Kyle McCartney is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Mountain View for AZPreps365.com

The Mountain View Toros travel to Chandler on Friday to take on the Basha Bears. This will be the Toros third road game of the season, and it could be be their toughest matchup yet.

MaxPreps has Basha (3-0) ranked No. 1 amongst all high school football teams in Arizona.

Joe Germaine is in his second season as head coach of the Toros, but he’s no stranger to the program. Germaine played quarterback for the Toros from 1993-95, and set school records in passing yards, completion percentage, and touchdowns. He led the Toros to a state championship in 1993, but the Toros have failed to make much noise in the playoffs in the last decade, and Germaine is looking to right the ship. 

“I know the tradition we have here at Mountain View,” Germaine said. “I know we can bring that back and I know our players embrace those expectations.”

Mountain View (1-2) is No. 22 in the MaxPreps rankings. The Toros have lost both of their away games and will look to pick up their first road win against a talented Basha team. The general attitude the Toros project is not one of fear, though, as they embrace the underdog role and are excited to test their skills. 

“Basha is arguably the best team in the state of Arizona, and we have a ton of respect for what they do, but we are only worried about our team and what we can control,” Germaine said at Wednesday’s practice. 

Both of Mountain View’s losses came by a margin of six points or less. The coaches and players believe the reason for that is them “beating themselves”, and a lot of that likely comes from youth. The Toros have 11 sophomores who are all eligible to play down a level with the junior varsity, but the coaching staff believes in them and thinks the chance to play Basha will be great for their development.

“Penalties, turnovers will kill us, but paying attention to the little things and getting back to the root of what makes good football players is what will help us find some consistency,” assistant defensive coordinator Marcus Hawkins said. 

Coaching is a staple in any program, but it’s the players who have to execute, and there are few that make as big a difference as 4-star BYU commit Jackson Bowers. The tight end committed in July, and is locked in for his senior season with the Toros. 

“I’ve been to every game since I was 2-years old, and it’s awesome to see how my life has been shaped by the Mountain View program,'' Bowers said. "I even dressed up as a Toro for Halloween one year." 

Amidst the whirlwind of the recruiting process, Bowers’ dedication to the team has not waivered. He sees himself as a leader in the locker room and is excited to see what his team can do against Basha. 

“At every position they’ve got someone getting looked at by colleges, but nobody’s scared,'' he said. "We’re excited to get an opportunity to compete with a high-level team, and we just need to go out and execute."

The Toros and Bears are scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. on Friday at Basha's Jim Wall Stadium.