Palo Verde to showcase speed

Darwin Rost isn’t putting together a 400-meter relay team anytime soon, but Palo Verde’s football coach would have plenty of options if he was.

For now, Rost is glad that Lee Griggs and Ryan Beaulieu are carrying footballs rather than batons.

“That is our strength, team speed,” Rost said. “We’ve had fast teams in the past, and this team ranks right with them.”

Palo Verde hopes that speed will come in handy Saturday, when the Panthers open the season with a much-hyped Sollenberger Classic showdown against Desert Vista of Phoenix at 7 p.m. at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

Moapa Valley also will play in Saturday’s event, opening the season against Blue Ridge of Lakeside, Ariz., at 3 p.m.

Griggs and Beaulieu are featured wingbacks in Palo Verde’s double-wing offense, which amassed 3,119 yards rushing last season. The pair of seniors also are standout defensive backs.

“We have a lot of speed, and I think that’s what people are sleeping on,” Griggs said. “But we’re also a disciplined team. And our defense is always the best in the state, so we’re not expecting anything different this year.”

Palo Verde went 11-1 last season, its only loss a 35-7 defeat at Bishop Gorman in the Sunset Region final. The Panthers shut out three opponents and allowed 117 points on the season.

Beaulieu, one of the area’s top cornerbacks, rarely was thrown at but still made four interceptions last season. He also was dynamic on special teams, averaging 43.6 yards per punt return on his way to first-team all-state honors.

“Ryan’s a fast explosion guy,” Griggs said. “Any big play, he can break. That’s what we love about him.”

Griggs is no slouch, either. The 5-foot-9-inch, 175-pound safety was a first-team all-state pick last season after logging 52 tackles, four sacks and one interception. He also was the Panthers’ leading rusher with 917 yards and 17 touchdowns.

“(Griggs) is definitely our guy,” Rost said. “He’s a team leader, the type the kids follow.”

Palo Verde players will have Rost in their thoughts. A blogger for the Arizona Interscholastic Association reported Friday that Rost is battling a form of lupus. Rost and his family have requested privacy among media as they cope with the ordeal.

Many in local prep football circles have known Rost was fighting illness for months. Asked if he was OK during a recent practice, Rost said: “I’m back at it.”

Griggs and Beaulieu will help lead the way against Desert Vista, which won last year’s Arizona Division I state title.

Griggs said the Panthers are thrilled to play in an NFL venue, only a day after the Arizona Cardinals hosted the Oakland Raiders in a preseason game.

“I feel honored and grateful,” Griggs said. “Not everybody gets an opportunity to do that.”

Moapa Valley, which finished 10-3 last season, hopes to recapture some magic from last season’s Sollenberger Classic, when the Pirates pulled off a 28-26 upset of Show Low (Ariz.).

This year’s opponent, Blue Ridge, is coming off a 14-0 season capped with an Arizona Division IV state title. The Yellowjackets feature senior linebacker/fullback Chans Cox, who is committed to Arizona State.

“Playing down there in the Cardinals’ stadium, it’s going to be exciting,” Moapa Valley coach Brent Lewis said. “Our kids, being through it last year, I don’t know if there will be a shell-shock factor because they have that experience.”

NOTE — The AIA will offer live broadcasts of both games at www.aia365.com.