Preston Raab is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Ironwood High School for AZPreps365.

PHOENIX — With about 7 seconds left on the game clock and Ironwood deep in Central’s territory, junior quarterback KhaVontae Paul snaps the ball, tucks it into his arms and darts off, running into the endzone and giving the Eagles a 27-26 win over the Bobcats.

“My best moment was last year against Central,” Paul said of that day.

As his high school career nears its end, he looks back on countless memories. Born in Texas, he grew up in the Fort Worth area before his family moved to Arizona around seventh grade. 

To junior wide receiver Ramsey Pyne, Paul's leadership has set the tone for the team. 

“He's a great person, leading on and off the field,” Pyne said. “He is just someone that you could trust and is a good guy.”

Paul ranks among the top 20 rushes in Arizona, although junior running back Nicholas Morrow said his job at running back a bit easier, since having Paul at quarterback is a major threat on the ground to opposing defenses.

“It makes it easier because sometimes the defense is just so focused on KP and they forget about me,” Morrow said. “So it's just kind of opening up my place.”

Paul started playing tackle football when he was 7 years old, something his grandfather pushed from day one.

“My grandfather was really the main person that got me into football," Paul said, "and so ever since then, it's been my mother, my grandfather, they have been my No. 1 supporters.”

Paul’s mother, Erika Kane, said she was nervous when he first joined the sport.

“First, I didn't want him to do it," Kane said. "It was my stepdad who was like, 'Let's put him in sports.'"

Kane said the moment Paul stepped onto the field, everything changed, everyone knew this was his game. 

“We took him to practice to try out for a team and from that day on, he just went,” Kane said. “I just knew he actually really likes this, and he was good at it.”

Off the field, Paul spends much of his time in the library focusing on academics.

“I just like to detox myself from all this stuff going on, I'll just go up there, grab something to drink and do some homework," Paul said. “School is a big part of my life.”

The journey for Paul is far from over still receiving two Division II offers from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo. and Black Hills State in Spearfish, S.D.

“I do want to go into real estate,” Paul said. “That's something that I find interesting. My major is going to be something to do with business administration.”

Kane said Paul's determination drives him to finish what he starts.

“He beats himself up when he's not doing his best, he's very hard on himself,” Kane said. “Once he starts something, whether it's football, a job, a homework assignment or something with a friend, he's gonna see it through and finish it.”

Starting varsity as a sophomore wasn't easy. Paul knew he needed to make a name for himself. 

“It's not about winning every game, but the connections that you make along the way, the coaches that you meet and the great people here,” Paul said.

One of those people has been Ironwood assistant coach Andrew DiCarlo, who joined the program during Paul's sophomore season. 

"He’s been my closest coach out of all of them," Paul said. "He is always making sure I'm good, even because it's just me and my mother, so if I didn't have dinner before a game, he'd make sure I was good. He's kind of like a father figure to me outside of football.”

DiCarlo, an Ironwood alumnus who graduated in 2011, said coaching allows him to give back to the community that shaped him. 

“The whole reason for me coaching here is to connect with kids who are in the same position that I was 15 years ago,” DiCarlo said. “The biggest thing for me is being an impact in these guys' lives and trying to have some form of positive impact on them moving forward.”

Paul’s perseverance hasn't gone unnoticed. Head coach Tony Stillings said he's watch Paul evolve both as an athlete and as a leader. 

“As he ages, he just matures a little bit naturally," Stillings said. “It takes more of the leadership role. This year he's gone beyond that and is turned into more of a leader off the field, as far as just making sure everybody behaves the right way and is held accountable."