Head coach: Steven Ward, first season
Alignment: 2A South 2
2025 record: 10-3, region champion, state semifinalist
Returning starters: Six on offense, seven on defense
Strength: Experienced backfield
Biggest question: Replacing key players along both lines
The title at the top of the Willcox football program has changed, but the Cowboys do not intend to change their identity this season.
Steven Ward begins his first season as head coach after spending 10 years on the coaching staff at Willcox. He inherits 13 returning starters from a team that finished 10-3, won its region and advanced to the 2A state semifinals.
With an experienced quarterback, two productive running backs and the team’s leading receiver returning, Willcox expects to contend for another region championship and make another deep postseason run.
“Our goal is to build on last year’s semifinal appearance while continuing to develop young men of character who play disciplined, physical football,” Ward said.
The Cowboys have the personnel to remain one of the state’s most productive rushing teams.
Senior Kaleb Cooke returns after rushing for 1,577 yards and 18 touchdowns last season. He averaged 10.6 yards per carry, surpassed 100 yards seven times and added 138 receiving yards with two touchdowns.
Cooke finished with 1,755 all-purpose yards and is expected to contribute heavily again at running back, linebacker and kicker.
Junior Asher Ward gives Willcox another explosive option in the backfield. He rushed for 808 yards and six touchdowns on 85 carries, averaging 9.5 yards per attempt. Ward also caught eight passes for 196 yards, an average of 24.5 yards per reception.
Together, Cooke and Ward accounted for 2,385 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns.
That production should help Willcox absorb the graduation of Isaiah Cuevas, who rushed for 1,142 yards and 18 touchdowns. Even with Cuevas gone, eligible returners produced more than two-thirds of the Cowboys’ 3,667 rushing yards last season.
“Our backfield should be the strength of the team,” Ward said. “We return experienced, physical runners and our quarterback, who understands our offense and can make plays while setting the tone for our physical style of football.”
Junior Robert Hill returns at quarterback after starting as a sophomore. Hill completed 44 of 92 passes for 900 yards and seven touchdowns.
Willcox did not throw often, but it created big plays when it did. Hill averaged more than 20 yards per completion, and his top target is also back.
Senior Da’Marion Jackson led the Cowboys with 17 receptions for 401 yards and six touchdowns. He averaged 23.6 yards per catch and scored on more than one-third of his receptions.
Jackson also contributed on defense and special teams, finishing with 578 all-purpose yards. He will again play wide receiver and defensive back.
Cooke, Ward, Hill and Jackson give Willcox experienced players at the positions responsible for most of last season’s offense. They are also among the leaders Ward expects to set the standard for the rest of the team.
“They consistently demonstrate toughness, accountability and a willingness to put the team first,” Ward said.
Senior Anthony Morales provides additional experience at running back and linebacker. Rett Rogers gives the Cowboys another potential big-play receiver after turning his only catch last season into a 40-yard touchdown.
Tyler Larson, Eli Nelson and Alan Allred are also among the returning players expected to fill important roles.
Willcox has no shortage of proven players behind the line of scrimmage. The question is what the Cowboys will have in front of them.
Replacing a talented senior class along the offensive and defensive lines is Ward’s primary concern entering the season.
“Developing depth early in the season will be critical,” he said.
Sophomore Brendon Douglas is one of the first-year starters expected to help at offensive tackle and defensive tackle. Junior Carson Warner is also expected to make an impact at linebacker.
The Cowboys return seven defensive starters, including several players who also carry significant offensive responsibilities. Cooke, Asher Ward, Hill and Morales are listed at linebacker, while Jackson returns in the secondary.
That gives Willcox experience at the second and third levels of the defense. Developing the linemen in front of them will determine how aggressive the Cowboys can be without wearing down their two-way starters.
Ward does not plan to overhaul the program during the transition.
Trevor Ward, Mike Rand, Joel Todd, Cody McWilliams and Jonathan Truschke are among the varsity assistant coaches. Willcox will continue emphasizing its running game, physical defense and disciplined approach.
“Our identity remains the same, with the exception of my first year as the head coach,” Ward said. “We want to play disciplined, physical football, run the football effectively and play aggressive defense while continuing to emphasize player development and team culture.”
The schedule should give Willcox time to develop its rebuilt lines before region play begins, but the Cowboys will face several demanding tests along the way.
Willcox opens August 21st at home against Palo Verde before hosting Arizona Lutheran on August 28th.
The Cowboys then begin a four game road heavy stretch. They travel to Morenci on September 4th, return home to face Pima on September 11th and then visit Tombstone and Scottsdale Prep on consecutive Fridays.
Those six non-region games should provide a useful evaluation of Willcox’s new linemen and developing depth before the 2A South 2 race begins.
Willcox opens region play October 2nd at Desert Christian. The Cowboys host Santa Cruz on October 9th before traveling to rival Benson on October 16th.
With only three region games on the schedule, there will be little room for a slow start once October arrives. Each contest will carry significant weight in the race for the region championship and playoff positioning.
Ward believes the challenging non-region schedule will help prepare the Cowboys for that short, important stretch.
“We believe playing quality opponents early will help us improve throughout the year and prepare us for a big playoff run,” he said.
Willcox reached the semifinals last season, meaning the expectations surrounding this group extend well beyond simply qualifying for the postseason.
The Cowboys return a quarterback with a full season of starting experience, a 1,500-yard rusher, another back who averaged nearly 10 yards per carry and their leading receiver.
That is a considerable amount of returning firepower for a program beginning a new era at head coach.
The success of that offense may come down to how quickly Willcox replaces the players who created room for it last season.
“Our fans should expect a team that plays with great effort, discipline and pride every Friday night,” Ward said. “We appreciate the incredible support from the Willcox community and look forward to representing our town with toughness, character and relentless effort every week.”
The Cowboys have the backfield to compete with nearly anyone on their schedule.
If the new lines develop, Willcox could have the pieces needed to turn another region championship into another long November run.
