New Viper coaching staff is a mix of new & old
WEEKLY BLOG: 7/3/21
On the football calendar, the month of June is a time for summer workouts, 7-on-7 tournaments, and big man challenges. Most schools have already had offseason weight room training and speed work on the track. It's normally a lighter, lower-stress time before the focus zooms in as we get closer to "official" practices at the beginning of August.
At Verrado, the stress level of the Viper faithful went way up on June 2 when head coach Shawn Copeland opted to leave VHS after just two seasons to return to Texas and become an assistant athletic director and position coach at Spring Hill HS. It was a time that threatened to be a tumultuous one.
But, the assistants on the staff led the team through its normal June activities. Less than three weeks later, on June 21, Verrado had its fifth head coach in school history as Dustin Johnson left Tonopah Valley HS to make the move 25 miles east (and three conferences up) to take the same role with the Vipers. He said he enjoyed his five years spent as head coach of the Phoenix.
"I had a group of guys that really bought in to what I was trying to do," Johnson said in an e-mail interview. "The character of that group has grown exponentially."
Johnson's record at Tonopah, a 2A Conference team, was an even 23-23. Last year's team won its final two games to finish 3-4. So why did he switch jobs at this point of the offseason? For a chance to return "home".
"I am born and raised in Buckeye," Johnson said. "I am a West Side guy and there are only so many head coaching jobs that I consider 'destination jobs'. Verrado High School is one of those jobs. It's a great community full of great people and families. The administration team already has been spectacular, supportive, and helpful!".
It will be a mix of new and old on the coaching staff for Verrado as Johnson makes the transition with his assistants. Staying on from the previous staff are Mike Willey, Donn Duplain, Rob Tibbs, Demetrius Brown, and Jhay Frye.
"They help so much not only with an understanding of what was already in place, but how we can easily translate it to what our strategy is," Johnson said. "The kids have opened their arms and accepted us even though it's so quick and so late."
Johnson added three coaches as soon as he was hired. He brought his defensive line coach Matt Arndt from Tonopah. Arndt is close with Johnson's family. Verrado's offensive coordinator will be Jon Castellanos, who led Odyssey Institute to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2018-19. Odyssey canceled its fall sports last year. The Vipers' defensive coordinator will be Bob Burt, who is a veteran of more than 50 years of coaching football. In addition to high schools, his stops include UCLA, Hawaii, and Cal State Fullerton.
"Guys like Jon and Bob are going to teach me so much about coaching that I'm going to be a sponge and soak up everything they'll give me," Johnson said.
Just three days after Johnson was hired, Verrado held its team camp, which was scheduled for Prescott. Johnson said the team and coaches grew in many ways after those four days up north.
Verrado overcame some obstacles in 2020 to make the playoffs for the sixth time in seven years. The Vipers defeated Millennium in Week 3 to improve their record to 2-1. However, a player in that game later tested positive for COVID-19 forcing both schools into a 14-day quarantine. That left Verrado unable to practice or play in Week 4. The school was able to work an arrangement in Week 5 to play on a Saturday (without having practiced most of the week). The Vipers dropped that game to Cactus Shadows, but were back on the field.
Verrado finished 3-4 in the regular season with all four defeats coming to playoff teams. A victory over Ironwood (60-46) made the difference and the Vipers were the No. 8 seed in a reduced eight-team conference tournament field. VHS fell to Sunrise Mountain in the first round.
Key seniors that graduated from that team and will be playing college football were RB Logan Gingg (San Diego), CB Jayden Harrington (Sioux Falls), and LB Justice Sosnicki (Mayville State).
Taking a look at this year's team, the first thing that stands out is an upcoming quarterback competition. Junior Erick Santiago and senior Cutter Briscoe each played in seven games for the Vipers last year. The duo combined for 1,500 passing yards and 14 touchdown passes. It's extremely similar to what Johnson encountered last year at Tonopah Valley, where two sophomores shared the snaps. However, as of now, that isn't the plan for this fall.
"Both QB's have good traits that won't make the decision easy," Johnson said. "There WILL be a starter. We won't play two at the same time minus a scenario where one is injured or needs to be replaced. Santiago and Briscoe are two smart, capable quarterbacks that we have faith in, but we will go with one."
Whichever quarterback emerges, he will have the benefit of an experienced No. 1 receiver in Trey Nelson. The 6-1, 175-pound athlete has speed (was timed at 4.47 in the 40 at Colorado's camp) and can get past defenders on the outside. Nelson caught 35 passes for 534 yards (15 yards per reception) and scored five touchdowns. Prior to interviewing for the head coaching position, Johnson went to a passing tournament and watched Nelson in action.
"Trey was someone who stood out," Johnson said. "He has explosive speed and sure hands. He doesn't let himself get too frazzled and works well with both quarterbacks. Trey is someone I confidently can say will be someone we see play on Saturdays in some form."
Due to the shakeup in the coaching staff, the team plans to take the offenses and defenses that are already implemented and tweak it to their liking. Sometimes, when a coach is hired this far into the summer, it is as an interim. However, that is not the case with Johnson. Otherwise, he wouldn't have left Tonopah.
A couple returners on defense are senior cornerback Cameron Coronado, who made 76 tackles and intercepted three passes, and Ryan Willey. Willey, a defensive end, had 28 tackles and a fumble recovery on varsity as a freshman.
The staff at Arizona Varsity took notice and had Coronado as a nominee for both 5A Defensive Breakout Player of the Year and 5A Cornerback of the Year. Willey was a finalist for 5A Defensive Underclassman of the Year.
Verrado opens with three straight road games, starting on Sept. 3 in Scottsdale against Notre Dame Prep. After that, there are some winnable games and the Vipers could put themselves in a good position. The toughest games come at the end with a finishing stretch of Desert West Region games against Ironwood, Sunrise Mountain, and Desert Edge. Johnson said the team won't overlook anyone.
"We go one at a time and it starts with Notre Dame," Johnson said. "They're going to be well-coached and ready. We have to match that."
It's encouraging that Johnson called Verrado a "destination job". The seniors at VHS will be on their third varsity head coach while in high school. From 2011-16, Derek Wahlstrom (now at Valley Vista) was the head coach and it marked the beginning of Verrado's current stretch of playoff appearances. Johnson admires the work the players continue to put in.
"They're a great group already," Johnson said. "They haven't had it easy, but they carry on! Although the seniors are going to make an impact this year, the team is relatively young and is going to grow up every week. We look to probably start three or four juniors and and four sophomores on defense alone."
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