Wildcats have a new head coach for '22 in Miller
WEEKLY BLOG: 3/20/22
For the first time in four years, Mesquite will take the field under the direction of a new coach as Vance Miller has been named to lead the Wildcats.
Miller was promoted to the post in February and is currently teaching at MHS, which is part of the Gilbert Unified School District.
He succeeds Scott Hare, who led Mesquite to back-to-back 4A titles in 2019 and '20. Hare stepped down to complete his doctoral degree in January.
Miller has head coaching experience at both Apache Junction (2014-2019) and Arcadia (2020). He joined the Wildcats' staff for the '21 season.
"Coach Hare reached out," Miller said about his hiring as the running backs coach. "He let me know he was in the middle of a PhD he was working on. He had a feeling he would have to take a step away and wanted someone he could trust when he leaves."
Still, it wasn't a forgone conclusion that the team would simply bring someone up from the current staff. There were more than 100 applicants and four rounds of interviews. It did help that Miller was already teaching at the school and that he knew the administration.
Miller said the kids were excited when they heard the announcement of the new coach.
"I was elated," Miller said. "I was prepared going through the process and had a staff ready to go. I had this mapped out for six to eight months."
It was just the 2020 pandemic season (without much of a face-to-face offseason) that he coached at Arcadia and Miller said it wasn't a good fit for him. He has coached in Arizona since the mid-1990's. The athletic director at Mesquite, Rudy Alvarado, is the same man that originally hired him at Arcadia. Miller has been certified to teach science for the last 12 years, but was previously teaching physical education. At MHS, he is currently teaching Earth Science. Even better, the campus is just six miles from his house.
A similarity with this new job that favorably compares to Apache Junction, is that Miller had a year of coaching experience on the staff before being hired as the head coach. Even with that, each situation brings its own unique element.
"One thing I've learned is every high school is different," Miller said. "There is no one size fits all model. We just started spring training and kids are showing up and working hard. Expectations are being set."
Last season, Mesquite finished 9-4 and averaged 30.5 points per game. The offense averaged 398 yards per contest with 228 of them coming through the air. Miller plans to run an offense similar to the one that Hare ran. One element the Wildcats will miss is running back Blake Corner. The 6-2, 215-pound senior was a big downhill runner and accumulated 1,742 of the team's 2,205 rushing yards last season.
There is a young gun at quarterback with current sophomore PJ Jones. He has been training with former Eagle quarterback Donovan McNabb and Miller said he can sling it. Jones is working on putting on a little size (he's 5-11, 160) and speed. Mesquite plans to operate the Pistol offense out of the Single Wing. Jones is a dual-threat and it will be a read-option. Jones has already been putting it on in the classroom with a 4.0 GPA.
Despite a record of 30-8 over the past three years, Mesquite made an appeal to the AIA when it was forced to move up based on its success over that time period (which was denied). The school is at the 4A level in other sports with its enrollment of 1,455. Last year, there were only 65 total players in the program - and the Wildcats only played two levels (no JV). Miller's goal is to build MHS to a three-level program again.
"We don't have the D-I type kids," Miller said. "But, I have a lot of great kids. If they want to compete this year, they really have to grind."
Grind is something the Mesquite program has become known for. Its 2019 title came as a 6-seed and there were still some doubters the next year when the Wildcats made it back as a 3-seed. Once again, Mesquite was a 3-seed in '21 and the Wildcats reached the semifinals following wins over Benjamin Franklin and Lee Williams.
That said, the expectations may need to be tempered for this first year. Not only are the Wildcats moving back up to the 5A, where they competed from 2013-2017, but it will be a young, junior-heavy team. Going inside the numbers, the 2022 team will be replacing its starting quarterback, running back (Corner), and top four receivers. The 2021 Wildcats scored 59 touchdowns in their 13 games and 55 of them were by seniors. The Freshman/Sophomore team registered big wins over Gilbert, Combs, and Apache Junction and also defeated Prescott.
Mesquite's new region will be the 5A San Tan. The Wildcats will be joined by last season's 5A champion (Horizon), last season's 4A champion (Casa Grande), an Open team from last season (ALA-Queen Creek), a team moving down from 6A with the best quarterback in the region (Higley and Jamar Malone), and a team that has made the 5A playoffs in five straight years (Campo Verde). The schedule, not yet released, will include a non-region game at 6A Perry.
One of the top prospects on defense for the Wildcats is safety Sire Lavallee. The 5-11, 165-pounder intercepted five passes last season. He could also be used at receiver.
Miller has a lot of experienced guys on his staff to help mold this young team. Walt Sword was one of Miller's coaches when he toiled in high school at Saguaro. He has coached for 37 years and will be working with the running backs. Paul Schreel is the quarterbacks coach and is in his 16th year of coaching. He worked with Miller at Apache Junction and has been the offensive coordinator at Combs the past two seasons. Dustin West remains on the Wildcats staff as the offensive line coach and has eight years of experience (one at Mesquite). The defensive coordinator is Rob Lange, who has 19 years of high school coaching experience, including stops at ALA-Queen Creek, Fountain Hills, and Apache Junction. Will Graves, a basketball coach at Mesquite, is the defensive line coach and has been coaching football for 27 years. Finally, defensive backs coach Nick Garces, has more than 20 years of coaching experience at the youth, high school, and National Public Safety League in Southern California. Miller will call the offense.
One of the things Miller has learned from one of his previous bosses was how to plan and schedule practices. He was on the Paradise Valley staff with Donnie Yantis in 2011 and 2012.
"The way he ran practice, I've kind of modeled," Miller said. "Fast pace, getting a lot of things done. Getting through drills quick. Focusing on fundamentals."
The team used that fast work ethic in a defensive install camp this weekend.
"I'm just excited," Miller said. "It's great being here. I love the administration. I appreciate them bringing me in and giving me the opportunity. I hope we can keep this rolling."
Reach Chris Eaton at gridironarizona@yahoo.com or DM at @gridironarizona with story ideas.
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