Chandler Wolves
Division I Section II
Coach: Shaun Aguano
Last year’s record: 7-4, lost to Desert Ridge in first round of 5A Division I playoffs
Returning starters offense: 7, including wideout Lloyd Mills, who led the Wolves with 40 receptions and 710 yards. He and Javon Williams (30 rec., 664 yards, eight TD) will be a lethal combination for new quarterback Darell Garretson.
Returning starters defense: 7, including Kisima Jagne, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound defensive end who was unblockable at times last season. He and Richard Winston will lead a strong defensive line, if Jagne stays focused and motivated.
SCHEDULE
Aug. 26 vs. Kofa; Sept. 2 at Maryvale; Sept. 9 at Mesquite; Sept. 16 at Basha; Sept. 22 vs. Mountain Pointe; Sept. 30 vs. Hamilton; Oct. 6 at Dobson; Oct. 14 at Corona del Sol; Oct. 21 vs. Gilbert; Oct. 28 at Desert Vista
KEY GAMES
Sept. 9 at Mesquite: The Wolves better be 2-0 heading into this one, because September is b-r-u-t-a-l, and the Wildcats are only the beginning.
Sept. 16 at Basha: It’s about time Basha gets to play the other Chandler schools during the regular season, rather than some occasional random occurrence during the playoffs. It’s not like many of these kids don’t know each other well.
Sept. 30 vs. Hamilton: For the 15th consecutive time, everyone will ask if this is Chandler’s year? Not only that, it’ll be the perfect gauge (at least to this point) whether Chandler’s defense has shown the progress Aguano believes it will.
OUTLOOK
It’s a new era of coaches, philosophies and some pivotal new personnel, but the same Chandler expectations remain. The two biggest questions surrounding the Wolves are whether the defense can improve (a high priority for the Wolves in the offseason) and new junior quarterback Darell Garretson.
New coach (and former offensive coordinator under Jim Ewan) Shaun Aguano knows that Garretson being compared to his predecessor, Brett Hundley (now at UCLA), is unfair.
Garretson, whose father was a California football coach for years, has a strong arm and is “quite cerebral,” according to Aguano. But he’s not going to be the big-time running threat Hundley was.
He will, however, have plenty of weapons around him. Both of the top 2010 receivers are back (Javon Williams and Lloyd Mills) as is one of the best offensive lineman in the state (Zack Hemmila) with two other returning starters up front. Paul Perkins and St. Mary’s-transfer LaRon Tarkington in the backfield (offensive and defensive).
The Wolves figure to have Garretson utilize quick throws to his skilled teammates.
Perkins and Tarkington will lead the back end of a defense that suffered mightily down the stretch in 2010, including its loss to Desert Ridge in the playoffs, but Kisima Jagne and Richard Winston will lead the strength of the new scheme up front. Both have Division I colleges in pursuit.
