The Fiesta Bowl provided some great exposure for athletes during their Friday Night Showdown matchups this past football season. Although this was not the first time the Fiesta Bowl has hosted a youth clinic, this was the first time it would feature two sessions. One for girls flag football, and the other for boys tackle football. The clinic, which for the first time had its two sessions, took place at Desert Mountain High School. Featuring over 200 girls flag football and boys tackle football players from around the state, athletes took part in events like position drills, 1-on-1s, and even a 40-yard dash competition.
Several familiar faces from the Valley were seen on site at the event. Some of which included: former Pinnacle high school quarterback and 2024 NFL Draft prospect Spencer Rattler; former Gilbert high school and Louisville quarterback Jack Plummer; Arizona Cardinals running backs coach Autry Denson; and Arizona Cardinals linebacker Jesse Luketa. All were there to support and coach the athletes.
This weekend’s Fiesta Bowl event is something people in the state of Arizona had yet to see done before. There’s one man who deserves credit for seeing it all come together, Riczer Desvaristes. Desvaristes, who is the Director of Football Engagement for the Fiesta Bowl, helped lead the charge to make the event happen. “This was the best event I’ve ever been a part of,” Riczer explained.
Desvaristes, who formerly worked with the Arizona Cardinals as a youth and high school football manager, has always been about providing a world-class experience for athletes at a high level. “How can we position ourselves to be the number one state in the country?” Riczer added. “I believe that, as a whole, Arizona is one of the best states when it comes to high school football.”
While there was a lot of great talent out in Scottsdale on Saturday, Wyatt Horton, a three-star 2025 quarterback out of Pinnacle High School, was one of the more notable athletes at the event. Horton was named one of three clinic MVPs alongside Saguaro’s Garrett Martin and Vista Grande’s Athiaun Arol. On the girls flag football side, Hamilton quarterback Catarina Maccagnano was also a participant and received one of three MVP belts. Hamilton wide receiver Samaya Taylor-Jenkins, and Briana Jacobs out of Desert Ridge received the other two.
As the landscape and exposure of the Arizona high school football and girls flag football scenes continue to rapidly grow, organizations like the Fiesta Bowl have been one of the driving forces showing strong support in helping to bring the athletes exposure to a whole new level. Along with the already-given exposure from the Fiesta Bowl, USA Football was on site at the event, scouting for players for the USA National Team. Kyle Morgan, the Southwest Regional Scout for Catapult, was also in attendance, tracking players’ top speeds. Jayden Lewis, a 2025 defensive back and wide receiver out of Liberty High School, clocked the fastest speed, coming in hot at 22.05 mph.
On top of building more events like last Saturday’s in the future, Devaristes and the Fiesta Bowl hope to continue their Friday Night Showdown matchups next high school football season. “We want to continue to give back to the high school community and engage with fans,” Riczer commented. “Giving the student athletes a chance to get some exposure, that’s what I’m all about.”
Devaristes also added how he believes Arizona has the best athletic administrators in the country, and that he’s very thankful for all the volunteers, coaches, parents, and participants that made the event possible.
