Casteel football preparing for trip to Upland

Sep. 6—The pandemic put a wrench in the plans of several East Valley high school football programs the last two years.

Many had sought matchups with opponents in California and other surrounding states before COVID-19 put a halt to that.

But that is now in the past, and several East Valley teams have made it a priority to start schedule teams from out of state within the first few weeks of their season. Casteel is no exception.

The Colts will travel to the Los Angeles area to take on Upland, which has had some up and down years as of late.

"I think they'll have great athleticism, and they'll be coached really, really well," Casteel coach Bobby Newcombe said. "They'll be competitive. But we're competitive, too. We're athletic, too. We're strong, too. We're really looking forward to getting out there and competing against those guys."

In 2018 Upland went 12-3 and lost to powerhouse Sierra Canyon in the playoffs.

That was followed by a 6-6 campaign in 2019 and a winless 0-4 season during the pandemic.

Upland was most notably known for the roster it had during that 2018 season, which featured Justin Flowe, the unanimous No. 1 linebacker in the country who is now starring at Oregon. While a couple of years removed from having Flowe, the Highlanders still present a challenge to the Colts due to the returning players they do have.

Upland returns its top passer in Sean York from a year ago. Rickey Allen and Zivan Ardines also return after the two combined to rush for more than 1,300 yards in 2021. The Highlanders also return their top wideout in Theo Thompson and Brendan Ash, who had the second-most tackles on the team last season.

The Upland roster doesn't have star power like it did when Flowe was around, but it has returning talent and home-field advantage over Casteel.

Casteel senior quarterback Landon Jury knows his team has to be prepared.

"It will take a lot of preparation and film study," Jury said. "Also believing in each other as a team and a positive mindset."

Jury, who is now in his second season leading the Colt offense, had a thrilling spring and summer. He showed more poise as he became more comfortable in the offense. He also has more confidence now as a senior.

Last year, he threw for 1,228 yards and eight touchdowns. He led Casteel to a 5-7 record which included a trip to the 6A Conference playoffs and first-round win over Desert Vista, the No. 8 seed, in Ahwatukee.

He has confidence in his team to improve from last season, and it began this past Friday with a win against a Mountain Ridge team that figured to be improved. Then, it's Upland.

"My excitement level is through the roof right now," Jury said. "I think it will be a unique and great bonding experience to travel out of state and play another opponent."

Jury and Casteel's success will depend on the weapons he has around him making plays.

That includes Casteel's do-it-all playmaker, Jeremiah "JJ" Newcombe.

JJ has quickly become one of the most electrifying playmakers in the state. The junior has played quarterback, running back and wideout for the Casteel offense. On defense, he is a lockdown corner.

He had 953 all-purpose yards last season on offense with seven touchdowns. On defense, he had 37 tackles and seven interceptions, among the most in the state during his sophomore season. Gerayes Grimes returns to help man the secondary with JJ, while Ryder Cost, Austin Young and Joseph Mularski return to lead the linebackers. Mularski can also play defensive end for the Colts.

Casteel is one of many East Valley teams to take on out-of-state opponents within the first two weeks of the season.

This past Friday, Chandler and Red Mountain participated in The Honor Bowl in San Diego. Desert Vista also played in the showcase on Saturday.

Williams Field, Campo Verde and Queen Creek participate in the Moorpark Classic north of Los Angeles on Friday and Saturday, while Mountain View traveled to play Helix and Basha Los Alamitos, led by a pair of five-star recruits at quarterback and wide receiver.

Perry traveled to Nevada to take on Las Vegas' Spring Valley, while Saguaro welcomed New Jersey power Bergen Catholic to Scottsdale.

Next Friday, along with Casteel, Hamilton will travel to take on Bishop Gorman Friday in the Polynesian Classic in Las Vegas. Mountain Pointe will play Arbor View Saturday in the same showcase, and Highland is taking a trip to visit Lone Peak High School in Utah.

It's a unique experience for all Arizona teams to travel out of state. But more than anything, it's a way to continue putting the state on the map as one of the best for high school football.

"It's exciting to take a trip like that as a team," Newcombe said. "We're taking quite a bit of guys with us so they can experience the adventure. We're really excited to take on that group and I'm glad they were willing and able to play us."

Have an interesting story? Contact Zach Alvira at (480)898-5630 or zalvira@timespublications.com. Follow him on Twitter @ZachAlvira.