Gridiron Weekly: Kellis takes big step to get out of lull
Cougars persevered and "made a climb" in 2021
WEEKLY BLOG: 2/6/22
Ben Kullos had already been a part of a rebuild at Mountain Ridge. He was the defensive coordinator as the Mountain Lions rose from an 0-10 season in 2018 to the 6A playoffs a year later. Last March, Raymond S. Kellis hired the young (then 27-year old) Kullos to be its new head coach. The Cougars faced an uphill battle.
For those who are seniors at Kellis, whether they're players, cheerleaders, band members, or the student body, they had only seen the Cougars win one time in their first three years at the school. It was a home game against Independence in 2019. That one victory was sandwiched by winless seasons and a combined 1-27 record.
The hard work over spring ball and into the summer paid instant dividends with a 2-0 start. Kellis defeated Sierra Linda and Copper Canyon by a combined seven points. Confidence came via that preparation.
"When I was hired, I made it a priority to raise the bar of accountability in the off-season workouts and practices," Kullos said in an e-mail interview. "The foundation was laid in the spring and summer, so we were able to build upon that in the fall."
What followed was a 6-4 season with decisive wins over Estrella Foothills, Kofa, Independence, and West Point. It was the Cougars' first winning record since 2017.
Kullos doesn't want his kids to just dwell on football. He's all for them to play multiple sports. He even takes the lead on it by coaching on the freshman and JV wrestling teams as an assistant.
"I preach to my kids that they need to participate in at least one other sport on campus and I think coaching another sport helps set that example," Kullos said. "Additionally, nothing prepares defensive players like wrestling."
How does a turnaround like this happen? "Culture" is a word that gets thrown around a lot in sports. It's more than just bringing a new face into a program. There has to be a message that gets conveyed to show that something like that can be possible.
"When I took the temperature of the room in our first meetings, lifts, and practices, I got the sense that much of the team did not think success was attainable," Kullos said. "Even if they did think it was attainable, they didn't know the path there. Our motto is 'Make The Climb' because every season is a journey, and the secret is there is one and only path up the mountain. You just have to persevere and find a way."
Obviously, one factor (that often gets overlooked) is the relationship between a head coach and his or her school's administration. Kullos had a team that wanted to get better from the first day he arrived on the Glendale campus. The players instilled their trust in the coaching staff to lead them in the right direction. Kullos said everything about Kellis High School is special.
"I love how willing our athletes are to accept coaching," Kullos said. "We as a football program also have the backing of our administration team, who work with me to overcome and find creative solutions to problems."
The Cougars' offense improved last year from 7.1 points per game in 2020 to 27.7. The defense got better as well going from 29 points allowed per contest to 19.6.
The big strides on offense start with senior quarterback Issac Matthews. The 5-10, 155-pounder was a true dual-threat as he threw for eight touchdowns and ran for 764 yards and 13 TDs. He had a long run of 65 yards against Estrella Foothills. One of his receivers, John Ojeda (6-0, 175), is also a senior. Ojeda caught three touchdowns for the Cougars. Both players have attracted college offers.
Matthews has them from Bethany College (Kans.), Dakota State, McPherson, and Muskingum. Ojeda has received offers from Allegheny, Avila, Bethany, Clarke, Dakota State, Lyon, Misericordia, Ottawa, Pacific, and Tabor.
"Issac is the type of kid who will pop off the film when you watch it for the first time," Kullos said. "Multiple coaches have relayed the same reaction to me. John's value extends beyond the football field. He is a natural leader and role-model student on campus. Both John and Issac are tow of the most humble and coachable kids I have worked with."
Both Matthews and Ojeda held off signing this week. Both run track and are waiting to see what money could become available for them as two-sport athletes in college.
A few players Kellis will have returning in 2022 are juniors Darrien Campbell and Steven Le along with sophomore Tytus Gomez. Campbell shared carrries at running back with senior Ernest Brown. The two had similar numbers and both rushed for over 400 yards while scoring five touchdowns. As a team, RSKHS had 211 yards on the ground per game. Le, a safety, was the team's leading tackler for the second straight season. Not the biggest guy on the field (5-6, 145), he makes up for it with heart and a nose for the football. Last season, he had 77 tackles and forced two fumbles.
Gomez filled in a little at quarterback and was also used in the run game. Next season will likely see either Gomez or Aiden Johnston (also a sophomore) behind center. Gomez was used quite a bit in the offense and had 563 combined rushing and receiving yards with three touchdowns. Offensive guard Carson Hutchings (6-1, 255), another sophomore, made First Team all-region.
Kellis is a part of the Peoria District, but is located is South Glendale, near State Farm Stadium. It's been around for 16 years, starting out in the 4A before moving up in 2011. Rivalries are still being established.
"We set out this year to go and 'win the neighborhood'," Kullos said. "For us, that's Independence and Copper Canyon, since they are right down the road. I would love to add Peoria to that mix as they are also just down the road and an in-district school."
Copper Canyon, which Kellis won a freedom game against in 2021 (14-13), will be in the newly created 5A Central Valley Region with the Cougars. Independence was dropped down to 4A (where Peoria also is), so a meeting with them would have to come in non-region play. Joining RSKHS in that Central Valley Region is La Joya (down from 6A), West Point, North Canyon, and Paradise Valley.
Kullos feels the region placement is appropriate for all six of the schools. The Cougars' five opponents went a combined 10-40 last season, so on the surface, Kellis may appear to be the favorite. However, the game against Copper Canyon was a one-point affair and the Cougars have to replace their quarterback (who was also the leading rusher) along with top receiver, Malik Iglus.
It has yet to be announced if region winners will be guaranteed automatic playoff berths. In what has to be considered the weakest region in the 5A, the winner will need to not only win a few more non-region games, but there will need to be some more difficult opponents if they want to crack the top 16 (out of 47) teams in the power point rankings to make the postseason.
"It is a balancing act," Kullos said. "I would like to continue playing some of our geographically close schools that we have historically played, but do not want to be on the outside looking in at the end of the year."
Automatic bids are an interesting debate. On one hand, you are making region play matter. However, it is likely that by adding those teams, you are not necessarily taking the 16 best teams into the playoffs. For those looking to upgrade the schedule, you have to find a taker on the other side. Otherwise, you're left to the conference committees that do the scheduling.
"The problem for some teams in weaker regions, is that some of the top-tier schools may not want to play them as a freedom game because it is a lose/lose for them," Kullos said. "A win increases the points marginally, but what are you risking with a loss?"
Reach Chris Eaton at gridironarizona@yahoo.com or DM at @gridironarizona with story ideas.
Support our sponsors:
Make sure to follow ArizonaVarsity.com on social platforms for more daily content!
Twitter (Arizona Varsity Podcast Network)