WEEKLY BLOG: 4/19/20

The last time the Dobson Mustangs played a football game was on November 1. I watched from Dick Pallas Field as the home team honored their seniors prior to kickoff. DHS was trying to play spoiler to Mountain View's playoff hopes in an East Valley Region tilt to end the regular season.

That was 170 days ago. It seems like an eternity as we remember things the way they used to be before social distancing and staying safe at home became the new normal.

That night, a loss to the Toros, marked the end of Year One for Bill Godsil as Dobson's head coach. Following the game, he was positive about the future of the program.

"Our motto was Brick by Brick and laying the foundation down," Godsil said that night. "We're heading in the right direction."

It was in mid-March of 2019 that Godsil was hired by Dobson. We should be in the middle of his first full offseason with the Mustangs, which we still are, it's just....different.

The most difficult transition comes with coaches not being able to see their players every day, which when they teach on campus like Godsil does (Social Studies), they get used to.

"It is a big issue when trying to establish the culture," Godsil said in an e-mail interview. "We were making big gains heading into Spring Break."

Spring Break was from March 9-13. It was on the last Sunday of the break (March 15) that Arizona Governor Doug Ducey announced that schools would be closed for the next two weeks due to the coronavirus. That would later be extended to the rest of the school year.

As we sit today, 124 days until the scheduled start of the next high school football season, the closure of the schools not only halted the seasons for baseball, softball, track, boys' volleyball, girls' beach volleyball, and tennis athletes, it shuttered spring football.

For most teams, that would have started a week from now, on April 27. For many schools, it's a chance to be seen by college coaches as it falls during the spring evaluation period. Within the framework of the team itself, it's the unofficial start of the upcoming season.

"The most important part of spring ball is the opportunity to get the players back at moving as one unit and reaffirming the culture of the program," Godsil said.

During the quarantine, Dobson is using an app that was given out to high schools for free through the fall to monitor individual student workouts. They are holding position meetings once a week - virtually. The coaches do the same and also they also have a group chat where the discussion can range on topics away from the game such as family situations or simply telling jokes.

Before school closed, there was work getting done in the weight room. There was also an increase in players interested in being a part of the program, which is an important thing for a team that suited up just 38 players each week in 2019.

"We saw big gains in the weight room," Godsil said. "With many PRs and most kids going up 15-20 percent on their maxes. We were drawing players that sat out the year before to come back out, or kids that have never played before."

"I feel we were on track this spring to have bigger numbers on all levels," Godsil said. "Hopefully this stoppage does not hinder that."

Godsil said the team is meeting through Webex. That tool allows him to share his screen so the team can go over plays or film with the team.

In addition to the educational structure of football, the physical part changes with gyms and weight rooms closed. Godsil said the most creative workout he's seen among his players was one of them using the tile in their house to do agility ladders.

As expected, there was a breakup of the All-Mesa District 6A East Valley Region. The new realignment didn't move Dobson, or any of those schools down to 5A. It did move the two schools that made the playoffs last season, Red Mountain and Mountain View, to new regions. The Mustangs are a part of what is called 6A Region 4 with Mesa, Skyline, and Westwood. Replacing the Mountain Lions and the Toros are Corona del Sol and Tucson.

Of those six schools, only Mesa (6-4) had a winning record in 2019 and Corona del Sol was the only one to make the playoffs (as the 16 seed). The combined record of the six teams last year was 21-40.

I feel it gives every team a better chance to be more competitive," Godsil, whose team went 3-7 last season, said. "I am looking forward to the new region with old rivalries intact and new opponents to play."

The Mustangs return quarterback Damiyan Duarte, who threw passes in seven games last season. In a 54-0 victory over Kofa, the junior passed for 296 yards and three touchdowns. A dual-threat, Duarte was also the team's leading rusher with 702 yards. A total of 256 of those came during a 40-22 win over Westwood. Junior Xavier Jimenez had the most catches at 30 and also had 467 yards.

On defense, junior middle linebacker Noah Williams is the team's leading returning tackler with 54. In the secondary, junior cornerback Gus Owens had two of the Mustangs' six interceptions. The pass rush needs to improve as DHS had just seven sacks in 2019.

One good human spirit thing to come out of this has been Dobson players purchasing workout clothes for those who are less fortunate, or whose parents have been laid off. That's teamwork.

In the meantime, when he's not finding ways to coach the players, Godsil has been working the smoker cooking everything from brisket to tri-tip to ribs. What is he most looking forward to when the green light is given and he can coach football in person again?

"I am just looking forward to seeing the boys again face-to-face," Godsil said. "(I) miss that bond of a football team."