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Is Basha Football the next Powerhouse?

07/08/2021, 7:15am MST
By Richard Obert

Chandler isn't ready to move over as the state's premier football power.

But it might soon be getting some company at the top from its own district.

In a matter of a month, Basha got two big transfers from Chandler Hamilton in cornerback/punt returner Cole Martin and running back/cornerback Deshaun Buchanan, and a top cornerback from Louisiana, Jeremiah Vessel.

Add the emergence of maybe the state's most talented 2024 class that includes quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (ranked No. 1 in his class by The Arizona Republic in the Fab 50), athlete Miles Lockhart (No. 6), wide receiver Bryson Dedmon (No. 14), linebacker Jack Bleier (No. 43) and wide receiver Mason Arhin (No. 45), the Bears are on their way to being a legit Open Division championship contending team.

“These are kids," said coach Chris McDonald, who was on his way to Pinetop/Lakeside on Tuesday morning to take his team to a weeklong camp. "We're trying to build like (Chandler). Kids want to come and be part of the culture.

"We also understand it's a process."

It's hard to pump the brakes when you see what's happening at Basha.

The most recent move-in might give Basha the state's best secondary.

Vessel (5-foot-11, 185 pounds) is one of the best 2023 cornerbacks in the nation with offers from Mississippi State, Michigan State, Memphis, Louisiana-Monroe, Arizona State, Virginia, Tulane, Louisville, SMU, Colorado and Southern.

He recently moved to Chandler with his family, after playing at University Lab in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

"We’ve just been in Louisiana my whole life," Vessel said. "My mom, my brothers and I, we all were just ready for a change. I already have family in Arizona, so it wasn’t that hard of a move."

Martin is The Republic's No. 1 2023 prospect in the Top 100. He made All-Arizona last season when he helped lead Hamilton to the Open Division final against Chandler.

"We have a very competitive group of guys in the secondary right now on top of some newcomers that wanted to join the culture that we're building here at Basha," McDonald said. "These kids understand the importance of competition and ultimately helping each other become the best they can be.

"It's our job to get the kids together, put the team first, become a family unit and play with chemistry so that all can enjoy the fruits of their labor."

Buchanan, ranked No. 22 by The Republic in the Top 100 2023, started at cornerback the second half of last season at Hamilton and became a lock-down defender. He started the season as Hamilton's top tailback. He could move back to running back for the Bears with the secondary loaded.

"We understand there is hype surrounding the program here at Basha, but ultimately these young men know that we as individuals and as a team have to perform on the field and compete at a high level," McDonald said. "Trust the process of getting better every day and everything else will follow."

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