Chas Messman is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Chaparral football for AZPreps365.com

The 8-2 Chaparral Firebirds have punched their ticket into the first ever Open Division playoffs, where the eight best teams across the top three divisions (6A, 5A, and 4A) have a chance to be named the true state champion. The Firebirds were selected as the eighth seed and they will take on the No.1 seed, the Chandler Wolves. 

A major piece in determining whether or not Chaparral will make a run at the state title will be their high-flying offense. This offense is clearly built around their passing attack. An instrumental piece of their passing attack is senior wide receiver Tommy Christakos. 

Christakos is verbally committed to join head coach Justin Wilcox’s California Golden Bears to continue his education and football career following his time at Chaparral. The wide receiver, who according to Rivals had 21 Division I offers, is rated as the number 17 recruit in the state of Arizona by Rivals. During the regular season Christakos accumulated 38 receptions for 708 yards and nine touchdowns in seven games played. He averaged 18.6 yards per catch and 101.1 yards per game. He recorded a receiving touchdown in each of the seven games he played in. At 6 foot 4 inches tall and 215 pounds, Christakos is a physical wide-out who excels at owning his matchup, especially in the red-zone. 

“I may not be the fastest, but when the ball is in the air, it’s mine,” Christakos said. “I’m going to outsize. I’m going to outpower and I am definitely going to out jump them.” 

A big, tall, and physical receiver who dominates the 50-50 balls will remind NFL fans of a certain professional counterpart: Calvin Johnson. Johnson was one of the most dominant receivers during the 2000s. The former Detroit Lion and All-Pro is Christakos’s favorite player of all time and his football idol.

“Calvin Johnson is my role model,” said Christakos. “It is the reason I wear number 81.”

There are a lot of similarities in playing styles of the number 81s, especially when it comes to their ability to catch the football. Both have extremely strong hands that allow them to make big plays in tight coverages.

“Tommy’s skillset is so different,” Chaparral head coach Brent Barnes said. “He is strong. He can run and run routes. He can jump and play the ball in the air. The way he can move his body and adjust and make a play on the ball allows him to make plays that not very many guys can make.”

Christakos put this ability on display in the Firebirds final regular season game, where they defeated Liberty 36-35 on the last play of the game. 

“That was, I think, the most fun football game I have ever played in,” Christakos said.

In the victory, Christakos had eight receptions for 99 yards and a touchdown. On that touchdown he did something football fans watched his hero do in the NFL on many occasions. Chaparral quarterback Jack Miller threw up a jump ball to Christakos in the corner of the endzone. Christakos out-jumped the defensive back and snagged the ball with one hand for the score. 

When coaches have a player of Christakos’s caliber, there are so many different things they can do as a play caller to torch opposing defenses. Barnes clearly has built much of his passing attack around the Miller and Christakos connection. Barnes also is known for scheming trick plays and working them into games. One of which was when Christakos threw a touchdown to tight end Wes Mason on a reverse against Saguaro. 

“It is fun to have guys like that, there’s not very many of them. Tommy is a rare player and a rare athlete,” Barnes said. “There are certain things you can draw up for them, and when you have a guy that can just make plays, he can bail you out of some things.”

Arguably the biggest part of Barnes’s offense is that Miller-to-Christakos connection. Now that both are healthy, the Firebird offense has been rolling. The Firebirds have won six straight games, four of which both stars played in. In those four games, the two connected 24 times for 445 yards. In that time, Miller threw 10 touchdowns, six of which were to Christakos. 

“Ever since freshman year, we have just been working and building the connection,” Miller said following their senior night win over Pinnacle. “We are super close off the field and that only helps us on the field.” 

If the Firebirds are to make a run for the state championship and end the season as champions, they need their star wide receiver to show up. The Firebirds start their postseason campaign on the road against Chandler on Nov. 15.