By Jon Johnson
THATCHER – While the Thatcher Eagles’ season ended sooner than intended, the Eagles dominated a rugged 3A East Region, and the postseason accolades show evidence of that. Thatcher cleaned up in the major awards and placed multiple players across the all-region teams. At the center of it all were head coach Daniel Jones and his son, senior linebacker Ryan Jones, who swept the region’s top coaching and defensive honors.
3A East Region Coach of the Year
Thatcher head coach Daniel Jones led Thatcher to a 3A East Region title, going unbeaten in region play (6-0) and finishing 9-1 in the regular season to earn a No. 4 ranking.
Jones completed his fifth year as Thatcher’s head coach and has more than 20 years of coaching experience. He also played on two 3A state championship teams at Lakeside Blue Ridge and has brought the same type of mentality to his coaching at Thatcher.
Under Jones, Thatcher’s trademark stingy defense allowed just 12.8 points per game during the regular season, while the offense averaged over 38 points behind a balanced attack. His ability to develop underclassmen was on full display this fall, with several sophomores and juniors earning all-region recognition alongside veteran seniors.
3A East Region Defensive Player of the Year
Few in the 3A East were as exciting to watch this year as was Thatcher’s Ryan Jones, who was a terror to opposing players on both sides of the ball.
If the Coach of the Year award belongs to the architect, the Defensive Player of the Year trophy belongs to the on-field enforcer – and nobody enforced the Eagles’ will quite like senior linebacker Ryan Jones.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound captain finished the season with 83 tackles, 2 sacks, and 4 interceptions.
Major 3A East Region Award Winners
- Region Player of the Year: Wyatt Stenson – Florence
- Region Offensive Player of the Year: Dominic Painter – Pusch Ridge
- Region Defensive Player of the Year: Ryan Jones – Thatcher
- Region Coach of the Year: Daniel Jones – Thatcher
Thatcher Eagles All-Region Selections
First Team
- Travis Larson – Defensive Line
- Dylan Riney – Linebacker
- Jackson Bryce – Linebacker
- Brock Innes – Offensive Line
- Kannon Windsor – Offensive Line
- Luke Marble – Offensive Utility/Flex
- Chad Johnson – Punter
- Smith Mangum – Running Back
Second Team
- Tanner Smith – Defensive Back
- Landon Robbins – Defensive Line
- Josiah Matagaono – Defensive Line
- Teagan Damron – Linebacker
- Josh Jones – Placekicker
- Braden Bryce – Punt Returner
- Hudson Conrad – Receiver/Tight End
- Ryker Romero – Receiver/Tight End
Honorable Mention
- Vincent Bejarano – Offensive Line
- Ethan Hayes – Defensive Line
- Brigham Palmer – Receiver/Tight End
- Sebastian Randall – Running Back
- Vance Shill – Defensive Line
Safford Bulldogs Representation
While Thatcher dominated the headlines, cross-county rival Safford still managed to place two standout athletes on the all-region teams:
First Team
- Lamarr Ellis – Receiver/Tight End
Second Team
- Lamarr Ellis – Defensive Back (earned both offensive and defensive honors)
- James Curtis – Linebacker
Several other Bulldogs earned Honorable Mention, including Mario Chavez (DL), Matteo Chavez (DB), David Cruz (OL), and Dane Jacobson (WR).
For the Thatcher Eagles, 2025 was another banner year in a decade full of them. With coach Daniel Jones at the wheel and players like Ryan Jones setting the tone, the green and gold proved once again why they remain the measuring stick in the 3A East. As the Jones family celebrated a rare father-son sweep of the region’s top honors, the future continues to look good for the Eagles.
