PHOENIX — It was standing room only for National Signing Day at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix. Two of the Pioneers’ key contributors to their 6A State Championship appearance, wide receiver Myles Libman and tight end Coleson Arends, signed their letters of intent to play at to Stanford and Arizona State, respectively.
“I was heavy on ASU right away, right as they offered me,” Arends said. “I remember going to the ASU games as a freshman, dreaming of playing in that stadium and we made it happen.”
Arends got to play at Sun Devil Stadium last December when Pinnacle faced the Highland Hawks in the 6A State Championship Game. Libman, who played in the 2022 U.S. Army Bowl, will be part of a new era in Palo Alto under first-year head coach Troy Taylor.
“I committed Monday night and Stanford? It's pretty self-explanatory,” Libman said. “Just wearing [Stanford] across your chest, you can already hold your head higher. Especially now with new coaches, new offense. I’m definitely thrilled to be a part of it and very grateful.”
But one of the most coveted players in the country, dual-sport athlete Duce Robinson, is still deciding where he will be taking his talents next year. The five-star tight end has offers from some of the nation’s top programs such as USC, Texas, Georgia, Alabama and Oregon. Robinson, who also wants to play baseball at the next level, told 12News there’s no clear timeline for when he will announce his decision.
“We're trying to make sure whatever school I go to I'm 100% convicted. We got it narrowed down to a solid list of schools I think I will truly go to,” Robinson said. “When we commit to a school, I want to be there for three or four years. I want to stay there and enjoy my time there. We just want to be at peace with the decision.”
Follow the conversation with Lina Washington on Twitter: @LWashingtonTV. If you have a sports story idea, e-mail Lina at LWashington@12News.com.
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Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made the State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers also play at the Footprint. Phoenix has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Cactus Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the Waste Management Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall; and Cactus League Spring Training.