Jack Kartsonis is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Mesa High School for AZPreps.365.com

Just last year, senior wide receiver Griffen Yamamoto viewed himself as a role player for the Mesa football team. This year, he’s emerged as a star.

The Mesa native has produced 104.3 receiving yards per game. His 49 receptions, 730 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns are all team  highs for the Jackrabbits this season.

According to senior starting quarterback Adrik Reed, the majority of plays within Mesa’s playbook are designed for Yamamoto. In fact, Yamamoto is the first read on 80% of Mesa’s passing plays.

“I’m stepping up more when my number is called,” Yamamoto said. “Last year I was more of a role player doing my part. This year I'm more of a leader, helping lead the offense.”

But Yamamoto’s success on the football field is not limited to his role as a receiver. He also plays free safety and has performed admirably, totaling 19 tackles and three tackles for loss on the season. His 64-yard interception return for a touchdown against Skyline High School sparked a 49-7 win. And on special teams, Yamamoto has even blocked a field goal this season.

Yamamoto’s all-around contributions this season reflect a greater trend in his football career — as a four-year starter at Mesa, his role on the team has been ever-changing. As a result, he's succeeded in doing many different things asked of him.

“My freshman year, I was put on varsity, and I was at the bottom of the food chain,” Yamamoto said. “I had to work my way up and looking up to other big leaders on the team motivated me.”

In addition to being a two-way football player, Yamamoto also is a key contributor to the Mesa basketball and track teams. On the basketball court, he’s the quintessential hustle player, who is often tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best scorer. As a track athlete, he’s a ruthlessly consistent performer in the long jump, placing 17th in the Mesa City Championships last season.

When it comes to being a tri-sport athlete, there are challenges that come with the numerous responsibilities. According to Yamamoto, it’s difficult to not be constantly busy.

Reed, who has played both basketball and football with Yamamoto, provided insight on the mental and physical challenges of playing multiple sports.

“It's very tarnishing on your body,” Reed said. “It just takes a lot out of your body. It takes a lot mentally too. You really have to focus on one sport at a time when you’re in that season.”

Such challenges can be overwhelming for a lot of athletes. However, that’s not the case for Yamamoto. Scott Stansberry, Mesa’s head basketball  coach, believes this is due to his work ethic.

“He's super hard working,” Stansberry said. “Everything he does, he does 1,000 miles an hour. His work ethic and his motor are special. It's something I haven't seen very much since I started coaching.”

Athletes who succeed in juggling the challenges of playing multiple sports, like Yamamoto, are often met with huge benefits out of high school.

“The best athletes, if you look across anything, play multiple sports,” said Mesa head football coach Chad DeGrenier, who also coaches Yamamoto in track.

“Anybody that goes and plays college basketball, college soccer, college this, college that, they play multiple sports in high school. They get the transference [between sports], and transference is great for the body.”

Yamamoto is no doubt an athlete of many roles. On the football field, he’s gone from being a role player to being a star player. As a two-way player, he’s currently lighting up the stat-sheet on offense, and leading his squad on defense. When winter sports begin, he’ll be doing the “dirty work” as a key contributor for the Mesa basketball team, according to Stansberry. And by the time spring rolls around, Yamamoto will be a top competitor for Mesa track and field, according to DeGrenier.

“Griffen is a kid you love to have in your program,” DeGrenier said. “He does everything right. He shows up, works hard, and understands what's going on. He's been a pleasure to coach in both track and football.”

“With Griff, I feel like he could probably pick up another one or two sports and be just fine at it because of his personality, how hard he goes, and how athletic he is,” Stansberry said.