular season was full of ups and downs.
After a dominating road win at Cactus to start the season, fans took notice after the Mustangs outlasted defending 4A champ Mesquite 46-40 at home. Week 3 ended with a narrow road victory against a very good Liberty team and another triumph over Valley Vista followed.
Sunrise was flying high at 4-0 but the injuries to key personnel were starting to pile up. Players were also tested consistently for the coronavirus.
“We struggled through that injury bug all season,” Arnold said. “But we were just waiting to get everyone back because we knew we would be tough to beat.”
No one expected Ironwood to pose much of a threat on Oct. 30, but the Eagles and talented QB Will Haskell upset the Mustangs 20-11. Undefeated Desert Edge handed the Mustangs a frustrating 26-23 setback at home.
Staring at a two-game skid, SMHS had to figure out which path their season would take.
“Sometimes it’s not that bad to take a loss — you wake up and look at things a little different and a little closer,” Decker explained.
With players gradually healing and returning to the field, the Mustangs took down Verrado and Cactus Shadows to finish the regular season at 6-2.
“Getting healthy really helped,” Decker joked.
After initially being ranked among the top 8 schools to potentially qualify for the Open Division bracket, Selection Saturday instead showed Sunrise Mountain had claimed the top seed in the 5A division.
With almost everyone now healthy, the Mustangs were laser focused on making school history. Sunrise was also starting to realize its best chance to win a championship was to lean on its power running game led by Arnold, Brandon Bogard and Julian Esber in the backfield and a talented, experienced offensive line up front.
“We were going to go with what was working,” Decker said of his team that didn’t attempt a single pass in the second half of the title win. “Over the past month, we were able to pound the ball and establish that identity.”
Playoff wins over Verrado and Campo Verde set the stage for Friday night, when Sunrise enjoyed its finest hour as a football program.
This year’s Sunrise Mountain senior football players went undefeated as freshmen. At that time, they knew all the hard work would pay off down the line.
“We worked our tails off to get to this point,” said senior tackle/nose guard Cameron Hughes.
Decker also saw something back then in the Class of 2021.
“These seniors are a special group,” Decker said. “A lot of them played on varsity as sophomores and they’ve matured so much. They deserve this.”
Senior running back Esber agreed.
“We were all just waiting for that senior year where we all played together. We got that ring like we expected,” Esber said.
Senior tackle/nose guard Quincy Clemons transferred in from Copper Canyon when their season was canceled Oct. 30. He first played for the Mustangs the next week against Desert Edge.
“Coming from Copper and not having a season, it sucked because I started playing when I was 7. I wanted to keep playing and coming to Sunrise and immediately being accepted felt amazing,” Clemons said. “These coaches are everything. These guys are everything. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Senior linebacker Owen Thomas logged double-digit sacks this season as a leader on the Mustangs’ defense.
“As seniors, getting to go out on top, it’s amazing,” Thomas said. “No doubt we had some dips in the season, but we fought through a lot of adversity and bounced back to win a championship.”
I have edited and written about almost everything in my 20-year journalism career, but I have a strong passion for sports since my father was a teacher and coach when I was young.
My job has allowed me to meet many influential people, including Hillary Clinton, Al Gore (I have a brief, on-camera part in his second movie), George Strait, Matthew McConaughey and several world-class athletes.
I have worked for Independent Newsmedia on two separate occasions – 2000-09 and 2018-present – after studying journalism at the University of Texas at Austin.
By 
