YC football preview: Last year is in the past

The Yuma Catholic football team attended a funeral this past summer.

At camp, high up in Arizona's White Mountains in Snowflake, the Shamrocks gathered to pay their last respects to a friend that taught them quite a bit - the 2007 season.

"We got a cigar box, put all our accomplishments from last year in there and said goodbye to it," YC coach Rhett Stallworth said. "It's time to forget and move on. Last year means absolutely nothing now."

The Shamrocks only graduated five players from last year's team that won 11 straight games, reclaimed the 2A West Region crown and carried the state's No. 1 ranking into the postseason.

YC lost in the 2A quarterfinals to Thatcher 39-21.

"Last year is in the past," YC senior running back Austin Rodriguez said. "We're looking forward to this year and we have a tough season ahead of us. We're not going to sneak up on anyone, so we have to come hard every game."

As difficult as YC's schedule was last year - it played a pair of 5A schools, and perennial 2A state powers almost every week - it gets a little tougher this season.

With the exception of the Antelope and Kofa games, Yuma Catholic's fiercest competition came to Ricky Gwynn Stadium last year. Now the Shamrocks have to play those games on the road this year.

"It's always nice to play in front of the home crowd," senior quarterback Matt Inman said. "But I'm excited because a lot of people were saying, 'yeah, but they didn't have to go to their house and play,' so this year everything that we get we'll deserve."

Senior wide receiver Rod Ford said the team is up for a new challenge.

"It's going to be a hard challenge for us and we get this opportunity to show what we can do," Ford said. "It's going to be an uphill battle we have to face as a team."

YC will go with a two-running back attack this year, with Rodriguez and junior Eddie Harris splitting carries.

Stallworth said Rodriguez is a shifty runner and a good receiver out of the backfield, while Harris is a hard-nosed bruiser.

Perhaps the biggest question on offense will be trying to fill the shoes of 1,300 yard receiver Brian Badgley.

Ford figures to emerge as Inman's go-to target, with Ernie Samaniego, Joaquin Gonzalez and Brent Bash fighting for time.

"You can't replace Badgley and we're not going to try," Stallworth said. "We're going to work with what we've got and find a way to make those guys successful."

And while the attitude around YC has been to bury last season and move forward, Stallworth added that not everything from last year has been forgotten.

"I think winning is something people learn how to do, just like losing it can become a habit," Stallworth said. "Although we know our kids like to win, they proved last year they'll step up in hard situations, but it's still up to us to strengthen their courage mentally and physically."