Arizona locals tied to Washington's football run to the national championship game

Washington's historic run to the college football national championship game has hit home big in Arizona.

Family, high school coaches and friends from Scottsdale to Phoenix to Peoria celebrated the Huskies' 37-31 Sugar Bowl win over Texas because of how four Valley players made an impact in the CFP semifinal game.

There was former Scottsdale Horizon kicker Grady Gross being nails, connecting on all three of his field-goal tries with former Mesa High standout Jaden Green doing the long snapping.

There was former Scottsdale Saguaro offensive tackle Parker Brailsford at center, paving holes and giving protection for quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who picked apart the Longhorns to the tune of 430 yards and two TDs. That kept the Huskies' season perfect at 14-0, as they get ready to face Michigan for the national championship on Monday night in Houston.

There was former Peoria Centennial cornerback Dominique Hampton with six tackles and a pass breakup.

And there was former Phoenix Sandra Day O'Connor defensive end Bralen Trice with four solo tackles and two sacks.

It's been the stuff of dreams for the Washington Huskies and the impact is being felt locally.

Surreal winter for Gross

It's been an amazing winter for Gross. During the Thanksgiving weekend, he won the Apple Cup against Washington State with his 42-yard field goal as time expired to keep the Huskies' unbeaten season intact with a 24-21 win.

Afterward, coach Kalen DeBoer, in a video circulating on media networks, in front of the team, called out Gross, saying he was thankful for him. He then said that Grady Gross was thankful for the scholarship that was then being given to him.

Then, against Texas in the Sugar Bowl, Gross, a sophomore, hit on three second-half field goals, including one with 2:40 left to extend the Huskies' lead to 37-28.

Gross was easily regarded as the top kicker in Arizona in the 2022 class but scholarships for kickers, especially with COVID-19 giving college players an extra year of eligibility, were hard to come by. He had interest from several colleges, but ended up as a preferred walk-on at Washington.

"Grady is one of the most dedicated football players I've ever had the pleasure to coach," said Horizon coach Andy Litten, who won a 5A state title with Gross in 2021. "He worked tirelessly to be ready when called on.

"His senior year, we won some very close games and he was usually the difference. (The Texas game) was just another instance of that. Grady when needed was ready and did exactly what he needed to do to help his team win."

Steve Rausch, a former Mesa Dobson High star kicker in the 1980s, has worked with Gross since his Horizon days. He works with several great kickers and punters in the Valley, including All-Arizona Horizon punter/kicker Kanyon Floyd, who got a full-ride scholarship to play at Arizona State next season.

Rausch is not surprised to see how clutch Gross has been for the Huskies. Gross kicked in the Under Armour All-American Game his senior year, so it's not like he's come out of nowhere.

"Grady has been one of the most elite specialist place kickers in the country since probably his junior year in high school," Rausch said. "It starts with his humility. He's extremely accountable, and very coachable, hard-working. He has talent and is highly skilled. He's athletic. He comes from a great family.

"You know how important that foundation is. He prepares. When he gets in that moment, it's muscle memory. We go through that process so many times, both the mental and the physical part. And he's automatic. Grady's always been one of the most natural pure ball strikers you will ever find. Over the last few years, he's continued to develop physically and mechanically."

Brailsford's quick rise no surprise

By the time Saguaro won its first Open Division state championship in 2021, Parker Brailsford already was one of the most sought-after offensive linemen in the West. He had 20 Division I offers, but Washington left an indelible impression on him.

Here he is two years later, the center after moving from guard early in the season due to the season-ending injury of another former Arizona high school standout, Matteo Mele of Tucson Salpointe Catholic. The 6-foot-2, 275-pound Brailsford wound up being second-team All-Pac-12 at center this season and was first-team Freshman All-American by College Football Network. This coming a year after running scout team as a redshirt.

Brailsford started the first two games this season at right guard, before moving over to replace the injured Mele, a senior, who was on the Rimington Trophy watch list.

"It's not surprising to anybody, especially if you see how hard he works," said Phil Brailsford, Parker's dad. "He's extremely athletic. Super athletic. He's one of the strongest guys on the team. When you're very athletic, and you're very fast and you're very strong and you have really good technique, you overcome a lot of stuff."

Mark Martinez, who was Brailsford's line coach at Saguaro, said Brailsford was a special player in high school, where he started three years on varsity. Martinez calls Brailsford one of the best offensive linemen he ever worked with because he was constantly learning and working, a tactician with great footwork.

"He always stayed late to work extra technique," Martinez said. "He always had questions and wanted to make sure he perfected his craft."

Martinez said college recruiters would visit and he would let them know he could see Brailsford playing on Sundays.

"He's a great young man and the scary part is he's just starting his journey," Martinez said.

Hampton's passion went into overdrive

Dominique Hampton was considered a big cornerback at Centennial in 2017 when he helped lead the Coyotes to the 5A state title over Scottsdale Notre Dame.

But when Centennial coach Richard Taylor saw the 6-foot-2, 225-pound athlete in the weight room a few months ago, he didn't know who the All-Pac-12 honorable mention player was at first.

"I didn't realize he would get that big," Taylor said. "He waved at me across the weight room. I waved back. I didn't recognize him. I hadn't seen him for a couple of years. I asked, 'Who is that?' They said, 'That's Dom, Coach.' I said, 'You're kidding me.' He is just huge now."

Taylor had no doubt Hampton would do great things at Washington because of his love for football and strong work ethic.

"He was a real competitor, hard worker," Taylor said. "You always kind of knew he had that ability. I didn't know he was going to get that big. He was like 180 in high school."

Trice makes most of opportunity

Bralen Trice played for Steve Casey at O'Connor in 2018, then a 6-4, 225-pound freak defensive end with a non-stop motor. He is now 273 pounds and still a freak athlete, who became a third-team All-American by AP this season. He was first-team All-Pac-12 and first-team All-American by Pro Football Focus.

An injury reduced his senior season to seven games. But it was obvious by the last game of his junior season at SDO he was special. In a win over rival Mountain Ridge, he had 15 tackles, four sacks, five pass deflections and two fumble recoveries.

Then-SDO defensive coordinator Robert Latona said he remembered how long Trice's arms were and knew he had room to grow. He also noticed his big hands and quick feet.

"His first step was one of the quickest I've ever seen," Latona said. "He had all the tools. His desire and work ethic were different from others. He worked hard to master his craft."

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert atrichard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona tied to Washington's run to championship game