Three players, two countries, one team
The Clanton and the Kwete families seem to have nothing in common at first glance. That is until you meet the teenage boys that make them up. A bond quickly formed between high school juniors, Casey Clanton and the Kwete twins, Eloi and Cosmos.
Themes of determination and hard work run deep within each of the boys, formed by very different experiences, experiences that ultimately led them all to the Central High football team.
They all have something to prove. For Casey, the need to prove something stems from his desire to step out of his father’s shadow. For Eloi and Cosmos, they need to prove that the sacrifices their parents have made were worth it. “We are trying to live the American Dream,” said Eloi.
Imagine having to leave the only home you’ve ever known. Leaving the culture, the food, the language, to immigrate at the age of 15. Having only a month’s notice that you and your family of nine were headed to somewhere almost 10,000 miles away.
A war that claimed the lives of millions served as the backdrop to the Kwete brothers’ childhood. Eloi and Cosmos Kwete are twin football players for Central High who have had anything but a quiet suburban life. The boys spent their first few years in the Congo before being relocated with their family to Zimbabwe as part of a refugee program.
Despite the war and poor economic status, “Sometimes there were good times in Zimbabwe,” said Cosmos.
Upon arriving in Zimbabwe, the family settled into the ghetto refugee area. “I remember walking a lot of miles to school because it was so far away,” said Cosmos.
Eloi and Cosmos began a life-changing journey when they picked up rugby. “In Zimbabwe rugby and soccer are the top sports. If you want to man up, those are the sports,” said Cosmos. As the boys continued to progress in the sport, they were recruited and received scholarships to attend more prestigious schools.
“It’s kind of the mindset in Zimbabwe of how football and basketball are here; everyone is fighting to make the team. It’s competitive on a high level in Zimbabwe,” said Eloi.
The Kwete family arrived in Arizona in the summer of 2016, after having only a month to prepare for the big move. “It was actually exciting and at the same time challenging, getting used to a certain lifestyle,” said Eloi.
“We miss the food, the people, the culture,” said Cosmos.
Originally the two played in a club rugby team in Arizona, but the boys were later approached by the head football coach about playing football. The twins had previously never played but decided to give it a shot.
“As a player of both sports, I can say that football is more about execution in the time you are given, there is no room for mistakes,” said Eloi, “In rugby, you can make a mistake and recover in as quick a time as possible. Football is more about focus and concentration. In Zimbabwe, rugby is actually much more aggressive. Rugby here is kind of light and soft.”
Added Cosmos, “Rugby here is not popular, people here don’t know what rugby is.”
In Zimbabwe when the brothers first started out playing close to where they lived, even simple things like fields to play on proved to be a struggle. “The ghetto part wasn’t actually grass so we arranged the field by ourselves,” said Eloi. Cosmos said the fields weren’t maintained. “The team would have to organize a day to personally maintain the fields,” said Cosmos.
Their recount serves in stark contrast to a picture of Casey kneeling on a perfectly manicured field for his flag football picture that hangs behind his father’s desk.
Clanton grew up a normal suburban kid, playing flag football from a young age until making the transition to tackle. “I started playing tackle football in 2008,” said Clanton. “My earliest memory of football was when I was in second grade and a flag was thrown at me. I looked at it on the ground, picked it up, and returned it to the official and he just started laughing.”
His cluelessness about the rules at first may come as a surprise, considering his father and now football coach, Jon Clanton, played for the Nebraska Huskers.
Having a parent that played at such a high level may be intimidating for some, but Jon never intended for his kids to see it that way.
“We’ve never been a family where he has to live up to me, it has been ‘You be you, play you, and we will see where it takes you,’” said Jon.
Casey has a slightly different view of things. “I think if your parents make it to a certain level, you want to make it at least there or higher. I’m out here to prove that my dad coached me to the best of his ability and I’m playing to the best of my ability.”
“I think he kind of needs to be his own person but it’s nice that he looks up to me,” said his father, Jon.
Dad doesn’t give Casey a pass on the field.
“Casey is the first one to get called out, I never want to see him jogging on the field or being lazy,” said Jon.
The No. 1 thing Jon has tried to instill in his son: “I don’t allow Casey to put his hands on his knees; I think it is a sign of weakness. My first day of college, we were running and as an incoming freshman everyone was yelling at me, ‘Don’t put your hands on your knees.’”
That hard work mentality proved a key component in establishing his friendship with Cosmos and Eloi.
Casey and the twins quickly found common ground that bonded them more than most players on their team. “Our work ethic is through the roof,” said Casey. The players have just come off a 6-4 record, but are not satisfied.
“Being injured really prevented me from making the moves I wanted to,” said Casey. Despite an overall mediocre season, the three are gaining interest from colleges across the nation. “Hawaii is looking at us for football,” said Eloi, “We want to go to college and pursue football at the next level.”
The juniors have already begun to look ahead to next season. “If we come together our senior year we will be unstoppable,” Casey said. “I think the main difference between us and everybody else is how much we put into what we do and what we love.”
Themes of determination and hard work run deep within each of the boys, formed by very different experiences, experiences that ultimately led them all to the Central High football team.
They all have something to prove. For Casey, the need to prove something stems from his desire to step out of his father’s shadow. For Eloi and Cosmos, they need to prove that the sacrifices their parents have made were worth it. “We are trying to live the American Dream,” said Eloi.
Imagine having to leave the only home you’ve ever known. Leaving the culture, the food, the language, to immigrate at the age of 15. Having only a month’s notice that you and your family of nine were headed to somewhere almost 10,000 miles away.
A war that claimed the lives of millions served as the backdrop to the Kwete brothers’ childhood. Eloi and Cosmos Kwete are twin football players for Central High who have had anything but a quiet suburban life. The boys spent their first few years in the Congo before being relocated with their family to Zimbabwe as part of a refugee program.
Despite the war and poor economic status, “Sometimes there were good times in Zimbabwe,” said Cosmos.
Upon arriving in Zimbabwe, the family settled into the ghetto refugee area. “I remember walking a lot of miles to school because it was so far away,” said Cosmos.
Eloi and Cosmos began a life-changing journey when they picked up rugby. “In Zimbabwe rugby and soccer are the top sports. If you want to man up, those are the sports,” said Cosmos. As the boys continued to progress in the sport, they were recruited and received scholarships to attend more prestigious schools.
“It’s kind of the mindset in Zimbabwe of how football and basketball are here; everyone is fighting to make the team. It’s competitive on a high level in Zimbabwe,” said Eloi.
The Kwete family arrived in Arizona in the summer of 2016, after having only a month to prepare for the big move. “It was actually exciting and at the same time challenging, getting used to a certain lifestyle,” said Eloi.
“We miss the food, the people, the culture,” said Cosmos.
Originally the two played in a club rugby team in Arizona, but the boys were later approached by the head football coach about playing football. The twins had previously never played but decided to give it a shot.
“As a player of both sports, I can say that football is more about execution in the time you are given, there is no room for mistakes,” said Eloi, “In rugby, you can make a mistake and recover in as quick a time as possible. Football is more about focus and concentration. In Zimbabwe, rugby is actually much more aggressive. Rugby here is kind of light and soft.”
Added Cosmos, “Rugby here is not popular, people here don’t know what rugby is.”
In Zimbabwe when the brothers first started out playing close to where they lived, even simple things like fields to play on proved to be a struggle. “The ghetto part wasn’t actually grass so we arranged the field by ourselves,” said Eloi. Cosmos said the fields weren’t maintained. “The team would have to organize a day to personally maintain the fields,” said Cosmos.
Their recount serves in stark contrast to a picture of Casey kneeling on a perfectly manicured field for his flag football picture that hangs behind his father’s desk.
Clanton grew up a normal suburban kid, playing flag football from a young age until making the transition to tackle. “I started playing tackle football in 2008,” said Clanton. “My earliest memory of football was when I was in second grade and a flag was thrown at me. I looked at it on the ground, picked it up, and returned it to the official and he just started laughing.”
His cluelessness about the rules at first may come as a surprise, considering his father and now football coach, Jon Clanton, played for the Nebraska Huskers.
Having a parent that played at such a high level may be intimidating for some, but Jon never intended for his kids to see it that way.
“We’ve never been a family where he has to live up to me, it has been ‘You be you, play you, and we will see where it takes you,’” said Jon.
Casey has a slightly different view of things. “I think if your parents make it to a certain level, you want to make it at least there or higher. I’m out here to prove that my dad coached me to the best of his ability and I’m playing to the best of my ability.”
“I think he kind of needs to be his own person but it’s nice that he looks up to me,” said his father, Jon.
Dad doesn’t give Casey a pass on the field.
“Casey is the first one to get called out, I never want to see him jogging on the field or being lazy,” said Jon.
The No. 1 thing Jon has tried to instill in his son: “I don’t allow Casey to put his hands on his knees; I think it is a sign of weakness. My first day of college, we were running and as an incoming freshman everyone was yelling at me, ‘Don’t put your hands on your knees.’”
That hard work mentality proved a key component in establishing his friendship with Cosmos and Eloi.
Casey and the twins quickly found common ground that bonded them more than most players on their team. “Our work ethic is through the roof,” said Casey. The players have just come off a 6-4 record, but are not satisfied.
“Being injured really prevented me from making the moves I wanted to,” said Casey. Despite an overall mediocre season, the three are gaining interest from colleges across the nation. “Hawaii is looking at us for football,” said Eloi, “We want to go to college and pursue football at the next level.”
The juniors have already begun to look ahead to next season. “If we come together our senior year we will be unstoppable,” Casey said. “I think the main difference between us and everybody else is how much we put into what we do and what we love.”
Central High falls in scary 54-14 loss
Friday the 13th seemed to be filled with more tricks than treats for the Central High football team.
The Bobcats fell 54-14 to the Cesar Chavez Champions in a game that left spectators feeling as though they were in the twilight zone.
The team was riding a five-game winning streak and seemed to have turned a corner in the season, beating each opponent by at least nine points.
Head coach Jon Clanton acknowledged the impact the previous week’s Fall Break had had on morale and effort at practice. “They can’t expect to not show up to practice and still win a football game,” Clanton said.
Injuries and penalties plagued Central all night contributing to the abnormally long game that lasted over three hours. But Clanton doesn’t attribute the loss to either. “Do I think that we would have won if it hadn’t been for the injuries? I don’t think so.” Clanton said. “Our defense was a disappointment, and we didn’t play the best we are capable of.”
The most successful play of the night by Central was a trick play which involved four lateral passes that confused the defense and put Central in position to score.
“Did you see that?!” exclaimed athletic director Gilbert Jones at the time.
On the next play, Central scored its initial touchdown. The Bobcats then capitalized on their momentum with a two-point conversion to close the gap to 14-8.
It looked like a potential opportunity for the Bobcats to change the trajectory of the game, but squandered any chances they had.
Despite the frightening performance, don’t count the team out. If Central can pull off wins in their next two games, it will be the best record it has had since it went 7-4 in 2009.
The team is hoping to get back into its groove as it faces rival North (5-3) this week.
The Bobcats fell 54-14 to the Cesar Chavez Champions in a game that left spectators feeling as though they were in the twilight zone.
The team was riding a five-game winning streak and seemed to have turned a corner in the season, beating each opponent by at least nine points.
Head coach Jon Clanton acknowledged the impact the previous week’s Fall Break had had on morale and effort at practice. “They can’t expect to not show up to practice and still win a football game,” Clanton said.
Injuries and penalties plagued Central all night contributing to the abnormally long game that lasted over three hours. But Clanton doesn’t attribute the loss to either. “Do I think that we would have won if it hadn’t been for the injuries? I don’t think so.” Clanton said. “Our defense was a disappointment, and we didn’t play the best we are capable of.”
The most successful play of the night by Central was a trick play which involved four lateral passes that confused the defense and put Central in position to score.
“Did you see that?!” exclaimed athletic director Gilbert Jones at the time.
On the next play, Central scored its initial touchdown. The Bobcats then capitalized on their momentum with a two-point conversion to close the gap to 14-8.
It looked like a potential opportunity for the Bobcats to change the trajectory of the game, but squandered any chances they had.
Despite the frightening performance, don’t count the team out. If Central can pull off wins in their next two games, it will be the best record it has had since it went 7-4 in 2009.
The team is hoping to get back into its groove as it faces rival North (5-3) this week.
Teacher Retention at all Time Low
A new report from the Morrison Institute for Public Policy has brought to light the startling turnover rate of teachers in Arizona.
The new report Finding & Keeping Educators for Arizona’s Classrooms had a fact sheet released on Thursday by the institute, and stated that 42% of teachers hired in the state in 2013 had left the profession after less than three years. The low rate of retention may be attributed to the low income for teachers’ in the state. The Director of Communication at the Morrison Institute, Joseph Garcia, said, “I don’t think you can talk about a teacher shortage without talking about teacher pay.”
Arizona ranked 48th out of the 50 states for lowest teacher pay. Despite the lack of investment in education in the state, it remains one of the top issues voters care about.
According to a press release, also distributed on Thursday, elementary school teachers in Arizona made on average $39, 300 in 2015, down from $45, 463 in 2001. Secondary teachers saw an even greater drop in salary, originally making $50,615 in 2001, but were down to a mere $37,820 in 2015.
Garcia said that the Morrison Institute “looked at a lot of different metrics” to compile the information that will be included in the full report that is expected to be released in May.
Also included in the press release, Thom Reilly, director of the Morrison Institute said, “this report looks at the status of the teaching profession from many angles to help further the discussion and resolution from a fact- and evidence-based perspective.” Garcia furthered this statement by saying the report “was pretty comprehensive.”
The recession placed a strain on the economy, and over time school’s budgets were slashed in accordance to the adjustments that needed to be made. As baby boomers begin to retire, a plan to incentivize new teachers to stay within the profession needs to be proposed. Without a detailed plan of action, the quality of education will continue to diminish, leaving the most vulnerable and underserved populations worse off than they already are.
A Red State May Soon Turn Green
With the legalization of marijuana in many states across the nation, it is a warranted question to ask how the potential legalization of drugs may impact communities.
In an interview with David P. Gonzales, U.S. Marshal for Arizona, he said “as a young cop, I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that marijuana would be legalized in our community.” While recreational marijuana has not yet been legalized in the state, Gonzales believes it will not be long before it reaches Arizona.
According to an article by drugabuse.org, hospitalization of people in their twenties for marijuana related incidents has decreased over the past few years. A growing number of sites like azmarijuna.com are popping up online that break down the process for qualifying for a medical marijuana card, with some even boasting a map of legal dispensaries in the state.
Despite the growing acceptance of marijuana use in the nation, the heavily Republican state voted down Proposition 205 in the November 2016 election. Prop 205 focused on legalizing recreational marijuana for state residents 21 and older, parameters similar to those outlined in Prop 64 that was passed in California during the same election cycle.
While a portion of the population has warmed to the idea of marijuana, a more dangerous epidemic has grown in the shadows. The “last ten years (the) crime rate went down and the crack epidemic faded out,” Gonzales said. Even though the crack epidemic phased out, Gonzales said that “meth is in the wings as the new crack.” Although a long process is used to create meth, the synthetic drug does not have the grow time that crack does, because it is not derived from a plant.
The quick turnaround time allows for a cheaper drug to be produced, but also has more dangerous effects. Along with the rise of meth addicts, Arizona suffers from the biggest opioid problem in the nation. Arizona State’s Cronkite News program produced an award-winning documentary on opioid addiction in Arizona that aired in January 2017.
With over 400 gangs in the Phoenix metro area, Gonzales deals with the effects of gang and drug related activity frequently. Gonzales reassured that law enforcement agencies “go in and do investigations on their leaders,” but said, “they always pop back up again.”