Basha football star Miles Lockhart returns after fearing he would miss senior season

Miles Lockhart is set to make his senior season debut Friday starting at both running back and defensive back against Gilbert Highland.

But, for a while this summer, it looked like Chandler Basha High School would have to defend its Open state football championship without its two-way star.

For a good part of the spring and summer, Lockhart, 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, was in a walking boot, getting around on a scooter from football meetings to practices to doctor appointments, wondering when and if he would be able to play again. He broke a metatarsal bone in his foot. He said it was through the wear and tear of football and track.

He was hoping that just keeping it in a boot and letting it heal on its own would be enough. But he ended up having surgery. A fast healer, and after putting in the rehab work, Lockhart is back, ready to go.

"I was out for three or four months," he said. "It was a long process. I couldn't be walking on my foot at all. It took a while. But it's back."

Coach Chris McDonald said that Lockhart could have played in last week's opener, a 66-7 rout of Mesa Westwood. But he figured he'd give Lockhart one more week before getting him going.

"We sat him out to make sure he's healthy (for Highland), and he'll play on both sides of the ball," McDonald said.

Basha is asking more from the All-Arizona Lockhart this season than any other with the graduation of all-state running back Deshaun Buchanan, who was huge in Basha's 28-21 win over Scottsdale Saguaro for the school's first state football championship.

During his sophomore and junior seasons, Lockhart would only play offense in certain packages to take advantage of his athleticism and explosiveness as a back who can run and catch out of the backfield. Now Lockhart figures to rarely leave the field.

One of his main defensive assignments Friday could be trying to lock down Highland explosive wide receiver Greg Toler Jr., whose father played in the NFL.

Lockhart, who committed in July to Ohio State, loves the competition. And senior quarterback Demond Williams Jr. is happy to have him back.

"He'll be working through the rotation (on offense) and we should be able to execute what we have," said Williams, who last week completed 12 of 13 passes for 340 yards and four TDs and ran for 92 yards and two TDs on four carries.

Lockhart won't have to take all the rushing reps with freshman Noah Roberts able to make plays. He had a 76-yard scoring run against Westwood.

Javery Mayberry, a hybrid tight end who will play split out wide and inside at flanker, is another big weapon for Williams. Last week, he had a 70-yard scoring catch.

Mayberry's brothers, Nate and De'Shayne James, were two of Brock Purdy's main targets at Gibert Perry in 2016 and '17 when Perry had the most dynamic passing game in the state. In 2017, when Perry reached the state final, De'Shayne James caught 45 passes for 1,086 yards and 15 TDs that year when Purdy was the Arizona High School Football Player of the Year.

Mayberry, who has committed to Northern Arizona, is a couple of inches taller than his brothers at 6-foot-5, and about 25 pounds heavier at 235. And just as elusive a target.

Can Williams-to-Mayberry be just as lethal this year?

"I think we've made our own legacy," Mayberry said of Basha.

Mayberry was a difference maker in the second half of last season when he became eligible after transferring from Mesa Eastmark.

Now the Bears have him for a whole season, and they're getting healthy at the right time.

Republic special: Basha High School: Beyond the Gridiron

Cornerback D.J. Jaiman, who was figured to miss at least the first half of this season recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in February, could make his season debut Friday, McDonald said, after he got medically cleared. Jaiman played nickel on defense last year for the Bears.

"He's been rehabbing like crazy," McDonald said. "Just another experienced secondary guy."

For these guys to work hard to come back earlier than that shows how motivated they are to help the Bears repeat as state champions.

"They were talking about I could miss the whole season, half the season," Lockhart said. "This is definitely a blessing."

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: Basha football star Miles Lockhart returns from injury for senior year