Taysen Mizukawa Switched to Center a Day Before Kickoff, and Desert Hills Is Better For It

This article recaps a segment from The Rush's Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026 episode. Watch the full show.

Desert Hills looked like a different team in its 47-25 win at Dixie, and Taysen Mizukawa says it started with a players-only meeting the Sunday before.

"We talked about what we needed to change," Mizukawa said. "We really picked it up in practice. It was really energetic, and it seemed like we wanted to play football again."

Mizukawa's own season has taken an unusual turn. He's spent his high school career moving between positions, and he opened this year at linebacker, forcing a fumble in the first game. But he wanted to contribute more, so he asked the coaches where he could help. With injuries thinning out the offensive line, they moved him there a day before a game, and he's been the starting center ever since.

"It's definitely been a challenge," he said. "I'm really far behind on drills." What the coaches keep pointing out is his effort. "I go 100%, full speed. We can correct the technical stuff later." He's already up to six or seven pancake blocks, once he learned what actually counts as one.

He had plenty of praise for his teammates. Running back Seth Brown, who wasn't even on his Little League A team, treated the offensive line to ribs after the Dixie win. Troy Malufau, who Mizukawa calls a brother, set the tone with a big hit on Dixie's first drive. And senior lineman Olin Clawson has been teaching him the position. "He's not the biggest lineman," Mizukawa said, "but he's probably the best technically I've seen."

At about 220 pounds, Mizukawa isn't a typical center. But in Region 9, his story is one of the best of the season.