PARADISE HONORS PANTHERS

2018 RECORD: 3-7 (Did not reach 3A playoffs)

REGION: 3A Metro West

COACH: Chad Talley (First year)

OFFENSE: Air raid

DEFENSE: 3-3-5

TOP RETURNEES: David Goita, Sr., QB/WR; Nathaniel Smith Sr., RB/LB; Ayden Domville, Sr., WR; Benjie Castro, Jr., OT/LB; Tyler Griffin, Sr., OT/NG; Kevin Partida, Jr., LB.

NEWCOMERS TO WATCH: Andrew Lamb, Jr., WR; Victor Ortiz, Jr., C/DT.

2019 SCHEDULE

Home games in caps

Aug. 30 at Gilbert Christian

Aug. 6 COOLIDGE

Sept. 13 at Wickenburg

Sept. 20 at Window Rock

Sept. 27 KINGMAN

Oct. 4 at Odyssey Institute

Oct. 11 ARIZONA COLLEGE PREP

Oct. 18 VALLEY CHRISTIAN

Oct. 25 at Yuma Catholic

Nov. 1 at Bourgade Catholic

Richard Smith

West Valley Preps

Usually a new high school football coach inheriting a returning 2,000-yard rusher smiles and prepares to ride that horse again.

This is not to say first-year Paradise Honors coach Chad Talley does not want Nathaniel Smith to gain 2,000 yards again. He just wants Smith to go about it differently.

In 2018, more than half the Panthers’ offensive plays (291 of 557 snaps) were handoffs to Smith. And almost all of them were off a zone read action with the quarterback.

“It was a little different for him to get used to running our inside zone game but he’s picking it up,” Talley said. “We’re more of an air raid spread and the box has opened up for him. He’s not having to pound into those tight boxes. It is different, especially in our system, to have a big back like that but he’s adjusted his game to fit what we do and he’s done it pretty good.”

Talley said Smith grew from a very quiet presence this winter into a vocal leader by the time camp started.

And the 195-pound powerhouse is fine with the trade off.

“Instead of all running and having everyone stacked in the box, we can have these passes that spread everyone out,” Smith said. “Even though I’m running it less, I have my cutback lanes instead of everyone crowding in.”

Plus now, opposing defenses have to keep track of more Panthers. Other than Smith, the main threat in 2018 was the other half of that zone read, quarterback Clay Duzy — who gained 804 yards on 122 totes.

This year receivers are more in the mix, And Talley is convinced senior Ayden Domville (two catches for 20 yards last year) will flourish with opportunity.

“We want to fling the ball around in our quick game, and we have some targets to do so. Ayden Domville was invited to UTEP’s camp this summer. We clocked him, laser-timed at 4.63 (in the 40). He was barely used last year. He was mostly a blocker,” Talley said.

The 6-1 Domville said this approach makes more sense.

“It’s better because we’re not always blocking and Nate gets to calm down a bit instead of having to take the ball every single play. But when he does, he will have all his energy back. It makes out offense more of a threat,” Domville said.

Andrew Lamb looks like another top target. The 6-2 junior moved in from Wickenburg, where he did not play last year.

However, as tends to happen for most football teams, everything did not fall into place.

The Panthers’ leading returning receiver is now its emergency quarterback.

Camp was in Winslow. Junior quarterback Chad Harrell broke his collarbone during a camp scrimmage, causing the new staff to scramble.

Senior jack of all trades David Goita ended up being the best choice for now.

“Dave is a kid that says, ‘Wherever you need me to go, coach, I’ll go,’” Talley said.

For his part, Goita said the offense is easy to learn and better suits the team. Teammates have made his transition to quarterback easy.

As is the norm in 3A, the quarterback will play regularly on defense. Goita is the Panthers’ top returning cornerback.

“I’ve definitely noticed a lot more conditioning and a lot more focus on getting in shape. I’ve also learned more about building chemistry with your teammates,” Goita said.

The offensive line is smaller than typical these days and lacks depth. Junior Benjie Castro moved in at one tackle spot, senior Tyler Griffith provided bulk if not height, and junior Colton Sopko has one guard spot covered.

Talley said the other line sports and most of the defensive line roles remained up for grabs 10 days before the Panthers’ opener at Gilbert Christian.

At 5-7, 140 pounds junior Kevin Partida is not a prototype middle linebacker. But he was in on 49 tackles last year.

Talley said Partida leads the defense with his speed and scrappy approach. The new coach said Partida’s commitment is typical of the kids who stayed in the program following a coaching change.

“I showed them the expectation on day one, and had some walk away because it wasn’t their thing. But the ones that stayed have bought in, especially at camp,” Talley said.

Another undersized linebacker, junior Brian Lee is factored into the mix somewhere in the new 3-3 scheme.

Talley hired a pair of coordinators he knows well, starting with offensive coordinator Josh Goodloe. Defensive coordinator Wali Mumin was on the 2018 Copper Canyon staff with Talley.

Offensive line coach Joseph Trinidad returned last month after a battle with skin cancer. Former Ottawa Arizona football player Malik Starks coaches running backs and defensive backs.

A lot will be on their plate this year, as the varsity will require an unusual level of player development.

Paradise Honors dropped its junior varsity program a month ago and has never fielded a freshman team. Right now the academically-focused 3A school has 42 kids — total — in the football program.

“I definitely think it’s caused the freshmen and sophomores to step up their game. Right after that announcement was made, you could see for a bout a week that some of them were scared. But after they mixed it up with the varsity you saw an increase in physical ability and hitting. Now there’s less fear in our players all around,” Goita said.

Many of the Panthers’ players started at square one in January.Along with teaching these freshmen and sophomores more basics, the new staff found itself instilling belief in its players.

“They didn’t expect a ton from themselves. The seniors have been the vocal leaders who want things to change. There’s a lot of things these kids had to learn that they were not being coached to do. It’s shocking stuff that they were not being taught,” Talley said.

Though it is a tiny senior class, several of these players were around the last time Paradise Honors had a new coach — and the last time this program made the playoffs.

In 2016, Duane Brown’s Panthers finished 10-2 and reached the 2A quarterfinals.This senior group is determined to get that type of program back before their careers end.

“We are now like those seniors we had when we were freshmen,” Smith said.

Paradise Honors junior David Goita runs with the ball after intercepting a pass against Gilbert Christian on Aug. 24, 2018 at Paradise Honors High School in Surprise. Following an injury to starting quarterback Chad Harrel, Goita will begin the season at the Panthers' quarterback. [Jacob Stanek/Independent Newsmedia][/caption]