Jonathon Diaz

These three Class of 2026 talents - Jonathon Diaz, Noah Chanez and Derek Mesa - will be known as the ones who led Tucson High’s historic turnaround in football. I remember interviewing each when they were freshmen and they were enduring a 3-7 season in which they lost six of their last seven games. Accomplished Salpointe running back coach Zach Neveleff, who was part of Dennis Bene’s staff with the Lancers, was hired entering their sophomore year and Tucson went 5-5 that season before going 9-3 last year with the first playoff win in 53 years. They are now seniors. Symbolic of how they led Tucson’s emergence is their ability to spur the Badgers to the Victory Sports Foundation 7-on-7 championship tonight, a day after the program won the big-man competition.