Badgley staying put to play for Matadors

 Brian Badgley liked the idea of leaving his hometown to attend college when he began looking for a place to play football.

 But he also liked the idea of being an Arizona Western College Matador.

And while there was plenty of interest from schools close by in California and as far away as South Dakota, the Yuma Catholic star wound up signing his letter of intent on Tuesday to AWC and interim coach Jerry Dominguez.

"That was the only setback, but I'm over that now," Badgley said about staying in Yuma. "I had a couple offers from other schools, but the relationship with these coaches has been great. They're constantly talking to you and it seems like they have a real interest, and they make you feel like you're the guy."

Badgley said he was impressed with AWC's ability to move players on to Division-I schools and liked the direction the team's offense was headed as he watched their spring practices. He said he was concerned about committing when head coach James Pryor resigned and four members of the coaching staff became involved in a lawsuit within a week's time, but Dominguez was able to answer all of his questions.

"Coach Dominguez called me the next day and filled me in on a lot of stuff about what was going on, and that makes you feel comfortable," he said. "(Dominguez) says he wants to be here and he wants to start this program up."

Badgley knows the good that can come from coaching changes, calling his experience first-year head coach Rhett Stallworth "the best scenario that could have happened to me". The senior wideout blossomed at his position and played a big role in the Shamrocks' undefeated regular season. In addition to his 16 touchdown grabs, his 1,304 receiving yards were the best in all of Arizona. 

"We're kind of changing our offensive style for more of a spread set," Dominguez said. "Typically we'd carry six to eight receivers, but now because we'll use three and four-receiver sets that position has to grow. There's always a knock about 2A players and their competition, but you have to look at what he did and not the competition he was going against."

Stallworth was in attendance for Badgley's signing at the AWC campus on Tuesday and said his main advice to his former player was to see his commitment through to the end.

"There are too many times you see a local guy get a scholarship and they don't finish," he said. "They go from being a hero to a zero real fast and they're not mentally tough. You have to understand it's like going back to being a freshman in high school, and if you see it through and persevere it usually takes care of itself."