‘Our goal is to win’: Arbor View eyes upset for 1st football title

Arbor View has become one of the state’s best football programs over the past 15 years.

But there was still one thing missing from its list of accolades: an appearance in a state championship game.

Now Arbor View can check off that box. The Aggies (10-1) will play for their first football state title when they face off against three-time reigning champion Bishop Gorman (10-1) at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Allegiant Stadium for the Class 5A Division I crown.

Arbor View is having a season to remember. The Aggies are led by a dynamic offense made up predominantly of sophomores and juniors that averages 395.2 yards per game. Their defense has played at a high level as well, allowing fewer than 20 points per game.

“It was kind of expected,” senior linebacker Jordan Hales said. “When our new coach and staff came in, they portrayed this image to us, like, this is the standard. We all bought into it. That was expected. Our coaches have such high standards for us.”

That was evident after Arbor View defeated Coronado 37-21 in a 5A Division I state semifinal Nov. 15. As the Aggies celebrated the win and state title berth, first-year coach Marlon Barnett was quick to remind his team that there’s a greater goal to accomplish.

“For a lot of kids, this is kind of a goal to get to the state championship,” Barnett said. “I’m excited for my seniors, for their last game to be in Allegiant. But the job isn’t finished, and our goal isn’t to just get to Allegiant. Our goal is to win.”

‘Lit a fire’

Arbor View was coming off a difficult 4-6 season in 2023. The Aggies dealt with several season-ending injuries, including to starting quarterback Thaddeus Thatcher, and were upset in the first round of the playoffs.

Barnett was the offensive coordinator at Centennial last season, and his air-raid offense helped the Bulldogs win the 4A state title. Immediately, Barnett made an impact as he took over a team that was trying to put last year behind it.

“It lit a fire underneath everybody that was on that team last year, just wanting better,” senior linebacker Christian Thatcher said. “I know with the new coaching staff that came in, that was already a step. It excited everybody and just pushed us to do better.”

Arbor View opened this season with a thrilling 45-44 win against Lincoln, one of the top teams in California. The Aggies then rode their dynamic offense that’s averaging more than 38 points per game.

“We can give the ball to anybody on our offense,” senior offensive lineman Daniel Eager said. “All of our running backs and receivers, they’re all weapons. They’re all threats. They all need to be covered equally. With the O-line, we have (three-star recruit) Daniel Boyd, and Leroy Terry and me at center, so we’re giving a great foundation for moving the ball.”

Thaddeus Thatcher, a sophomore, leads the state with 3,082 passing yards and has 33 touchdowns with a 64.2 percent completion percentage. Barnett said Thatcher’s confidence has grown as he’s learned the intricacies of the offense and how to read defenses.

“Any person that can go through what he went through, I don’t think much is going to rattle him,” Barnett said. “That’s a different type of battle. He stays cool, he stays calm, he doesn’t get rattled.”

Leading Arbor View’s dynamic receivers is Jayden Williams, who has a team-high 709 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. On defense, Christian Thatcher, a Utah commit, has 111 tackles. He has a state-record 438 total tackles in his career, surpassing the 427 from Richie Garcia of Damonte Ranch, according to the NIAA record book.

‘Play at an elite level’

Arbor View made another breakthrough when it defeated Liberty 31-28 on Oct. 24, the Aggies’ first win over the Patriots since 2011. The win solidified Arbor View as the No. 2 seed in the state playoffs.

The Aggies will have a tall task in Gorman. The Gaels are ranked No. 4 nationally by MaxPreps and defeated Arbor View 49-14 on Oct. 10. It was the most points Gorman has allowed to a local team this season.

Barnett said part of the process this season has been his young team learning how to handle success. He said that started when he took over and made it clear that he wouldn’t waver from his standards and emphasis on discipline.

That will all be needed if Arbor View is to pull off the upset Tuesday night.

“We are never OK with our performance, and that may seem tough, but life is tough,” Barnett said. “Every game that we’ve gone into, we’ve had quite a few penalties, whether we won or lost. I don’t expect the perfect game, but I expect us to play at an elite level.”

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.