QB Tait Reynolds has Queen Creek football in line to crack Open Division playoffs

Posted by Admin October 31, 2024 Football

The same May night Tait Reynolds delivered the walk-off hit in extra innings to give Queen Creek its first 6A state baseball title, the Bulldogs were part of a spring football showcase in front of college coaches at Mesa Red Mountain.

“I sent him a text that said, ‘Hey, Tait, congratulations, I’m so proud of you,’ ” Queen Creek football coach Travis Schureman said. “He texted me right back and said, ‘Coach, how did tonight go for the boys?’ “

Schureman told him it went awesome, because a couple of the Queen Creek players got offered by college football coaches. Reynolds asked who they were, so he could call and congratulate them.

“Here’s a guy who should be on the highest level, and he’s worried about his guys,” Schureman said. “Tait would be happy with handing the ball off 50 times a game, and, if we won, he’d be happy about it.”

But Schureman and the Bulldogs know they need the junior quarterback to win games. Reynolds, who started his high school career leaning more toward baseball, has broken out big since committing to Clemson last July to play both sports.

He has helped lead the Bulldogs to an 8-1 record and is on the edge of making the eight-team Open Division state football playoffs. A win Friday night against Gilbert Highland (6-2) gets them closer and then can really stamp their ticket next week in the regular-season finale against ALA Queen Creek (7-1).

After he scored on runs of 72 and 22 yards in the final quarter to rally his team past previously unbeaten and then-No. 1-ranked AIA Open team Red Mountain last week, Reynolds has taken Queen Creek to a level maybe nobody but they felt they could reach this year.

Reynolds, 6-foot-4, 195 pounds, has passed for 1,475 yards and 16 touchdowns and run for 778 yards and 13 TDs on 74 carries. Last week in the 28-23 win over Red Mountain, Reynolds completed 18 of 26 passes for 224 yards and a TD and ran 15 times for 128 yards and three scores.

Riding an emotional high since May after he got the hit to win the baseball title, Reynolds has been good about keeping both feet firmly planted on the ground.

Queen Creek QB Tait Reynolds talks success in football and baseball

Queen Creek High School football quarterback Tait Reynolds goes over what it’s like to have success in both football and baseball.

“There’s been ups and downs for sure,” he said. “I’m just always trying to get better. I have a father in Jesus Christ that has these opportunities he puts me in. He keeps me calm, keeps me humble.”

Reynolds said he was more focused on baseball the last couple of years. He committed to Arizona State as a freshman, when he started on the varsity baseball team. But he found a love for football this year, he said.

His potential seems unlimited. He’s got size, arm strength, speed. He’s physical, tough, and won’t back down to the moment. The greater it is, the bigger he plays.

“I just keep working, keep my head down, and just get after it,” Reynolds said.

Grounded by older brothers

He’s grown up in an athletic family with two older brothers, Trey and Porter, both college football players, who pushed him to be the best. Tait’s younger sister, Emma, is a sophomore softball player who helped get Queen Creek to the 6A state title game last May. Emma hit .340 with 10 doubles and 30 RBIs on varsity as a freshman.

His brothers starred on the defensive side as linebackers during their Queen Creek football years. Trey, who is 6-1, 228 pounds, plays at Utah. Porter, 6-2, 225, plays football at Northern Arizona.

Those guys made sure nothing came easy for Tait growing up.

“I had a real hard time growing up,” Tait said. “I’m grateful for it, though. I was always the little brother growing up. It kind of gave me that edge. They pushed me a lot. They’re the hardest workers I know.”

Tait is taller than both of them now. That athleticism and toughness came from their father, Paul, who starred in football and baseball at Snowflake High, before playing linebacker in football at Arizona State, a part of the 1996 Rose Bowl team.

Paul Reynolds now runs the weight room at Queen Creek High, getting his son and the rest of the athletes stronger.

“They’ve been great mentors for him,” Paul said of his two oldest sons. “They’re always talking to each other about the ups and downs. They know to be successful, you have to have incredible people around you to guide and push you to be better. Your faith, coaches, teammates, teachers, family and friends.”

Tait feels he’s got that great support system at Queen Creek, where, this season, he’s been able to lean on former Scooter Molander, former coach at Brophy Prep, Eastmark and Desert Vista. After leaving Desert Vista, Molander joined Schureman’s staff this year to coach the quarterbacks and specials teams.

“Coach Mo helps me a lot,” Reynolds said. “I’m grateful to have him around. My teammates help me and do a good job.”

Schureman said Molander has aided in Reynolds’ development as a quarterback. Schureman reached out to Molander in the offseason to join his staff. Former Florence head coach Scott Howard is the offensive coordinator, and former Mesa High and ASU football player Tommy Pace is the defensive coordinator.

“One of the things that has been really neat for us is that there is great continuity amongst our staff,” Schureman, a former standout offensive lineman at Mesa Mountain View. “There are no ego guys. We all work together.”

Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. He also covers Grand Canyon University athletics and the Arizona Rattlers. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert