Their parents were close friends in Minnesota, but it wasn’t until this summer, during a vacation reunion, that Devon Dampier and Dorian Singer met.

They instantly connected on the football field, Dampier throwing perfectly timed strikes to the speedy Singer.

Now, they’re ready to make a splash this season on Phoenix Pinnacle’s team with a huge date Friday night at top-ranked Chandler in The Arizona Republic‘s Week 2 High School Football Game of the Week.

“I really didn’t know Dorian that well until this summer,” Dampier said. “Dorian is something special. Most people don’t know about him.”

Arizona high school football fans may get to know him soon.

Singer, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound senior, had 13 college football scholarship offers in Minnesota, including his only Power 5 offer from Iowa State, before making the move to Phoenix this summer. He added a 14th offer since coming here, from Northern Arizona.

Last week, in Pinnacle’s 52-13 rout of Phoenix Horizon to open the season, Dampier, a sophomore, threw for 230 yards and five touchdowns and ran for two more scores. Singer, in his Arizona debut, had eight catches for 143 yards and three TDs. And he threw a 71-yard TD pass.

“Over the summer, we finally got together,” Singer said. “I was like, ‘Who is this kid?’ Our parents had seen each other and reunited.”

Singer said after the very first pass Dampier threw to him, he thought, “I knew it would be our year.”

It won’t be as easy Friday when the Pioneers face maybe the best defense in the state. And maybe the best offense in the state, as well. Chandler is loaded, especially up front on the defensive side, with ends Brandon Buckner and Zion Magalei as good as there is at getting to the quarterback.

“It’s not about us worrying about our opponent, but trusting in each other as a team,” Singer said. “We’ll go out there and be just fine.”

Singer’s confidence grew in Oakdale, Minnesota, where he starred at both receiver and safety at Tartan High School.

But he wasn’t getting the major conference schools looking at him as much as he liked. He feels this move to a program that produced Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler will launch Power 5 offers.

Singer adds to what was already a great passing dynamic between Damiper and fellow sophomore Duce Robinson, ranked by The Republic as the No. 1 football prospect for 2023 in Arizona at 6-6, 220 pounds. Robinson plays tight end, wide out and will run routes out of the slot.

“Duce doesn’t even have a full season under his belt,” Pinnacle coach Dana Zupke said. “He has worked hard on his receiver skills and footwork in the offseason and will be a difficult matchup for everyone. 

“He will continue to improve week in and week out.”

Dampier, 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, worked during the spring and summer with Rattler, who was the nation’s top-rated QB during his senior year two years ago at Pinnacle.

They both worked under Valley quarterback coach Mike Giovando. Rattler took Dampier under his wing.

“Spencer has been in my life since the Firebirds (a youth program),” Dampier said. “He keeps in touch with me almost every day. He’ll text to make sure I’m all right. Mike Gio helped me a lot with reads.”

Dampier knows he is his own player but likes how Rattler will get off the canvas after an interception and continue to take big shots down field to make plays.

“Definitely, Spencer’s confidence level is way up there,” Dampier said. “I think that’s important. He’s not scared of anything. He believes in himself. I feed off of that. It gives me motivation.”

No Division I college has offered Dampier yet, but his big growth spurt since his freshman year doesn’t go unnoticed with college coaches.

“Devon has physically matured a lot over the past year, growing four or five inches and adding 20 pounds,” Zupke said. “He has matched that with a mental maturity that is beyond his years.  He has become a leader, even as a sophomore and will continue to get better.”

On Singer, Zupke said, “Dorian is special.  He has great speed, change of direction, and elevation.  He is very coachable, and is a nightmare for opponents.”

They hope to pose a problem for a Chandler team that could make a run at being the best team in the nation.

“Chandler is definitely a great team,” Dampier said. “Of course, there’s a little bit of jitters with everyone. Everyone is excited.”

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at [email protected] or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert.

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