Strong start for San Juan football team

by Lee Begaye
Navajo Times
The 17th Annual Monument Valley Mustang 7-on-7 Passing Tournament drew 15 teams from across the Navajo Nation and nearby border towns, culminating in a high-stakes championship between two state titleholders on Saturday, June 7.
The San Juan Broncos of Blanding, Utah – winners of the last four Utah 2A state championships –dominated both pool play action and the 18-team single-elimination bracket, ultimately defeating the Bloomfield Bobcats, the reigning two-time New Mexico 4A state champions.
Teams traveled from as far as Prescott Valley, with Bradshaw Mountain fielding two teams. Bloomfield and San Juan also each entered two squads into the bracket.
Monument Valley, AZ head coach Bryan Begay commented on the high level of competition. “When you have two state championship programs come to this type of event, it speaks to the success of this tournament compared to other 7-on-7 competitions in the state,” Begay said.
“The goal is to keep our kids happy and competitive, and this event does that very well.”
The day began with pool play action, featuring 20-minute games with ten-minute breaks in between. Each team had the opportunity to play up to seven games before the bracket round.
Both Bloomfield and San Juan earned wins to move into the finals, as the hot afternoon gave way to a welcome breeze drifting off Black Mesa.
San Juan showcased a relentless passing attack led by rising sophomore quarterback Beau Yeomans. He spread the ball effectively to multiple targets, including Tripp Palmer – a 6-foot-3 wide receiver with Division I offers from Utah State and Utah Tech, and interest from BYU.
Also contributing was 2024 Utah 2A MVP Jagger Nieves, who lined up at running back but made his biggest impact as an inside receiver.
San Juan Head Coach Barkley Christensen praised the tournament’s quality. “The competition was excellent. It’s rare for us to find this level of play so close to home,” Christensen said.
“Usually we have to travel long distances across Utah to get this kind of competition. Beating Bloomfield, the New Mexico state champions, helps put things into perspective.”
“We’re breaking in a new quarterback,” Christensen continued. “Without summer programs like this, we’d be trying to teach him everything once pads go on in August.
“There’s just no time then to develop the skill and knowledge needed. We have to stay sharp. After all, we have a target on our back; we have four and counting.”
The Broncos continued their summer camp season with another 7-on-7 event at Wasatch High School in Heber City, Utah this past Friday and Saturday, June 13-14.
The boys battled hard, earning nice wins over several larger schools, including Logan, Juab, and North Sanpete, along with Providence Hall.
San Juan ran out of gas against 5A host Wasatch, but Coach Christensen says he’s very pleased with where the team stands at this very early stage of the season.
“We are still improving,” he stated, “but I love how hard these guys play. You can’t coach that.”
Speaking on the progress of young quarterback Beau Yeomans he said, “For a 15-year old he’s awesome. I’ve never had a sophomore quarterback even be in contention for a starting job at the varsity level, but he is holding his own.
“He is going toe-to-toe with some of the best defenses we will see. He does benefit quite a bit with having some of the best pass catchers we have seen. Tripp and Cole Duke are huge targets, and Jagger and Nache Young are playmakers.”
It’s assumed Yeomans will be the starter when the Broncos hit the field to start the season against Grantsville at Snow College on August 15.
For now, San Juan will continue to prepare for the upcoming season when they travel to Manti, UT on Friday and Saturday, June 27-28 for another 7-on-7 tournament.