Red Mountain (4-1) visits Basha (4-1) this week in a big matchup in the East Valley.
Red Mountain’s only loss so far this season was to Perry in Week 2. The Mountain Lions went toe to toe with the 6A power, taking the game into four overtimes, but falling short in the end, 68-67.
“There were a thousand positives from that game,” Red Mountain head coach Mike Peterson said. “Just one negative, we were six inches short going for it in the fourth overtime…It was probably the best high school game I’ve ever been a part of and maybe ever have seen. It was too bad somebody had to lose it.”
Basha is coming off their first loss of the season, 40-7 against Highland. The Bears lost their starting quarterback, Gabe Friend, in Week 3 versus La Joya. Friend announced last week that he tore his ACL, ending his senior season with the Bears.
Head coach Chris McDonald said that Micah Harper, the No. 33 overall prospect in the class of 2020 out of Arizona will be stepping into the quarterback role in addition to his role as defensive back.
Basha was able to get the win against Red Mountain last season, 24-17, behind a big game from Friend who had 204 passing yards with two touchdowns as well as a rushing touchdown.
Check out the players to watch ahead of Friday’s matchup. Kick-off is at 7pm PT/10pm ET on YurView AZ and on yurview.com/live.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Sr. OL Ben Bray, 6’5” 270 – Red Mountain
Bray is ranked as the No. 84 tackle in the country, No. 28 prospect in Arizona by 247Sports. Bray had 13 offers including Arizona, Cal and Boise State, but committed to play at Arizona State in May.
For more on Bray and his commitment click here.
God is amazing! ASU COMMIT!!! 🔱@RedMtnFootball @ForceFootballA2 @Koach_C @lisabenchaim @gridironarizona @SirDouglasFresh @the_real_andro @ASUFootball pic.twitter.com/tUEy9Zzo6S
— Benjamin Bray (@__BenBray__) May 22, 2019
Bray is a part of a solid offensive line for the Mountain Lions. His size and overall character are what make him stand out, Peterson said.
Sr. OC Costen Cooley 6’3” 285 – Red Mountain
Cooley is another force on the Mountain Lions O-Line along with Bray. He is rated as the No. 44 center in the nation, and the No. 53 overall athlete in Arizona by 247Sports. He committed to Air Force in July.
Sr. CB Micah Harper, 5’11” 180 – Basha
Harper’s recruitment picked up this past offseason.
He has around 20 offers including, Army, Syracuse, Nevada, BYU, Dartmouth, San Diego State, and UTEP among others. Harper visited Army, Nevada and Syracuse this summer, but has kept relatively quiet on when he will make his commitment.
I am pleased to share that I have received my first D1 offer and have the opportunity to further my education at the University of Syracuse #GoOrange🍊@GregBiggins pic.twitter.com/KDWQWwnWtb
— MH6 ✨ (@Micah_Harper6) May 10, 2018
Harper will be stepping up at quarterback for Basha this season. McDonald said Harper hasn’t played the position since his freshman year, but that Harper has a dynamic arm and good football IQ. The Bears hope Harper’s athleticism will prove valuable as he steps into a new role moving forward this season.
Sr. WR/DB Zion Williams, 5’9” 145 – Basha
A two-way player, Williams has made quite an impact for the Bears this season. Offensively he has 497 yards, five touchdowns. Defensively, he has three interceptions.
Williams has no offers currently, but McDonald expects he will have some come through later in the season.
“He’s stepped up big time,” McDonald said. “He’s made some big plays already this year and we’re only halfway through the year…He’s had a very productive year for us.”
You can catch the action LIVE on Friday, Sept. 27, 2019 at 7:00pm PT/10:00pm ET on Cox (Ch. 1004) or at yurview.com/live.
