New head coach Schiermyer plans to begin with Coyotes in weight room
WEEKLY BLOG: 1/24/22
After a two-month search of head coaching candidates, Skyline has hired one that should help address its most pressing need from the 2021 season - offense.
Adam Schiermyer, who was the offensive coordinator at Eastmark for the first three seasons of the Firebirds, was hired on Friday (pending to Mesa District board approval). Prior to that, he held the same position at Perry during back-to-back trips to the 6A championship.
Schiermyer replaces George Hawthorne, who was let go in November the day after the team's banquet. The Coyotes were 1-9 last season and 5-23 over three seasons with Hawthorne.
Last year's roster consisted of 47 players with 20 of them seniors. Those are small numbers for the 6A level. Due to the team's performance, Skyline was moved down to 5A for the 2022 football season. The Freshman team finished 3-5-1 and the school did not field a JV squad.
"I am really looking forward to meeting the returning players," Schiermyer said in an e-mail interview. "As challenging as it will be to finish up my teaching contract at Eastmark (he teaches Physical Education), I definitely want to be present for off-season training. I am working on a schedule that will allow me to take care of both."
It wasn't that long ago that Skyline fielded a very good team. From 2013-2017 under Angelo Paffumi, SHS had a record of 43-15 with five straight playoff appearances highlighted by a trip to the 2015 Division II semifinals.
The lack of recent success poses challenges, but it's something Schiermyer can address both at an individual level and on a team setting.
"I think coming into Skyline, we have to find areas that each athlete can be successful in," Schiermyer said. "I think we will be able to find success in the weight room. Not only do I expect full effort in the weight room, I also expect it in the classroom. Those are two areas that each athlete has full control over with their attitude and effort."
In addition to the strong offenses at Perry under head coach Preston Jones with Brock and Chubba Purdy at the controls, Schiermyer worked with Eastmark and in just its second varsity season in 2021,the Firebirds averaged 373 yards and 35 points per game. EHS played with two junior quarterbacks that combined for 33 touchdowns and just five interceptions. One of those QBs was Mack Molander, the son of head coach Scooter Molander.
"I think we will have to play to our strengths," Schiermyer said. "I have a ton of respect for Coach Jones' and Coach Molander's offensive philosophies. I want to keep it simple for our players and let our personnel dictate how our offense will look."
Schiermyer said he has reached out to some people for the formation of his coaching staff and said he is going to make sure the Coyotes get the best fit for both the school and for the student-athletes.
This is not his first head coaching job. In 2012, Schiermyer was the head coach at Bradshaw Mountain in Prescott Valley. There were lessons he learned up there that he brings forward.
"What you allow, will be," Schiermyer said. "So, it's essential that we, as coaches, are consistent in our coaching, discipline, and in holding athletes accountable. I've also learned that a strong on-campus presence of coaches is imperative."
Many times you hear coaches say they encourage players to play multiple sports. Schiermyer lived it.
"I love multi-sport athletes," Schiermyer said. "It benefits every sport. I want players wrestling or running track if they aren't involved in another winter or spring sport."
It was a rough 2021 season at Skyline. The Coyotes lost one game by one point and another by two points. The other seven losses each came by more than 35 points. In the nine losses, SHS was outscored 344-20 and was shut out five times. Over the entire season, the team scored just nine touchdowns.
Despite the record and those numbers, the retrospect on the season from a player's perspective wasn't negative. I asked sophomore Alex Sargent, who was a First Team All-6A East Valley Region selection at defensive lineman about his time at Skyline through the first half of his high school career.
"So far, my experience here playing at Skyline has been the best with practices and playing with my friends," Sargent said in an e-mail interview. "Growing a better friendship with everyone has made me mentally and physically stronger."
Prior to the hiring of Schiermyer, I asked what type of coach would best fit Skyline.
"I feel like we need a coach that is well-disciplined, loving to his players, and committed to the game of football the way the players should be," Sargent said. "One thing the team needs to improve on for next year is commitment and attitude."
There was a happy memory on the field for Skyline last year. It came down in Tucson, where the Coyotes topped the Badgers. Sophomore Jordan Blake had a monster night with 29 carries for 273 yards and four touchdowns.
In looking at returning players for the 2022 Coyote team, three players shared snaps at quarterback with junior Hector Dominguez and sophomore Gabe Tapia coming back. Blake led Skyline in rushing with 527 yards. A pair of sophomores, Michael Fisher and Alex Cook, caught touchdown passes.
On defense, junior linebacker Christian Coltellaro led the team in tackles with 70. Sargent had 43 tackles from his DT position with 22.5 resulting in a loss. Cook and Tapia also played defense and each had at least 50 tackles. Sargent led the Coyotes with four sacks and junior linebacker Jace Hardin had three.
While Skyline is moving down from 6A, its region may actually be more difficult from top to bottom than its old home in the East Valley Region. Skyline, located in East Mesa, was placed in the 5A Northeast Valley Region in the new realignemnt. In addition to the complications of longer travel, four of the five region opponents made the playoffs last season (Cactus Shadows, Desert Mountain, Notre Dame, and Sunnyslope). One other non-Northeast Valley team, Gilbert, rounds out the region. Those four playoff teams comprised of one-quarter of the 5A Conference bracket and all five of the new region opponents combined to go 35-22 in 2021.
Competing in the region will come in good time, but Schiermyer is looking ahead to the big picture for his new group of players.
"Football is such a small part of a young athlete's life, even if they play at the next level," Schiermyer said. "When players leave our program, I want them to be productive members of society. I want them to learn how to be leaders, good students, good sons, good brothers, good husbands, and good fathers. I feel very fortunate and very humble to have this opportunity to do that."
Reach Chris Eaton at gridironarizona@yahoo.com or DM at @gridironarizona with story ideas.
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