By Raymundo Frasquillo
THATCHER – A third area chance to improve takes place on Eastern Arizona College’s John Mikelson Field. It is scheduled for the evening of Tuesday, June 9.
Untested and veteran players will be on hand to help hone skills and talents. The immediate future or 2026 season kicks off in August, less than a few weeks away.
To date, the Herman BB Andrews Track and Field has hosted six area teams on May 26, and the newly opened Pima field has hosted three other teams on June 2. Not everyone coming out for the sport was available for each session due to family or work commitments or unhealed injuries. The boys who were able to attend did what they could as best they could. The heat warnings, high-temperature alerts, and high humidity have not been detrimental. The student-athletes competed anyway.
Morenci, Pima, Safford, Saint David, Thatcher, and Willcox were in attendance for the first 2026 off-season 7-on-7 / Big Man session, while Morenci, Safford, and Thatcher joined Pima for the initial June meet. Except for Willcox, each team returns its head coach from last season. Safford and Thatcher are in the state’s 3A ranks; Morenci, Pima, and Willcox are in 2A; and Saint David is in 1A.
In addition, each team has been hitting the weight room to improve individually.
It has been said that a team’s success or failure depends on how much “you” improve during the off-season. Whether each individual takes advantage of opportunities to improve can indicate how a team will finish at season’s end, either missing the postseason entirely or making a deep run. The words success and failure both have “u” in them.
