With Brophy’s surprising loss to Basha on Thursday, Desert Ridge seems like the only legitimate threat left to stop Hamilton’s four-peat in the Division I semifinals on Friday (apologies to Desert Vista and Basha, who I just don’t see giving the Huskies a game).
The teams played in the regular season, and while the Jaguars hung around, they could get nothing going offensively and the Huskies methodically pulled out a 28-6 victory.
Since that time, Hamilton has gotten much better, so any chance at an upset seems slim. However, Desert Ridge at …

Desert Ridge quarterback Parker Rasmussen has a grade 1 separated shoulder, and while he should be cleared to play on Friday against Mesa, coach Jeremy Hathcock may be extra cautious and have him sit out.
Rasmussen suffered the injury early in the third quarter against Basha and didn’t play the rest of the game. He did rack up 166 rushing yards, 128 passing yards and four total touchdowns before getting hurt in the 63-24 win. A grade 1 separation is the least severe, Hathcock said.
The offense moved as well as it …

Willingly or not, maybe Parker Rasmussen should be the poster child for having an appeals process about automatic suspensions after ejections. The Desert Ridge quarterback can’t play this week against Red Mountain after he was tossed from last week’s win against Skyline for allegedly bumping into a referee during a scrum following a couple personal foul penalties on the Jaguars.
Nothing changed last year when former Apache Junction coach Rich Milligan was tossed from a game after an unsportsmanlike penalty was called against his team for what he called “incidental” contact …

Parker Rasmussen will not be playing on Friday against Red Mountain.
The Desert Ridge wide receiver/defensive back was ejected in the third quarter of last week’s win against Skyline for bumping an official, which means he is automatically suspended for the team’s next game, although the Jaguars were holding out hope that the decision would be overturned.
Desert Ridge disagreed with the referees’ version of events, but the ejection was filed with the Arizona Interscholastic Association, and appeals aren’t allowed.
Desert Ridge athletic director Darrell Stangle said he was notified of the decision …

Desert Ridge coach Jeremy Hathcock said Monday he is still waiting on an official word about the availability of Parker Rasmussen for Friday’s game against Red Mountain.
The senior wide receiver/defensive back was ejected from last Friday’s game against Skyline after a referee said he was bumped by Rasmussen. Hathcock claims there was a player in between Rasmussen and the referee who actually did the bumping, but either way, it was Rasmussen who was tossed. A player that is ejected from a game is automatically suspended for the next contest. Hathcock …

Desert Ridge coach Jeremy Hathcock will listen to college signal callers say all the right things during a quarterback competition, but knows deep down they are lying through their teeth.
While the quarterbacks may pretend to be buddies, Hathcock says, each is secretly hoping the other sprains a knee so he can have all the playing time.
But with his guys – in the most high-profile high school quarterback competition in the East Valley – he promises that’s not the case.
Desert Ridge is going to use both Parker Rasmussen and Jordan Becerra …

It’s going to be an interesting Friday night for Desert Ridge coach Jeremy Hathcock.
His starting quarterback, Parker Rasmussen, is healthy enough to play this week, but without him the Jaguars have reinvented their style and played their best football of the season.
Fill-in Jordan Becerra doesn’t have the same arm strength, but has mastered the spread option rushing attack, which has led to a state semifinals berth.
Becerra will likely see the majority of the snaps early on, but what if Desert Ridge’s running game isn’t effective? Does Rasmussen take over, and …

Desert Ridge quarterback Parker Rasmussen has been cleared by two doctors to play on Thursday night against Highland, but the team’s athletic trainer will ultimately make the decision before kickoff.
Rasmussen was hit hard in a play last week against Corona del Sol, and there was worry that he may have sustained a concussion, but both doctors don’t believe that to be the case. Rasmussen will practice Wednesday and looks to be in line to play against his former team.
Coach Jeremy Hathcock said it will be up to the medical staff …

Since some opening-game turbulence, Parker Rasmussen has been lights-out at quarterback for Desert Ridge.
In his past two games – both easy victories – the Highland transfer is 23-for-37 for 406 yards and nine touchdowns.
Gaudy numbers by a quarterback in coach Jeremy Hathcock’s aerial attack is nothing new, but Rasmussen is also taking care of the ball.
After tossing three interceptions against Mesquite in the season opener, Rasmussen hasn’t thrown one since, the first quarterback in school history not to throw an interception in consecutive games, Hathcock said. It may not sound …

Last year couldn’t have been easy for Hayden Haviland.
Then a junior, the Highland football player was relegated to backup duties at quarterback, beaten out for the job by sophomore Parker Rasmussen. He saw spot time, rushing 13 times for 88 yards and completing just one pass in four attempts on the season.
Heading into his senior year, playing time on defense beckoned, because Rasmussen still had secure reins on signal-calling duties.
But earlier this summer, Rasmussen transferred to Desert Ridge, opening up the starting quarterback spot for the player who never complained …