My favorite time of the year is upon us….FOOTBALL SEASON! And that means tracking the seasons of Arizona’s commits at the high school and junior college levels.
The Wildcats currently have 18 members of the 2027 class and one member of the 2028 class. The ‘Cats had 11 of their committed prospects in action this past weekend. Let’s get our first look of them in action this year in the 2026 season’s first edition of Friday Night Lights!
Caden Jones, QB, Crean Lutheran (CA) Saints
- Last Game: Won 31-6 against Loyola Cubs
- Team Record: 1-0
- Game Stats: 22-for-30, 285 yds, 2 TD; 4 car, 28 yds, 1 TD
- Season Stats: 22-for-30, 285 yds, 2 TD; 4 car, 28 yds, 1 TD
- Notes: Jones had a great game to start the season. He showed quick decision-making and ability to make most throws. He has great accuracy on while on the run, very reminiscent of Noah Fifita.
Wayne Shanks Jr., RB, Kinkaid (TX) Falcons
- Last Game: Lost 38-22 against Valor Christian Eagles
- Team Record: 0-1
- Game Stats: N/A
- Season Stats: N/A
- Notes: I wasn’t able to find any stats for Shanks, but I did find a touchdown run he had in the red zone from the Wildcat. It was a nice run by Shanks.
Ty Johnson, WR, Crean Lutheran (CA) Saints
- Last Game: Won 31-6 against Loyola Cubs
- Team Record: 1-0
- Game Stats: 10 rec, 123 yds, 1 TD
- Season Stats: 10 rec, 123 yds, 1 TD
- Notes: Johnson had a strong performance to start the season. The very first play shows his ability to cover a lot of ground and get open. In fact, Johnson is very good at finding the openings in the defensive coverage and making plays. He clearly has a knack for assisting his QB when needed as well.
Braylen Ross, WR, Crean Lutheran (CA) Saints
- Last Game: Won 31-6 against Loyola Cubs
- Team Record: 1-0
- Game Stats: 5 rec, 80 yds, 1 TD
- Season Stats: 5 rec, 80 yds, 1 TD
- Notes: I wasn’t able to find any game highlights, save from what’s in Caden’s highlights. At the 00:13 mark, Ross makes a nice catch on the sideline around the 5-yard line. At the 1:13 mark, he catches another pass along the sideline before getting knocked out of bounds. The very next play shows Ross split two defenders on a deep corner route, get behind the defense and make the catch in the end zone. One thing is clear, Ross is a big target.
Max Markofski, TE, Mission Viejo (CA) Diablos
- Last Game: Won 55-17 against Chaparral Pumas
- Team Record: 1-0
- Game Stats: 1 rec, 11 yds
- Season Stats: 1 rec, 11 yds
- Notes: I wasn’t able to find any clips of Markofski from the weekend. He did have a catch for 11 yards.
James Aloisio, OL, Snow College (UT) Badgers
- Last Game: Won 31-17 against Garden City Broncbusters
- Team Record: 1-0
- Notes: Aloisio looked the have a pretty solid game based on his highlights. They are short, but they give a glimpse of his skillset. He seemed to have good footspeed, albeit while playing a little upright. He shows a very aggressive play-style when it comes to run-blocking, evidenced by him driving his opponent into the ground.
Ahzan Bacote, DL, Cornerstone Christian (TX) Warriors
- Last Game: Won 62-28 against UANL Tigers
- Team Record: 1-0
- Game Stats: 4 tackles, 3 TFL, 1.5 sacks
- Season Stats: 4 tackles, 3 TFL, 1.5 sacks
- Notes: There were no highlights of Bacote, however, there is an interesting fact about the game. Cornerstone played a college football team from Mexico. They won two National Championships in the 1970s in tournament-style seasons. Either way, Bacote had an efficient and productive game against the Tigers.
Dieter Lotulelei, Edge, West (UT) Panthers
- Last Game: Won 60-0 against East Leopards
- Previous Game: Won 20-14 against Arbor View Aggies (Aug 14)
- Team Record: 2-0
- Arbor View Stats: 5 tackles, 3 TFL, 7 QB Hurries
- Notes: I was unable to find any film on Lotulelei for either game. He did seem to have a pretty good opening to the season against Arbor View. Interestingly, he didn’t record any stats against East. It is possible he did not play.
Evan Mack, CB, Crean Lutheran (CA) Saints
- Last Game: Won 31-6 against Loyola Cubs
- Team Record: 1-0
- Game Stats: 4 tackles
- Season Stats: 4 tackles
- Notes: I wasn’t able to find any film on Mack. To go along with his defensive stats, he also blocked a field goal.
Jacob Whitehead, CB, Crean Lutheran (CA) Saints
- Last Game: Won 31-6 against Loyola Cubs
- Team Record: 1-0
- Game Stats: N/A
- Season Stats: N/A
- Notes: I was unable to find any stats or film for Whitehead.
Luke Stevens, S, Fort Worth Christian (TX) Cardinals
- Last Game: Won 40-0 against Bishop Lynch Friars
- Team Record: 1-0
- Game Stats: N/A
- Season Stats: N/A
- Notes: FWC didn’t post defensive stats…even though they did post offensive stats. Anyway, Stevens does have some clips from this past weekend. First play shows him screaming off the edge to chase down the QB on a rollout to the left. He managed to take him down and force a fumble that was recovered by one of his teammates. Interestingly enough, the next play shows him at corner, showing some position flexibility.