The Pima Community College football team came out on top in the recruiting battle for running back Mitch Fischer.

“Mitch is a great player and we are very happy about his commitment,” head coach Patrick Nugent said. “We will cross our fingers and hope he is here in August. Anything can happen from now until August.”

Fischer played for Ironwood Ridge High School. He was the Arizona Daily Star’s 2011 Offensive Player of the Year and KVOA News 4’s High School Football Player of the Year.

He stood out by rushing for 2,143 yards and 26 touchdowns last season, which helped his team earn a spot in the Division II state semifinal.

Maxpreps.com ranks Fischer first in his high school’s league, second in his state’s division, ninth in the state overall and 556 nationally in rushing rankings.

In total rankings, he is second in the league, sixth in the state division, 31^st in state and 1,293 nationally.

Offers came in from numerous Football Championship Subdivision schools, including South Dakota State. Football Bowl Subdivision school New Mexico State also showed interest.

Besides the FCS schools, Fischer received offers from top two-year colleges across the country.

Fischer chose Pima because he wanted to stay close to home, Nugent said. He also wants to play safety for the Aztecs.

Fischer will not be the only former Ironwood Ridge athlete on Pima’s fall roster. He will be joined by defensive lineman Tyson Otuafi and offensive lineman C.J. Healey.

Thirty-five recruits have committed to Pima, including nine from Tucson. In addition to Fischer, Otuafi and Healey, the other six Tucson players are:

• Defensive back Josh Brown from Canyon Del Oro High School
• Linebacker Nathan Delf, Sabino
• Center Matt Fontes, Cienega
• Offensive lineman Jake Laird, Sabino,
• Offensive lineman Matt Rossi, Sabino,
• Offensive lineman Liam White, Sabino

The National Football League’s most prestigious event is less than two weeks away, and excitement is at a fever pitch.

Few events bring so many people together. Even non-football fans are attending Super Bowl parties for the food and to laugh at commercials that companies spend millions to be aired for less than a minute.

For us football fans, the food and commercials come second to the question that perplexes us each year, who will bring home the Vince Lombardi trophy?

Super Bowl XLVI will be a rematch of 2008’s Super Bowl XLII between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. The Giants won that match up ending Patriot’s attempt at perfection.

The New York Giants (12-7) will be representing the National Football Conference. They were the NO. 4 seed and went up against the San Francisco 49ers in the conference championship. It was a close game, but the Giants were able to edge out a win in overtime.

The Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning is having a pro bowl season and leads the 8th best offense in the league.

That defense is what helped push them over the 49ers, as they only allowed one 3rd down conversion during regulation.

The number one seed New England Patriots (15-3) will be representing the American Football Conference in the Super Bowl. They went up against the Baltimore Ravens for the conference championship, and although the lead kept changing, the Patriots were able to pull through in the end.

Tom Brady leads the Patriots high potent offense, ranked No. 2 in the league.

The Patriots did struggle some against the Raven’s defense. It was the Ravens inability to capitalize off of the Patriots’ mistakes that cost them in the end.

The biggest downfall of the Patriots is their defense, ranked 31st in the league.

Some would say that the defense doesn’t matter. But the Green Bay Packers proved a few weeks ago that in order to make it to the championships, the defense must step up.

When you look at things on paper regarding the Giants and the Patriots, it’s rather close. Vegas list the Giants as two and a half point underdogs.

I think that’s exactly how it will play out in the end.

Patriots win, Tom Brady will be named Super Bowl MVP.

The Pima Community College Aztecs finished their season with a loss, falling 30-12 to the No. 18 Glendale Community College Gauchos on Nov. 12.

The Gauchos controlled the first half, scoring 24 points. Glendale held the Aztecs to three points on a field goal by freshman kicker Jon Mora from 30 yards out.

The second half favored the Aztecs, as they scored nine points to Glendale’s six.

Pima scored all of its points in the fourth quarter, starting with the Aztecs’ only touchdown of the game. Sophomore quarterback Devin Stewart connected with freshman wide receiver Brandon Cradic in the back of the end zone. The Gauchos blocked Pima’s point-after attempt.

The Aztecs finished their scoring with Mora kicking a second field goal from 54 yards out.

Pima’s return game was effective. Freshman cornerback Josh Kimbell set up the first field goal by returning a kick 69 yards. Kimbell also had a 42-yard kick return in the fourth quarter.

Pima finished its season with a 3-8 overall record and a 2-6 Western States Football League record.

Head coach Patrick Nugent expressed disappointment with the season, as he had higher hopes coming in.

“We played hard in the last game, but it was a very disappointing year,” Nugent said. “We had very high expectations, but due to injuries and other things we fell way short of our goals.”

Pima secured the seventh place spot in the league, marking the first time in years that the Aztecs did not finish in ninth place.

The Aztecs’ leading rusher this season was sophomore running back A.J. Willis, who totaled 523 rushing yards on 117 carries.

Willis also had the most rushing touchdowns on the team, with four.

Kimbell lead the team in receiving yards with 360 on 22 catches. Sophomore wide receiver Cameron Gaddis was second with 230 receiving yards on 25 catches.

Both Kimbell and Gaddis had three receiving touchdowns for the season.

Stewart lead Pima in passing yards with 658 on 142 attempts. He also led the team in passing touchdowns with seven. He threw six interceptions.

Mora led the team in point-after touchdown kicks, making 22 of 23. He also led the team in field goals kicked with nine, including the longest field goal of the year from 54 yards out.

On the defensive side, freshman linebacker Clarence Williams led the Aztecs in tackles with 78.

Freshman safety Darius Kelly led Pima in interceptions with three, and in interceptions returned for touchdowns with two.

Freshman cornerback Andrew Fox led the team in sacks with three. Fox also led the Aztecs in fumble returns for touchdowns with two.

Fox and freshman safety Danell Miles tied for most fumble recoveries. Both recovered five.

The Aztecs season was plagued with injuries, and the team lost other players due to resignation and ineligibility.

Pima’s football team started with 92 men on the roster and ended with 76, but only suited up 46 players for the final game.

Nugent hopes to rebound. He enters the off-season ready to find recruits for next year’s team.

“We need to have a great recruiting season, many spots to fill,” Nugent said.

Pima players make a tackle against the Thunderbirds on Oct. 29 at Kino Stadium.

 The Pima Community College football team lost its road game Nov. 5 against the No. 9 New Mexico Military Institute Broncos in a game played in Roswell, N.M.

The final score was 42-10.

The New Mexico Broncos dominated the first half, scoring 35 points and holding the Aztecs to zero points.

The Aztecs were in control for the second half, outscoring the Broncos 10 points to seven.

Pima’s defense came through with yet another touchdown carry against the Broncos. Freshman cornerback Andrew Fox returned a fumble 35 yards for a touchdown.

Freshman kicker Jon Mora finished off the Aztec scoring by kicking his longest field goal of the year, from 53 yards out in the fourth quarter.

Pima’s record is now 3-7 overall and 2-5 in the Western States Football League.

The Aztecs will play their final game of the season Nov. 12 at Kino Stadium against Glendale Community College. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.

Bring a student ID to get a discount on admission.

On Oct. 29, PCC played its best game of the season against the Mesa Community College Thunderbirds, winning the contest 41-10.

Pima’s defense returned three fumble recoveries and one interception for touchdowns.

“Everything just went good for us,” freshman safety Deanthony Easley said.

Sophomore linebacker Andrew Cesarini returned a fumble for 46 yards for the only score of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Thunderbirds answered with their only touchdown pass of the game. Pima’s defense came back out and freshman line backer Clarence Williams returned a fumble 55 yards.

Freshman defensive lineman Maurice Chavis also recovered a fumble in the second quarter, but was unable to return it for a touchdown.

“They threw the ball to the running back and I came up and I just brought the wood to him,”  Chavis said about his favorite hit of the game.

Both teams kicked a field goal before the half, with  Pima’s Mora making a 40-yard field goal to finish the half with the Aztecs leading 17-10.

In the third quarter, sophomore outside linebacker Devonttay Jones returned a fumble for a touchdown after sophomore safety Adrian Brahler delivered a big hit to a Thunderbird player.

In the fourth quarter, Mora kicked his second field goal of the game from 18 yards out. The final defensive touchdown for the Aztecs came when freshman safety Danell Miles took an interception 21 yards for the touchdown.

“Defense definitely carried us,” freshman cornerback Sam Jones said.

Easley, who was occasionally brought in as a running back, finished the Aztecs’ scoring with an 18-yard run for his first touchdown of the season.

Head coach Patrick Nugent had a positive outlook after his team won.

“I know this is minor, but we’ve guaranteed that we are not going to finish in last place, for the first time in nine years here at Pima,” Nugent said.

The Aztecs planned to concentrate on offensive tactics in preparation for their final two games.

Nugent plans to continue building on his current success in the years to come.

Aj willis stiff arms a defender.

The Pima Community College football team lost its third game in a row Oct. 15, when Scottsdale Community College defeated the Aztecs 76-24.

The road loss was the season’s largest margin of defeat, and the team’s second loss to Scottsdale this year.

Pima’s overall record is 2-6, with a 1-4 Western States Football League record.

Four Aztec players put points on the board during the Scottsdale game.

Sophomore wide receiver Cameron Gaddis caught a 42-yard pass for a touchdown. Gaddis is first on the team in passes caught with 16 and second for receiving yards with 131. He is tied for second on receiving touchdowns, with two.

Sophomore running back A.J. Willis ran 11 yards for a touchdown. Willis leads the team in carries with 66, rushing yards with 369 and rushing touchdowns with three.

Freshman safety Darius Kelly returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown. Kelly leads the team in interception yards with 59 and has the team’s only interception touchdown.

Freshman kicker Jon Mora made a 36-yard field goal. Mora leads the team in field goals made with three and topped the previous longest field goal of 35 yards.

The Aztecs are enjoying a bye week, with their next game scheduled for Oct. 29.

Head coach Pat Nugent feels the time off will be beneficial.

“Without question, we are really banged up and need a week to recover,” he said.

The Oct. 29 home game against Mesa Community College will begin at 1:30 p.m. at Kino Stadium. Mesa finished last in the league last season, but has been picked to finish just above Pima this year.

Bring a student ID for discounted admission.

Aztecs vs. Gila Monsters at Tucson High.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kcuanPzk4w

With the Tucson sun beating down on a mid-summer day, more than 70 men kneel on one knee surrounding Pima Community College football coach Pat Nugent.

“The reality is we can only keep a few players,” Nugent says. “Most of you won’t be playing football for Pima this fall.”

The PCC football team is not exactly a powerhouse in the Western States Football League. Pima struggles to win games year after year. That does not mean, however, that any average Joe can play for the Aztecs.

It is easy to sit on the couch, drinking a beer with your friends while watching football on television and say, “I could play football, I’m better than these guys.”

Everybody has friends or relatives who swear they can play college football. In reality, few have what it takes to make a college football roster and Pima is no exception.

In order to make the Pima football team, everyone must try out. Registration costs $20.

The tryout is comparable to the National Football League combine you see on television. Players are separated into groups based on a number received at registration.

The groups go to different stations, where their statistics are recorded.

One station is a combination of 180-pound bench press and vertical leap. Another station is a shuttle run that tests lateral movement.

Yet another station has you test stops and starts by running around cones while facing one direction. Then there is everyone’s favorite, the 40-yard dash.

If you are 6 feet tall and weigh 190 pounds, complete nine repetitions on the bench press, have a vertical jump of 31 inches and run a 40-yard dash in 5.3 seconds, you won’t make the team.

After the combine-style tryouts, you will be separated into groups based on the position for which you are trying out. These drills don’t show much except who can follow directions and catch a football.

The tryout is performed without pads and helmets. If the coaches do not know who you are, you will need a huge body or be a beast in the combine workouts to impress them.

There will be players trying out that the coaches already know or have recruited. They will have an advantage over an unknown athlete.

Anyone who has played football understands you cannot judge a real football player without him strapping pads on and getting after it in a full-contact scrimmage or football game.

However, this tryout gives coaches and yourself an idea of what you have to bring to a football team.

Maurice Chavis, the starting nose guard for Pima, is currently on a football scholarship. The 6-foot, 275-pound lineman is a rare example of a player who tried out and did make the team.

“There were 100 of us trying out and four guys made the team,” Chavis said. “People think it’s easy to Pima’s football team, but it’s not.”

Pima is 2-5 this season and has been outscored 175 to 57 in their five conference games. If you think you can play college football, the record says PCC is a school that will be easy to make.

If you are that guy who tells his friends and family that you could play college football, there is only one way to find out.

PCC holds an open tryout every summer. You can see if you have what it takes to make the team, or you can do what most people do: talk about what could have been.

Maurice Chavis is one of the few Pima football players who made the team by trying out in the summer

The Pima Community College football team lost its second game in a row Oct. 8 when it faced No. 15 Eastern Arizona College.

The Aztecs (2-5, 1-3 Western States Football League) were defeated 49-7 by the Gila Monsters.

PCC used two rookie quarterbacks, sophomore Devin Stewart and freshman Quinn Rollerson, because sophomore starter Zander McKean was out with an injury.

Head coach Patrick Nugent expressed disappointment after the loss. He said his team is working hard and hoped for a better showing.

“We’re a really frustrated offense, we just turn the ball over too much,” Nugent said. “It’s a tough league and we put ourselves in situations that aren’t very good.”

The Aztecs started the game competitively, though they fumbled their first possession. They held the Gila Monsters to one touchdown in the first quarter and blocked the extra point attempt.

Things began to slide for the Aztecs in the second quarter, as they continued turning over the ball and were unable to put any points on the board. The Aztecs ended the half down 35-0.

PCC’s offense was limited to the ground game of sophomore running back A.J. Willis.

Willis scored the Aztecs’ only touchdown in the third quarter with a 9-yard run. Pima finished the third quarter down 42-7.

The Aztec defense caused a few turnovers, but Pima was unable to convert on any of the opportunities.

In the fourth quarter, possession bounced back and forth with turnovers and punts. The Gila Monsters scored one more touchdown.

Willis said he would work on eliminating turnovers during upcoming practices.

“We had seven as a team and I contributed two of those,” Willis said. “You can’t do that as a running back. That’s not helping the team out.”

On Oct. 1, PCC lost a road game in Yuma to No. 3 Arizona Western College, 58-14. Pima won against Phoenix College the week before.

Up next for the Aztecs is an Oct. 15 road trip to Scottsdale Community College to play the Fighting Artichokes in WSFL action. Earlier this season, Scottsdale beat Pima 46-13 in a nonconference game in Tucson.

The Pima defense forces a Gila Monster fumble in a 49-7 home loss to No. 15 Eastern Arizona on Oct. 8 at Tucson High School

The Pima Community College football team snapped its three-game losing streak Sept. 24 by beating Phoenix College 37-10 on the road without the starting quarterback.

For the Aztecs (2-3, 1-1 Western States Football League), the victory marked their third win in a row against the Bears.

Sophomore Devin Stewart started at quarterback in place of injured sophomore Zander McKean. Stewart completed 10 of 12 pass attempts for a total of 200 yards and had two touchdown passes.

Freshman Josh Kimbell had five catches for 149 yards with two touchdown catches. Sophomore defensive lineman Clinton Gray returned an interception 14 yards for a touchdown.

“We really played well on both sides of the ball,” head coach Patrick Nugent said.

The next opponent for Pima is WSFL power, No. 3 Arizona Western College. The Aztecs travel to Yuma on Oct. 1.

Quentin Burke

Nugent’s plan is to give his quarterbacks as many reps as they can handle and try to keep the team in a winning frame of mind.

“We need to keep momentum going after a big win,” Nugent said. “We face Arizona Western and it will be tough.”

On Sept. 17, PCC lost its third straight game, 35-14, to No. 7 Snow College. It was the first game played at Kino Stadium this year.

Snow scored two touchdowns in the first quarter. Pima answered early in the second quarter with a touchdown.

Pima was able to hold Snow in the second quarter, thanks to some deep kicks and the defense maintaining its composure.

Snow was able to pull away late though, with two third quarter touchdowns and one in the fourth.

The Pima Community College football team’s home opener came Sept. 10, when the Aztecs hosted Scottsdale Community College in their final non-conference game, but their woes continued.

The Aztecs (1-2) and Fighting Artichokes played at Tucson High School in a non-conference game between Western States Football League rivals, with Scottsdale winning 46-13.

PCC is not having much luck on the football field. Their opponents have been uncontested in their past two games.

Darius Kelly

“We’re just really disappointed the last two weeks,” head coach Pat Nugent said. “We’re just shell shocked right now.”

The game was delayed an hour and 25 minutes because of rain.

The Aztecs suffered a couple of injuries in the game, adding injury to insult. In the first half sophomore offensive lineman Jordan Christianson went down and Nugent was not sure as to his likelihood of returning.

Another injury came in the fourth quarter when freshman defensive lineman Maurice Chavis was assisted off the field.

Pima’s points mostly came from two field goals by freshman kicker Jon Mora. Their lone touchdown came when sophomore quarterback Zander McKean threw a seven-yard pass to freshman tight-end Spencer Grijalva for a touchdown.

Zander McKean

Nugents coaching staff and players had confidence this season in their offense and defense, even though their defense is a bit small.

Special teams were a bright spot on the evening, blocking three Fighing Artichoke extra points and returning a few kick offs to midfield. A pessimistic Nugent thought it might have been because they had so much practice returning kick offs.

The Aztecs are dominating the WSFL’s kickoff return stats, with freshman safety Darius Kelly in second, freshman cornerback Josh Kimball in third and freshman running back Cody Woody in fifth. Kelly has 177 yards on six returns.

The defense did manage a few turnovers in the second half, however the offense was unable to convert them into points.

“To sum it all up, we just need to play like a team,” said sophomore safety Adrian Brahler. “We’ve done that in the past and we’re kind of drifting away from it.”

Brahler also feels that the team just needs to pick each other up and not let themselves get down after mistakes or bad plays.

The upcoming practices for the Aztecs are going to be a re-evaluation for the team as they are going to have to break everything down and build it back up.

“Not a thing has worked for us, so we’re going to have to re-evaluate as coaches where we’re at, break it down a little bit and get better,” Nugent said. “We still got some talent out there.”

The Aztecs traveled to No. 19 Glendale Community College on Sept. 3, losing 35-0 in another non-conference game against a WSFL team.

The blowouts came after Pima beat Sonoran Institute of Technology 59-0 in the season opener in Douglas, Ariz.

The Aztecs have failed to repeat their first endeavor.

The Aztecs next game will be played at Kino Stadium against No. 7 Snow College on Saturday Sept. 17. Snow College is located in Ephraim, Utah.

Kick off is at 7 p.m. and admission is $7 general and $5 for students, so make sure to bring those IDs.

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On Deck
Sept. 17: vs. Snow College,
7 p.m. (at Kino Stadium)
Sept. 24: @ Phoenix
College, 7 p.m.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noZO8LMW1PM