Rhett Stallworth launches AZ Gunslingers Football Academy with Yuma youth event

Rhett Stallworth turned one of Yuma Catholic’s most recognizable football names into a new youth-sports venture Sunday, launching the AZ Gunslingers Football Academy with a punt, pass and kick event on campus for athletes ages 9 through 17.

The launch gave local kids more than a single skill test. Players were divided into age groups so they could compete on more even footing, and the event also included quarterback and wide receiver challenges alongside the punt, pass and kick competition. For younger athletes trying to build confidence before high school football, that kind of format matters because it offers multiple ways to compete, measure progress and stay connected to the game.

Stallworth brings uncommon name recognition to the project. He stepped down as Yuma Catholic’s head football coach after the 2024 postseason following a 16-season run that produced a 174-30 record and three state championships in 2011, 2013 and 2014. He remains the school’s president, and his move into a football academy extends his influence beyond the sideline and into the year-round training space where many youth programs now try to build their next wave of players.

The setting also mattered. By using Yuma Catholic, Stallworth anchored the academy in a familiar local institution rather than a standalone private facility. Yuma Catholic says it serves about 500 students in Yuma County and surrounding areas, which gives the school a natural audience for youth development, family attendance and word-of-mouth growth. The football page now lists Marty Schaetzle as the new head coach, signaling that the program is already moving into a new era while Stallworth's legacy remains a selling point.

The bigger question is whether AZ Gunslingers becomes a one-day clinic or the start of a broader pipeline for Yuma athletes. Yuma has long leaned on school programs to carry football development, but an academy tied to a coach with Stallworth’s record could fill a gap for players who want more instruction before they reach varsity level. If it grows, families may find themselves investing not just in game days, but in a structured path of coaching, repetition and mentorship that begins years earlier than high school.