Watch out for the Gators: Green Valley has strong defense, talented players

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015 | noon

It could be the toughest schedule in town.

The Green Valley High football team’s five nonleague games this fall come against three schools ranked in the Sun’s preseason top-10, a high-scoring team from California and a squad with arguably Southern Nevada’s best running back.

The Gators will have to break in a new quarterback and multiple players on the offensive line against the likes of Arbor View, a perennial Sunset Region power, and five-time Sunrise Region champion Liberty. They open Friday against Charter Oak of California.

“We have got a goal this year and it really is to take each week, week by week,” Green Valley coach Brian Castro said. “If we do that, things will take care of themselves.”

Green Valley went 7-3 last season while also playing a challenging schedule. It has won 31 games over the past four seasons. The expectation, regardless of who is in the lineup, is to continue winning.

“(The schedule) is not really hard unless you think it is hard,” senior running back Austin Warhop said. “And we don’t think it is hard. We are ready for a battle. We are ready to play.”

Green Valley must replace quarterback Christian Lopez and running back Albert Lake. Both were mainstays the past three seasons and accounted for most of the Green Valley offense.

But the cupboard is far from bare.

Isiah Macklin, a 6 foot 5 wide receiver with scholarship offers from UNLV and San Diego State, will be tough for smaller defensive backs to contain. Brayon Williams who had 400 receiving yards and five touchdowns last season also returns. Add to the mix Spencer Cofer, who played quarterback at Coronado last season, and the Gators’ talent is comparable, if not better, to those heavyweights on the schedule.

“I’m really excited about the guys coming up,” Castro said.

Green Valley’s defense will be a strength, especially at linebacker where Brock Hershberger (6 foot 3, 220 pounds) leads the way. Hershberger, who is part of the Sun’s preseason all-city team, had 53 tackles and nine sacks in 2014. He’ll be joined at linebacker by C.J. Araujo, a transfer from Silverado who played on both sides of the ball last season as a sophomore, and senior David Berg. Berg had 55 tackles last year.

In the secondary, junior Nahzi Salih could be the Southeast League’s best defensive back, and David Vazquez at safety is strong as the last line of defense.

“We will need to lead on them,” Castro said of his defense. I have faith we’ll be able to do that.”

If Green Valley can make improvements each week, the sky is the limit. Even without a proven quarterback, it is ranked No. 7 in the preseason. It’s not too far-fetched to believe that in 10 weeks when the playoffs begin, the Gators could be in line for a deep postseason run.

“We just have to play football, be ballplayers,” Warhop said. “If we do that, just be a team, we will be unstoppable.”

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21