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Aztecs could be spoilers in Mesa League
By Markus Berzen
Posted Sept. 10, 2002
The Montgomery Aztecs may not be one of the teams receiving a lot of preseason attention, but much like last year, the Aztecs have an interesting squad that could very well be the surprise team in the Mesa League.
Last year’s 4-6 squad was the dark horse in league play with speedy and talented players who had the goods to cause trouble for any opposing team. This year’s Montgomery team holds the promise of once again becoming the surprise team in the league.
Despite being forced to replace a large number of graduating players, the Aztecs can still show off an interesting team with plenty of potential. Sophomore quarterback Josh Osuna will have to fill the void left by one of last year’s top players in the Metro Conference, quarterback Ian Pizarro. Osuna has shown plenty of promise already and he is considered one of the top offensive players on a team that has an abundance of offensive talent.
The main offensive threat and the player who is expected to put the points on the scoreboard will be running back Kenyatta Williams, who had a great 2001 season with seven touchdowns and an average of 17.2 yards per carry. The Aztecs expect another great season from Williams. Mark Fong is also mentioned as one of the offensive players to keep an eye on this season.
Much like last year’s Aztecs, the 2002 Montgomery squad will rely on speed — both on offense and defense — but the lack of depth and the lack of size could cause problems. Henry Valdez, Stefan Foster and Chris Johnson stand out as the top defensive players.
Coach Mike Smerdon believes this team has a good chance to improve on last year’s results, and is hopeful about his own personal predictions.
“We have a younger team this year. That means they are hungrier and more enthusiastic. That is very important,” he said.
Smerdon makes it clear that beating Bonita Vista and Eastlake is high on his wish list for this season and that winning games against those two teams would give Montgomery a good chance to finish on top of the league, something which is a definite goal of the Aztecs this season.
The Aztecs are neither expected, nor pressured to be at the top of the Mesa League, which gives Montgomery the luxury of being the underdog.
“We will have fun playing and the players are working very hard and they show tremendous enthusiasm, and that will be the key to our success,” Smerdon said.