Highlights from first Phoenix Union High School District football media day

The Phoenix Union High School District held its first-ever football media day on Monday in its building for the nine schools with football programs. And it was a huge success. Each team with its head coach and player representatives came to a table one at a time with the coach opening with remarks and introducing the players, before answering questions.

Here are some highlights:

Izzy's big day

One of the best feel-good stories in all of Arizona high sports unfolded when it was Central's turn at the table. Coach Chandler Hovik said that senior defensive back/receiver/kicker Izzy Foz would deliver some great news later. And he did. Foz announced he committed to Northern Arizona, the first Division I school to offer him a football scholarship. His teammates at the table and the other teams in the room applauded the news.

When Foz moved to America in 2019 as an African refugee, he didn't speak a word of English. He didn't know anything about football. When Hovik spotted Foz kicking a soccer ball during PE class his freshman year at Central, Hovik suggested he come out for football. He learned how to put on pads. He learned different positions. He learned what a touchdown was. He soaked everything up. Now he speaks seven languages fluently, has a 3.7 grade-point average, and found a home with Hovik. He has a bright future in America ahead of him.

"I'm thankful to playing football," Foz said. "I've been playing football for three years and I am blessed to have a D.I offer from NAU a couple nights ago. I was playing hard. I was thankful for everything. I decided to commit to NAU."

Foz said he continued to pray to God during his Central football career and now is committed to working even harder as he gets ready for college. Foz has been a huge blessing in Hovik's life. Hovik became Izzy's legal guardian.

"He got to go to Hawaii this summer," Hovik said of Foz. "He got to swim with dolphins. That's something I'll always remember. Just seeing how he's grown from 135 pounds to 180 and going to be able to go on and play Division I football while maintaining a 3.7 GPA. He speaks seven different languages. He's blessed my life more than I can ever imagine."

Texas connection

New Carl Hayden coach Jay Nunez and second-year Maryvale coach Bryon Traylor once coached a Texas 3A state playoff game against each other.

"I'm from small-town America," Nunez said. "Came up playing quarterback in a slot T system. Never played defense a day in my life, because I couldn't tackle. Somehow I became a pretty good DB coach. Now I don't have to coach DBs but we still stick to the offensive side of the ball."

Nunez said the key is getting the players confident and making sure they're accountable and showing up on time. He said he started with the team on April 24.

"Our turnaround from April 24 to today where we had 26 kids in the summer showing up every day to about 60," Nunez said. "Kids are showing up every day. Really the biggest obstacle is keeping them confident in themselves."

Nunez said he knew nothing about Carl Hayden this time last year. Randy Gross, a former head coach and Trevor Browne alum, had reached out to Nunez on social media.

"It is hard work," Nunez said. "I've probably worked more in the past six months than I have in the past 10 years. But I have enjoyed it."

Junior quarterback Jonathan Montes likes the slot T offense. He shared QB duties on last year's 7-3 team.

"It's a very fun offense," he said. "You can get very creative with this."

The goal?

Nunez says it's being 1-0 each week for 14 weeks, but there is a sign on the locker room door as you walk in and as you walk out, it says, "State."

"It's never been done at Carl Hayden," Nunez said. "The expectation is to go out and yield a higher performance on each Friday night from now until December."

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The Mountain

Phoenix South Mountain coach Bryon Evans, in his fourth year at the school, breathes and lives South Mountain. He was brought up in the area, and became the greatest football player in the school's history, starring at linebacker in the early 1980s, before playing at Arizona and then in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles. But he doesn't make a point of telling his players what he did in football.

When asked if he knew his coach played in the NFL, senior wide receiver/defensive back Anthony Gammage said, "I didn't know that."

When told that Evans was a star for the Eagles, part of those nasty Gang Green defenses, Gammage said, "I see him every day. He seems like a regular dude. To me, he's Coach Evans."

The biggest challenge for Evans since returning to his alma mater to coach, he said, "There are buses on South Mountain that take kids away from South Mountain."

"Whether that makes sense or not, but it doesn't make a lot of sense," he said. "But like I told the young men, it doesn't matter who goes, who stays. We're there and we're committed."

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Moving on from Dynamic Duo

North lost its top two offensive threats — quarterback Luke Haugo and wide receiver Ezy Brown — in the spring when they transferred to 5A champion Gilbert Higley.

Coach Mark Mejia said he coached in college so he knows how to recruit, which he said he did on the North campus, finding other kids who can step up.

"Your start from your campus," Mejia said. "You get them to buy in. We focus on the individuals. For me, it's a relationship business, helping them reach their full potential. It's the next-man-up mentality. They've embraced it."

'A lot of history in here'

Camelback coach Brandon McNutt, who played at Central, grew up in the Phoenix Union district.

"This makes my heart warm especially as an ex-student, just seeing the impact of the people coming back and giving back," McNutt said.

Central won the 5A Metro last year by beating Camelback in the regular-season finale. That put Central in the playoffs and kept Camelback out. It's been a great rivalry between the schools.

"There are a lot of great things happening around here," McNutt said. "How many times are we talking about Phoenix Union? It seems like year in and year out, we're doing things. I'm very excited about the whole Phoenix Union. It's very competitive."

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: Highlights from 2023 PXU High School District football media day