Yearwood to play this week

After sitting out the first two games due to paperwork from his transfer from Los Angeles University High School being processed, Arroyo Valley quarterback Michael Yearwood is set to make his season debut Friday, as the Hawks play at Eisenhower.

"We are excited," Arroyo Valley coach Marcus Soward said after his team's 10-0 loss to Miller this past Friday. "I think we have a good team, but Michael is a special player that makes everyone better. I can't wait to put him out there."

Yearwood was a killer for Arroyo Valley as a dual-threat quarterback last year, combining for 36 touchdowns rushing and passing for an Arroyo Valley team that went 7-4 and lost in the first round of the playoffs. Yearwood originally moved from Los Angeles during his sophomore year, moved back during the spring to help with his ailing grandmother and moved back this summer after his grandmother had passed away.

The quarterback takes the reins of an offense that's struggled mightily in its first two games, scoring only three points in losses to Palm Springs and Miller. The Hawks only touchdown was a defensive one, as its shuffled three different guys at quarterback.

Yearwood was actually cleared right before the Miller game last Friday, but Soward held him out because he felt that he didn't have enough practice time.

"Michael was getting on me, yelling to get in the game because he's a competitor, but we didn't want to risk it," Soward said. "We wanted to get him some more practice time to knock off some rust."