Ryan Schwager is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Desert Vista football.

The Desert Vista Thunder are graduating a legitimate star this spring in Elijah Ervin. He stands 6’2”, 185 pounds. His 1,459 receiving yards ranked fourth amongst Arizona pass catchers. After eight touchdowns as a junior last year, Ervin caught 18 as a senior, including 11 through the first eight games this season. He surpassed 100 yards in nine out of 13 games, and his best performance was in a matchup at Perry where his final stat line was something resembling a video game.

Eight catches, 254 yards, and not one, two or three touchdowns, but four.

Ervin’s production has earned him multiple Division I college football offers, including ones from South Dakota State University, New Mexico State University and the Air Force Academy, just to name a few. Despite still being undecided, Ervin is a three-star recruit per 247Sports who is continuing to gain the interest of college coaches across the nation.

“I’ve had a pretty good experience during the recruiting process,” Ervin said. “I’ve had a lot of nice coaches reach out to me, but I’m definitely looking for a few bigger opportunities.”

Parker Navarro, Ervin’s quarterback, connected with him 63 times this season, bringing an emphasis on the big play as seen in Ervin's 23.2 yards per catch.

 “He’s always open and always gets separation from the defense,” Navarro said. “His ability to take the top off any defense and how crisp his routes are makes him a dangerous player.”

“We’ve established ourselves as big run threats last year and this year,” Ervin added. “This brings more people in the box, which has really opened up our big-play offense.”

Their chemistry and relationship on the field has been able to grow after connecting for eight scores last season as juniors. But their success is not just attributed to their communication on the gridiron.

“Off the field, we are really close friends, so that bond definitely helps our performance,” Navarro added.

Ervin didn’t just make plays on offense, however. Head coach Hinds occasionally played Ervin on the defensive side of the ball at cornerback. Despite just 22 tackles all season, Ervin pulled in three interceptions. He got two of those in a state playoff game versus Basha on Nov. 8, and Desert Vista won that game 52-26.

“I haven’t always been a defensive guy,” Ervin said. “But I love making plays any way I can, so I’ve kind of found a liking for it.”

Coming in second in the 6A Central division, the Thunder finished with a 10-3 overall record, with their season ending in the semi-finals of Arizona’s group 6A state playoffs.

“So far it’s been a great and fun season” Ervin said, back when the regular season came to a close. “I’m looking forward to finishing the season off strong as a team and individually. I also look forward to competing with some of the best teams in the state and making a championship run.”

Ervin almost made his championship dream a reality, but ultimately came up short. It does not take away from having an incredible season – one that left Hinds and his teammates are incredibly grateful.