After a year of hype and excitement, the day is finally upon us. Friday nights will now feature our very own Arizona College Preparatory Knights playing under the lights. To be honest, I thought the chances of an ACP football team forming during my time as a high school student was equal to zero. Needless to say, I was thrilled to hear that we would have a team this year, and cannot wait to see the team in competition next Friday, August 18 when they take on Odyssey Institute at home. After a conversation last Friday with Coach Blueford, I am filled with intrigue and anticipation.

The offense should be fun to watch, running a fast-paced spread offense. “This year, I think we’re going to throw it around a lot. [Freshman] Mark Chavez is a good quarterback, and we’ve got a whole slew of good receivers,” said Coach Blue when asked about the gameplan. Watching 7-on-7 games in the offseason, a player who stood out to me was wide receiver Jackson Zeller. He made defenders look silly out in the open field, breaking the ankles of everyone he crossed paths with. Put the ball in his hands, and he’ll make some big plays happen!

Expect the Knights to be powerful on the defensive side of the ball right out of the gates. Several strong, quick athletes such as Habi Ortiz, Jordan Diaz, and Marte Serrano will wreck havoc on opposing team’s offenses. Coach Blueford expects the defense to lead the Knights early on in the season while the offense gets its timing down. Other players to watch for include defensive end Eric DeCoster and linebacker Saar Zutshi.

Perhaps the most impressive part of the ACP team is who they are off the field. Upon arriving at ACP, Coach Blueford almost immediately realized that this school is perfect for him. He is impressed by how “everyone is family” and is thrilled to not have to worry about off-the-field issues such as academic ineligibility, fighting, and other issues nearly every other high school has to deal with. The Knights will be able to step on to the field every night with no unnecessary distractions hindering their performance, a key to any solid program.

One aspect to keep in mind is that the Knights squad does not have a lot of experience in real, game action. Coach Blue believes that in the early goings, inexperience will be the main obstacle ACP faces. “They just don’t know what a game time is going to be like… we’ve been trying to kind of create that, showing them videos of professionals and college football players… they’re starting to get it, but we really won’t get it until after our first game.” Running out under the lights for the first time on a Friday night will be a new experience for every single player on the ACP squad. I see this team growing exponentially throughout the year. The athleticism is there; once the players gain in-game experience, Knights Football will be a force to be reckoned with.

So, what should students expect from ACP in its inaugural season? “We’re going to be better than you think… I think that there are people that think we’re going to be good, and we’re going to be better than what that is… and I think people that say ‘oh, what are you guys going to be, you aren’t going to be that good,’ we’re going to be better than what you think.”

ACP Football: Better Than What You Think. Check out the Knights in action for their first two regular season games, 7 o’clock at Andersen Junior High, August 18th and 25th.