by 
Superior Sun
Superior sophomore Nicolaus Cruz is more than a three-sport athlete. He is a three-sport athlete who ranks among the best in the state in all of them, regardless of division.
He recently completed his second season as the Panthers’ starting quarterback, leading his team to the quarterfinals of this year’s playoffs while putting up prolific numbers along the way. In the next week or two he’ll be on the court preparing for the start of the Panthers’ basketball season, where as a freshman he was one of the top rebounders on the team. And in the spring, he’ll resume his role as the Panthers’ starting shortstop, that is, on the days he’s not the starting pitcher.
As a freshman, Cruz walked away from the Panthers’ Annual Sports Award Banquet with more awards than the number of interceptions he threw this season – 5.
It would be surprising if he didn’t pull in an even bigger haul later this year. And by the time he leaves Superior High School his family may need another room to store all the hardware, including some Player of the Year awards.
That’s right, award-zzzz.
Plural.
And likely in more than one sport.
As dynamic as he is on the field and on the court, it’s not his performance that is at the forefront of his coaches’ minds.
“First of all, he’s a great kid,” said Ryan Palmer, who serves as the head coach of the Panthers’ football and basketball teams. “He’s a good student, he’s a leader on and off the field, and, obviously, he has some special talent.”
Cruz combined for almost 3,000 offensive yards this season – 1,921 passing and 1,061 rushing – and 43 touchdowns, including 24 passing scores. He finished first in the section in both passing and rushing yards. He was third in points scored.
Think about that for a minute. Cruz, a quarterback, rushed for more yards than any running back in the section, according to statistics entered on MaxPreps, a national high school sport website.
“He was able to stay healthy this year,” Palmer said. “So he was able to put up some big numbers for us.”
With the football season winding down a number of media outlets will begin announcing postseason award winners.
Expect Cruz to win his fair share. Not just this year but for years to come.
“He has an extremely bright future,” Palmer said. “He grew a lot this year. He grew some his freshman year, but he grew even more this year.”
“I can’t wait to see what he’s able to do these next two years.”
Neither can the rest of us.
Panthers’ QB Nicolaus Cruz (12) finds running room on the outside against the Lobos during Friday’s Homecoming win.
Andrew Luberda began writing for Copper Area News Publishers (CANP) in February 2013 after working 15 years in Healthcare Financial Management. Andy covers sports for 11 high schools. His stories are published in Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner and Superior Sun, in addition to the San Tan Valley Daily PRSS and CopperArea websites. Additionally, he has written human interest stories and business profiles. In May 2012, he earned an AAS in Sports Management at Central Arizona College before graduating with a BS in Communication from Arizona State University in 2014. He and his wife, Kelli, have three sons – AJ, Kyle, and Kade.
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