Queen Creek Casteel plays like veterans, wins 6A football crown

By Richard Smith
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TEMPE - In their first game ever at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, the Casteel Colts played like the veterans, controlling the second half of a 42-27 victory over Centennial in Saturday’s 6A title game.

It was the Coyotes’ third straight year in a big game on ASU’s field and second straight 6A final – Centennial played Liberty for the Open Division title in 2023 – but Casteel displayed more poise and situational awareness.

It started with junior quarterback Tee Smith (170 rushing yards and two touchdowns, 237 passing yards and two touchdowns and a receiving touchdown) and junior receiver Troy Jauregui (five catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns, plus an 86-yard punt return touchdown).

“We really struggled with poise early. We’d have something happen out of the norm or we’d play somebody who was maybe a little better than us and we’d kind of put our tail between our legs,” Casteel Coach Joe Bushman said. “We slowly broke them of that. Our big thing is, we’re not going to back down from anybody. It kind of started to catch fire about halfway through the year. We’ve come back I all three (6A playoff) games. The kids showed a lot of mettle. Part of it is our captains like Bryce Greer. And Tee’s attitude is just infectious. He doesn’t get rattled.”

Smith and Jauregui put their stamp on the game in a pivotal five-minute stretch in the third quarter. It began with a shanked punt by #2 seed Centennial (9-5) that set the Colts up at the Coyotes’ 27.

Two plays later, Smith found Jauregui on an out route for a 27-yard touchdown. Jack Demmelmaier’s extra point put #4 Casteel (9-5) up 21-14 at the 8:28 mark of the third.

Centennial drove 39 yards to the Casteel 41, then lined up to go for it on fourth down and 2. A false start caused the Coyotes to punt and Jauregui brought that one back to the house. 

At times Saturday and other games this season, the Coyotes fielded a defense with no seniors.

It was 28-14 with 4:02 left in the quarter and suddenly a vastly different game for the defending champs.

“In a one-score game you still can be in your normal rhythm, and you just need one turnover or one stop,” Centennial Coach Andrew Taylor said. “It felt like we just needed one of those big plays and unfortunately, they got them on the punt return. They got it on the long run Smith did that really blew it open.”

His team answered with its best game of the afternoon. Senior running back Owen Reynoso finished it by cutting to the outside on a one-yard touchdown run to start the fourth quarter.

Reynoso finished his exemplary career with 201 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries.

“In so many ways, Owen is the ultimate Coyote. He never quits. He knows how to set up his runs. He’s got a great jump cut. He’s really worked on his burst this year and it showed,”  Taylor said. “He can just do everything. He’s a great receiver He’s a wonderful person and represents us so well. I wish we could have won it for him.”

The new kids from Queen Creek with a first-year coach were not fazed. Sixty-eight yards later Casteel regained a two-score lead with a bit of sugar.

Senior running back Max Kane took a handoff stopped and threw it back to Smith all alone in the flat for an 11-yard touchdown.

“We always try to name our trick plays after something and his name is Max Kane, so that play is called the Sugarkane,” Bushman said. “We kind of had it in the holster. I always  feel like if you’re going to put trick plays in, you’ve got to run them. Hats off to the boys, they executed it really well. That’s the best he’s thrown it on that.”

 Smith then provided the exclamation point, racing 68 yards for a score and 42-21 advantage.

“He’s an amazing talent as a thrower and a runner. I think he had his best game throwing the ball today,” Bushman said. “But he’s also just an amazing kid. I don’t think many people know that about him. He’s filled with love for and faith in his teammates.”

The Coyotes scored on the final play of the game, a 19-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Titus Hill to sophomore receiver Jason Lee.

Taylor said the kids played hard and did what they were coached to do.

“We were concerned all week about Tee Smith,” Taylor said. “They did a good job adjusting where they were running it based on how we were lined up. We were  trying to get our front aligned a little bit better and then they move and switch. Hats off to Coach Bushman. He and his staff did a great job.”

Casteel dominated the first quarter and only a couple miscues prevented the Colts from being up more than 7-0.

Colts junior defensive tackle Logan Voss recovered senior Carter Reidy’s fumble at the Coyotes 34. Three plays later, Casteel scored on Smith’s three-yard quarterback power run.

“They’re a good football team and we’ve got a lot of respect for them. The stuff we’ve been doing the last couple of weeks has really taken off. We kind of leaned on our run game and it opened up our passing,” senior offensive lineman Bryce Greer said.

A missed field goal and a recovery of Rudy Aguirre’s fumble by junior linebacker Joseph Gonzalez gave the Coyotes momentum at the end of the first quarter.

Hill hit senior receiver Sebastian Moreno for a three-yard touchdown and Reynoso added a four-yard score for a 14-7 Coyotes lead.

Once again Casteel met the moment. Smith hit Jauregui straight down the seam and the junior broke a tackle to complete a 56-yard touchdown and tie the game.

Casteel is one of the smaller 6A schools and made the conference quarterfinals the last two years. After a coaching and philosophy change the Colts started 3-3, then grew into a team worthy of lifting the trophy.

“Everybody goes through ups and downs and we’ve responded really well. It’s awesome to see how we can build each week,” Greer said.

Richard Smith
Senior News Editor | Glendale & West Valley Preps

rsmith@iniusa.org

Richard Smith has been with Independent Newsmedia since 2016, and worked at a Sun City-based news outfit covering the Northwest Valley for 22 consecutive years.

An NAU alum and lifelong Arizona resident, Richard began as a copy editor and page designer at Surprise Today and the Daily News-Sun, then rekindled his love of sports writing by taking the reins on West Valley Preps in 2008.

For most of the mid-2010s he was the Surprise editor and West Valley Preps reporter. Now he’s the West Valley Preps Editor and Surprise Associate Editor.

As COVID restrictions slowly lift, Richard is cautiously optimistic he will visit book stores, football fields and gyms again this fall.