SPORTS

Chandler’s Kyion Grayes aims for greatness

BY DREW SCHOTT

Staff Writer

On the first play of the 2020 Open Division Championship, Chandler coach Rick Garretson witnessed what he called probably the best block he has ever seen in high school football. As senior running back Eli Sanders raced 80 yards to the end zone for the game’s opening touchdown, he went untouched by any of Hamilton’s defenders, thanks in part to a pancake block laid by one of his teammates. It wasn’t an offensive lineman. It wasn’t a tight end either. It was junior wide receiver Kyion Grayes II, playing in his first game back from an ankle injury, heeding the advice of passing game coordinator Chad Carpenter. “He says, ‘if you’re not going to block, you’re not going to play,’” Grayes said. “The only reason I am playing is because I can block.” Grayes is not just a blocker, however. Quick off the line of scrimmage, his seeKYION page 38

Left: Since joining Chandler ahead of his freshman season, Kyion Grayes has dreamt of becoming the next great wide receiver to come out of the Wolves’ program. Now entering his senior year, he’s the top-rated wideout in the state and plans to play at the next level for Ohio State University. Right: Chandler head coach Rick Garretson praised Grayes for his passion and dedication to the game. Garretson said Grayes enjoys being coached hard in practice and does what he can to help his team succeed.

(Zac BonDurant/Contributor)

Chandler High coach vies for Shula Award

BY DREW SCHOTT

Staff Writer

Rick Garretson is already well on his way continuing the success of Chandler High School’s football program. Since taking over for Shaun Agauno in 2019, Garretson has recorded a 23-0 record and two Open Division Championships. People are taking notice, including the front office of the Arizona Cardinals, which nominated Garretson for the 2021 Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award. “It’s quite an honor to represent Arizona and to represent the city of Chandler and Chandler High School,” Garretson said. According to the National Football League Foundation, the award is given to the coach who demonstrates “the integrity, achievement, and leadership exemplified by the winningest coach in NFL history, Don Shula” and can “demonstrate a commitment to the health and safety of their players as well as the exemplary characteristics of the late Coach Don Shula.” Shula is best known for serving as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 1970-1995. He won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1972 and 1973 and led the Dolphins to a 14-0 perfect season in 1972. “He is the ultimate football coach,” Garretson said. “When I think of guys growing up in my era, you’ve got (Vince) Lombardi and you’ve got Shula.” Garretson said his nomination for the award is a reflection of his program and the dedication of his players and coaches. “It’s a tribute to my players, a tribute to my coaches because I’ve always said ‘It’s not a one man show,’” Garretson

elusive footwork and speed allow him to burn defensive backs. His skills as a route-runner allow him to reel in catches all over the field. These qualities have made the senior a four-star recruit and the best wideout in the class of 2022 from Arizona. His talent has been well-noticed across the country. Grayes notched 17 offers from programs such as Ohio State, Texas and the University of Southern California, as well as in-state University of Arizona and Arizona State. Grayes was committed to the Wildcats for four months before reopening his recruitment in December and choosing the Buckeyes, where he will join one of, if not the best, receiver rooms in all of college football. “He looks at it as a perfect opportunity to play at the biggest level,” Chandler senior running back Quaron Adams said. “Compete against some of the top guys that are eventually (going to) one day get drafted. Once he gets there, he’ll be ready for it.” The rise of Grayes into a top-200 recruit started in California’s Inland Empire, where he shifted from playing quarterback and running back to wideout. When he switched positions in eighth grade, it was a steep learning curve. Grayes consistently competed against the state’s top talent. “You had to turn on some type of dog inside you because these kids were not playing with you,” Grayes said. “It was a mindset you had to switch on and be ready whenever you stepped out on that field.” That mindset allowed Grayes to make an immediate impact when he moved back to Arizona and joined Chandler’s freshman team. He played so well that the Wolves’ coaches pulled him up to varsity for the playoffs. Even though he saw no playing time, Grayes practiced, gaining valuable experience to do whatever it took to take the field. Despite a sickness which forced him to sit out of most summer seven-on-seven competitions, Grayes told his father that by the start of the season, he would have a starting job. To keep his word, he studied the playbook, lifted and made sure to get his body right. It paid off. In the season opener against Liberty, Grayes came onto the field with Chandler’s top offense. He caught three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown in the 31-17 win. “He’s just one of those kids,” Garretson said. “He’s gonna gut it out and get out there and be with his teammates. Watching him in practice, how he drives himself. He allows himself to be coached hard.” In 13 games, Grayes reeled in 48 catches for 883 yards and six touchdowns. He surpassed 100 yards in three contests, including a 155-yard performance against Perry. He showcased bigplay ability by notching huge receptions throughout the season such as a 70-yard grab in a 56-0 win over Capital Christian. Most of all, he stepped up in the biggest moments. His five catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns against Saguaro helped Chandler become the firstever Open Division champions. In August, Grayes committed to Arizona over offers from Arizona State, Michigan State, Miami and others. However, he made sure the Wildcats knew his recruitment was still fully open amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “I just didn’t know what was going to happen with recruitment,” Grayes said. “I felt, at that time, I’m gonna stay home and say I’m staying home right now and then figure it all out.” As Grayes’ play increased, so did his role as a leader. He has served as a mentor to Chandler’s younger wideouts and utilizes his work ethic in practice to improve the game of his teammates. These qualities are also exemplified off the field in the Wolves’ leadership meetings. Senior defensive back Franky Morales, who played with Grayes on the State 48 seven-on-seven team ahead of freshman year, said practicing against him requires more focus and discipline due to his arsenal of moves and releases off the ball. “On the field, we’re two leaders, two units, trying to bring the school a championship,” Morales said. “He’s the best receiver we go against. He works all of us as a collective group. He works us to be greater every single day.” Grayes began his junior season the way he ended the previous year: as a playmaker. He grabbed five passes for 138 yards and four touchdowns against Liberty to kick off the year. Over the course of a “weird” season that included missed practices and canceled games, Grayes caught 28 passes for 556 yards and 10 touchdowns to help the Wolves reach their secondstraight Open Division title game. His block against Hamilton was one of the plays that helped lift the Wolves to a 2321 victory. Two days after the championship, he decommitted from Arizona. The firing of head coach Kevin Sumlin played a role since he built close relationships with members of his staff. A big role in his college decision was a team that was going to be honest about the reality of playing college football. He found that in the Buckeyes. Grayes officially chose Ohio State on Feb. 28. He plans to arrive at the school this January following his appearance in the Under Armour All-America Game. But before then, he hopes to rack up at least 1,000 receiving yards and bring a sixthconsecutive state championship to Chandler. His longtime coach knows the rising senior is up for the challenge. After all, he can run, catch and block. And benchpress 300 pounds. “Every year, they mature, get bigger, faster and stronger,” Garretson said. “That’s exactly where he’s at right now.”

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said. “It’s an assortment of staff and the players, the parents, the support system that makes everything work together.” The Wolves are coming off a 10-0 undefeated season and a 23-21 victory over Hamilton for their second straight Open Division title. In 2019, Chandler went 13-0 and defeated Saguaro 42-35 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe for the first-ever Arizona Open Division Championship. Before his hire as head coach, Garretson served in roles including cooffensive coordinator, passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Wolves under head coach Shaun Aguano, now the running backs coach at Arizona State. Two finalists for the award will be chosen, with a winner announced this summer, according to a press release from the NFL. Heading into the 2021 season, Garretson is looking forward to seeing packed stands at Austin Field to cheer on Chandler. “Arizona high school football is an exciting place to be,” Garretson said. “(It is) supported tremendously by fans, by alumni, by our students, by media. Having that taken away a little bit last year, I think lets you appreciate those ideas that maybe sometimes we all took for granted.”

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Contact Zach Alvira at zalvira@timespublications.com and follow him on Twitter @ZachAlvira.