Julio Mora is ‘tough as hell,’ highlights Sun’s preseason team

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Friday, Aug. 20, 2010 | 2 a.m.

One look at Durango High running back Julio Mora is all it takes to question his talents on the football field.

At 5-foot-7 and 165 pounds, the senior doesn’t have the prototypical build of an elite high school football player.

That all changes, however, when the elusive runner gets the ball in his hands.

“The little guy is tough as hell,” Durango coach Gary Maki said. “Pound for pound, I will match him against anyone in the valley. He’s not going to quit or back down from anyone.”

Mora led the state with 1,651 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns last year, helping Durango to a seven-win improvement from 2008 and second place finish in the Southwest Division. Mora is one of 25 players from across the Las Vegas Valley on the All-Sun preseason team. It has eight from defending state champion Bishop Gorman, which opens its season Saturday against Hamilton High of Arizona in the Sollenberger Classic at Northern Arizona University. Most of the area’s other schools open the season Aug. 27.

For Mora, each game will be an opportunity to prove observers wrong. Despite the robust numbers he posted last year, he doesn’t have any scholarship offers. And, because of his size, he will probably not play for a Division I school.

Just don’t tell Mora he is supposed to settle for anything less than the best. After all, his size isn’t the biggest obstacle he’s overcome.

Mora is Type 1 diabetic and has to monitor his insulin level throughout the day ­— between classes, at lunch and during football practices and games. He was diagnosed seven years ago, and just like his perceived size disadvantage, said it’s a nonfactor.

“I’ve never considered myself being too small,” Mora said. “When you are out there playing, you don’t realize who is short, tall or big.”

Quarterback Chase Roberts said having someone like Mora, who attracts more than his share of attention from opposing defenses, helps open other players on the offense.

“He’s a hard worker,” Roberts said. “You know he is always going to give it his all.”

Durango won only one game in 2008, but with Mora having his breakout season, it finished 8-3 last year. Now, Mora is eyeing the same prize as everyone else in town: a state title.

“I don’t care about my personal stats,” Mora said. “My goal is to take the team to the playoffs again and this time win a state ring.”

It’s that type of attitude that makes him the unquestioned leader of his team and one of the valley’s top players.

“I wouldn’t trade him for anybody,” Maki said. “He only knows two words ... ‘Yes Sir.’ ”

ALL-TEAM OFFENSE

Anu Solomon, sophomore quarterback, Bishop Gorman

Solomon passed for 2,026 yards and 19 touchdowns last fall as a freshman to lead Gorman to the state title. He threw only five interceptions while completing 58 percent of his passes.

Brandon Wright, senior running back, Palo Verde

Wright, who rushed for 1,140 yards and 12 touchdowns last year, has 10 Division I scholarship offers.

Julio Mora, senior running back, Durango

Mora, one of the most dynamic players in the area, will play defense as well as offense for the Trailblazers and is dangerous in the open field. Last year, he rushed for a state-best 1,651 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Marquan Major, senior wide receiver, Las Vegas

Major is healed after missing most of last year with a collarbone injury. In three games last year, he caught 12 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns. He had 59 receptions for 742 yards and six touchdowns in 2008 as a sophomore.

Don Pearson, senior wide receiver, Faith Lutheran

Pearson, who has a scholarship offer from Stanford, played quarterback for part of last year after Faith Lutheran’s starting signal caller was injured. Late in the season against perennial power Palo Verde, Pearson caught nine passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns. He finished with 41 receptions for 616 yards and six touchdowns.

Brett Lubbe, senior tight end, Faith Lutheran

Lubbe caught seven passes for 107 yards and one touchdown in the initial two games last year before suffering a season-ending injury.

Nick Strehlow, junior offensive line, Bishop Gorman

Strehlow , a 6-foot-1, 278-pound guard, is one of Gorman’s team captains — not bad for a junior. He’s one of four returning offensive line starters who helped pave the way for the Gaels’ tailbacks to rush for more than 4,000 yards last year.

Senituli Fakauho, senior offensive line, Liberty

Fakauho was a first-team, All-Southeast Division selection last year. The 6-foot-1, 330-pound Fakauho is one of several big bodies expected to lead Liberty back to the postseason.

AC Patterson, senior offensive line, Bishop Gorman

Patterson, a senior who has started at center every game since his sophomore year, verbally committed to UTEP this summer.

Eric Noone, senior offensive line, Silverado

Eric Noone, a first-team All-Southeast Division tackle in 2009, is the leader of a Silverado offensive line that averages 280 pounds per lineman. His brother, sophomore Chris Noone, started on the line last year as a freshman.

Sy Hansell-Peko, senior offensive line, Del Sol

Hansell's blocking in Del Sol’s run-first offense last year helped the Dragons win the Sunrise Regional title and advance to the state title game. His brother, Otto Hansell, who starred at Del Sol from 2004 to 2007, is part of the Sun’s all-decade team.

Colin Ditsworth, senior kicker, Bishop Gorman

Ditsworth, who made 106 extra points and six field goals last year, is a four-year varsity performer. Of his 98 kickoffs last year, 59 went from touchbacks.

Shaquille Powell, junior kick returner, Bishop Gorman

Powell rushed for 1,555 yards and 29 touchdowns last fall as a sophomore while sharing carries. He will be the Gaels’ feature tailback this fall and handle most of their return duties.

ALL-TEAM DEFENSE

Jalen Grimble, senior defensive line, Bishop Gorman

Grimble, one of the nation’s top defensive end prospects, committed to Southern California in May. He was part of the Sun’s preseason team last year and is rated a four-star prospect by recruiting website Rivals.com in its evaluating system of four stars. He is ranked the nation’s 11th best strongside defensive end.

Jaylon Jackson, senior defensive line, Bishop Gorman

Jackson had 25 tackles and four sacks last year, earning plenty of reps on a defensive line with three seniors who eventually signed with Division I schools.

Sam Tai, senior defensive line, Liberty

Tai, a defensive end, has scholarship offers from Arkansas, Colorado and UNLV. He didn’t see much action on defense last year because he played quarterback, leading the Patriots to the first playoff victory in school history.

James Price, senior defensive line, Legacy

Price was a first-team All-Northwest Division defense tackle last year for a Longhorns defense that was arguably one of the state’s best. Legacy had three shutouts and surrendered less than 10 points in six other contests.

Eddie Smith IV, senior linebacker, Canyon Springs

Smith was an All-Northeast Division selection last year and one of several returners for a Canyon Springs team expected to challenge for the league title. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound Smith led the Pioneers last year with 65 tackles.

Ron Lyles, senior linebacker, Bishop Gorman

Lyles’ 71 tackles ranked first last year on a Gorman team where six defenders received Division-I scholarships.

Kyle Henry, junior linebacker, Desert Oasis

Henry, at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, will move to linebacker this fall after starting every game last year at defensive end. He recorded 37 tackles last year for a Diamondbacks team that made the playoff in the second year of existence.

DeSean Martin, senior defensive back, Bonanza

Martin is one of the area’s most physical players and has scholarship offers from UNLV, Utah State, Colorado State and three other schools. He doubles at tailback, where he rushed for 1,306 yards and 17 touchdowns last year.

Ladale Jackson, senior defensive back, Silverado

Jackson, who has eight football scholarship offers, is arguably the fastest player in the Las Vegas Valley. A state track champion in the 400 meters, Jackson ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash last spring at a recruiting event.

Evan Zeger, senior safety, Bishop Gorman

Zeger, who verbally committed to Washington in the spring, returns to Gorman after playing at Skyline High in Sammamish, Wash., last year. Zeger played varsity at Gorman in 2008 and is a three-star prospect by Rivals.

Connor Afoa, senior safety, Foothill

Afoa, 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, does a little of everything for Foothill, including being the last line of defense. He had two interceptions last year and shined offensively with nine touchdowns. He added 19 receptions for 167 yards, and rushed for 703 yards on 136 carries.

Colin Ditsworth, senior punter, Bishop Gorman

Ditsworth averaged 34.65 yards per punt last year in 17 attempts with a long of 55 yards.