Members of the Arbor View High football team pose for a photo at the Las Vegas Sun’s high school football media day July 20, 2016 at the South Point. They include, from left, Greg Rogers, Mike Sims, Ryan Hurley, Andrew Wagner, and Hayden Bollinger.
Friday, Aug. 26, 2016 | 2 a.m.
Prep Sports Now
Football: There is no close second
Las Vegas Sun sports editors Ray Brewer and Case Keefer ring in the start of football season by discussing some of the valley's top storylines and teams, like Bishop Gorman, Liberty, Arbor View and Desert Pines.
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After losing in the Sunset Regional championship game last season, Arbor View returns plenty of starters to make a run at its third straight Northwest League title.
All-city defensive lineman Greg Rogers — who has scholarship offers from UCLA, USC, Oklahoma and Arizona State among others — comes over from rival Centennial to anchor the middle of an already strong defensive front.
He will undoubtedly improve upon a defense that held opponents to 17 points per game last season.
“Kids knowing what to do,” Arbor View coach Dan Barnson said on what to expect from the Aggies' defense this year. “Kids having a job and being held accountable to what we expect of them, but turning some kids loose as well, and kids flying around and playing fast. We put a lot of work in the weight room to be strong and explosive and we want on both sides of the ball to show that on the field.”
Arbor View pitched a shutout against Shadow Ridge in the first round of the playoffs, and held Bishop Gorman to 28 points (its lowest output of the season) in the regional championship.
Behind Rogers will be senior linebacker Andrew Wagner, who also ran for 342 yards and two touchdowns at fullback last season, and all-city cornerback Mike Sims.
The Aggies will be replacing leading rusher Curtis Jones, who ran for 1,098 yards and 12 scores, but have plenty of talent to do it. Deago Stubbs carried the ball 109 times for 779 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore, along with leading the team with 262 receiving yards and five more scores through the air.
“We have some kids and we need to figure out where to put them and kids have to buy in and play whatever position will make the team better,” Barnson said.
Hayden Bollinger returns at quarterback for his senior season after an efficient 853 yards and 12 touchdowns on only 88 pass attempts in 2015.
“I’m just looking to lead this team. We have a lot of talent this year,” said Bollinger, who will need to pass more for a more balanced offense this season. “(We want to) move the ball. Putting it in the air. Putting it on the ground. Everywhere.”
But as always, the Aggies' success will come down to their ability to control the line of scrimmage. After losing offensive tackle Keenen King — who is now at Washington State — senior lineman Ryan Hurley has taken the reins.
“Usually I don’t really take charge of the team but this year I’m a senior and we lost a lot of our returners so I have to step up and show our linemen what to do,” Hurley said.
Like last year the Aggies will open the season with an enormous test right out of the gates.
Arbor View is determined to make sure the season opener today versus Liberty goes differently than last year’s 50-14 loss to Desert Pines.
“That hit us hard last year and this year we are going to start out and grind,” Bollinger said. “We are ready. We have a big season together this year and we are just looking to play as a family.”
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