Former Saguaro football standout Brock Haman is transferring to Arizona State from Arkansas, he said Saturday.
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound linebacker chose the Razorbacks out of high school, but decided to leave after coach Bobby Petrino was fired for off-field transgressions.
Haman hurt his foot last season as a true freshman and redshirted, and will apply for a hardship to play right away because of the situation surrounding Petrino’s dismissal. Normal transfers have to sit out for a season, but Haman believes he may get to play because Petrino’s firing was not performance-related.
“I …

Saguaro running back D.J. Foster was chosen as the Ed Doherty award winner on Friday afternoon, given annually to the state’s top football player.
Foster, the Tribune’s Player of the Year, ran for 3,058 yards and had 60 total touchdowns on the season, which set a new state single-season record.
Foster beat out Chaparral wide receiver/cornerback Davonte Neal, Desert Vista linebacker Mike Arredondo, Chaparral quarterback Connor Brewer and Northwest Christian running back Casey Jahn for the honor.
He is the fourth Saguaro player to win the award this decade, joining Kyle Caldwell (2002), …

Every college football coach in America took to their press conferences on Wednesday and proclaimed what a success National Signing Day was for the future of their programs.
It’s the job of new in-state coaches Rich Rodriguez and Todd Graham to do so, but based on the actual (though obviously subjective) rankings, both coaches struck out.
Arizona State was ranked eighth in the Pac-12 by Rivals.com and Scout.com. Arizona fared even worse, ranking 11th in the conference by Rivals and No. 10 by Scout.
Fans can use the coaching changes as an excuse, …

Two of the East Valley’s top football recruits will make their college choices public in the next week.
Saguaro running back D.J. Foster will choose among Arizona State, Southern California and Cal on Friday at 11:45 a.m. in a press conference at the school.
Foster was the Tribune’s Player of the Year and is rated a four-star recruit by websites Rivals.com and Scout.com.
Corona del Sol offensive lineman Andrus Peat will announce his decision on Feb. 1 at 11:35 a.m. on ESPNU’s National Signing Day Show.
“When I was at the Under …

Confirming several other reports, Saguaro star running back D.J. Foster will choose between Arizona State, Cal and USC on Jan. 27.
The date is significant to him because it would have been his sister Jennifer’s 22nd birthday. Jennifer Foster died of an accidental prescription drug overdose on August 20, 2009. Here is a story I wrote in late November chronicling the relationship between the siblings.
Foster’s parents, Ruth and Darryll, Sr., will meet with ASU on Saturday, former Saguaro coach John Sanders said, but D.J. is done talking to colleges.
He will take …

Saguaro running back D.J. Foster, Chaparral’s Davonte Neal and Corona del Sol lineman Andrus Peat were named to the Parade magazine All-American team in its Jan. 15 issue.
Foster set state records for touchdowns in a season (54) and single game (10 vs. Peorial Sunrise Mountain). He also (unofficially) set a new big-school record with 508 rushing yards against Sunrise Mtn. as the Sabercats eventually won a second consecutive state title.
Neal rushed for 1,317 yards and 16 touchdowns, caught 62 passes for 1,113 yards and 14 TD and had five TD …

It’s becoming increasingly likely that fired Saguaro football coach John Sanders lands in a role with the Arizona State football program.
Sanders met with new Sun Devils coach Todd Graham on Saturday and sources said the meeting was productive. Scout.com is reporting that Sanders will join the ASU football program in the next few days.
In an interview on Thursday, Sanders said he had multiple job offers following his firing at Saguaro, but that his preference would be to stay in Arizona near his family. He expressed admiration for Graham and said …

The new Arizona State football coaching staff will get to make an in-person recruiting pitch to Tribune Player of the Year D.J. Foster for the first time on Wednesday.
A recruiting dead period coincided with the hiring of Todd Graham to replace Dennis Erickson at ASU, and now Graham is expected to put the full-court press on getting a commitment from Foster, one of the highest rated recruits in the state.
The senior running back from Saguaro nearly committed to Arizona State on Nov. 4, but watched as the team’s season unraveled, …

The Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl, an all-star football game with grand hopes of rising to the prominence of the Under Armour and U.S. Army All-American bowls, will have its inaugural matchup today at 4 p.m. at Chase Field.
One hundred players from around the country have been invited to square off in an East vs. West format.
East Valley players participating will be Saguaro’s D.J. Foster, Hamilton’s Jaxon Hood, Chandler’s Javon Williams and Zach Hemmila, Corona del Sol’s Avery Moss and Perry’s Rey Higuera.
Hamilton coach Steve Belles will coach the West team, …

Not to take away anything from kids/coaches accomplishments, but we’re never ones to get involved or think heavily on national rankings by anyone as it relates to high school sports.
But thanks to a tip I’ll pass these nuggets along anyway.
After winning the Division I football state championship, Desert Vista is No. 11 in the latest rendition of USA Today’s Super 25 rankings of high school football teams nationwide.
Las Vegas Bishop Gorman (the team that beat Chaparral way back in late August in the Barry Sollenberger Classic) finished No. 5.
There’s more.  …