Glendale Cactus football coach Joseph Ortiz said that he’s had seven transfers come in since the end of last season.

Wait, what?

It’s not uncommon for schools like Chandler and Chandler Hamilton, Peoria Centennial, Scottsdale Saguaro and Gilbert Higley to get their good share of transfers every year.

But Cactus?

“They said they just wanted to come here and play football,” Ortiz said.

Cactus has been a prominent football program in the Northwest Valley since Larry Fetkenhier took over in the 1980s.

When Ortiz came in two years ago, Cactus went 8-4. Last season, they came inches from reaching the 4A final, falling to eventual champion Gilbert Mesquite in the semifinal. That Cactus team won 10 games for the first time since 2011.

“A lot of these kids know a lot of players on other teams through youth football,” Ortiz said.

New to Cactus football this year, Ortiz said, are sophomore quarterback Chase Jasinski, who was on Peoria Liberty’s freshman team last season; junior safety Joseph Lagafuaina, who was all-region at Phoenix Moon Valley; junior running back Chris Thomas, also all-region at Moon Valley; sophomore wide receiver Ashton Wendelschafer, who is from Peoria Sunrise Mountain; junior defensive lineman Vincent Burgo, who came in from Glendale Mountain Ridge; junior center Armani Aguirre, who is from Avondale Westview; and junior linebacker Aki Pulu, who arrived from Scottsdale Chaparral.

Cactus is at a phase in its summer conditioning that it is in group of 20 with 7-on-7, which started this week, Ortiz said.

The weight room also opened this week at Cactus, as the Cobras and the rest of the Peoria district schools maneuver around the pandemic.

Defense should be Cactus’ strong suit with one of the state’s best defensive coordinators, Brian Belles, guiding it.

This team wants to get revenge on Mesquite and capture the 4A title.

But are the Cobras now making a push to the Super 8 Open Division?

“In a year or two, I’ll play almost anyone,” Ortiz said. “We only have eight seniors out of 55 kids on the roster.”

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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