SPORTS
THE MESA TRIBUNE | AUGUST 22, 2021
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Football Preview: Eastmark ready to contend for 3A title BY DREW SCHOTT Tribune Staff Writer
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his is part one of a two-part series previewing the upcoming 2021 high school football season in Mesa. For 13 seasons, Scooter Molander served as the head coach at Brophy Prep. During that time, Molander won two championships, took the Broncos to the state �inals three times and the semi�inals �ive times, and made the playoffs in 12 of his 13 years on the sideline. Molander stepped down from his position in 2017 to care for his parents. While away from the �ield, he began assisting Brophy’s baseball program. For a year-and-ahalf, he took on responsibilities such as leadership of the team’s athletic enhancement program and assistant coach of the freshman team. These experiences made him fall in love with coaching again. So when the head coaching position for Eastmark High School’s football team became available, he applied. On Dec. 18, 2018, Molander became the �irst head coach in Eastmark history. Now heading into his third season in Mesa, he believes the Firebirds are ready to take the next step towards a 3A title. “When it’s on, it’s on,” Molander said. “They understand how to work. They’ve
Eastmark head football coach Scooter Molander, a legend for his time at Brophy, felt the itch to coach again after stepping down in 2017. Now three years in, he’s ready to lead Eastmark to the same success he had with the Broncos. (Pablo Robles/Tribune Staff) really matured just this last year in the offseason. That’s what I think really gives me the most hope and excitement about this team.” Despite a 2-6 campaign in 2020, Molander saw benchmarks for future success. The Firebirds won two of their last four contests and developed a battle-
tested unit, many of whom are upperclassmen in 2021. Senior offensive guard and nose guard Ryan Maichl is one of these players. Transferring to Eastmark from Queen Creek High School ahead of his sophomore season, Maichl joined Molander’s �irst group of players in the school’s opening year. At �irst, Maichl was not aware of Molander’s gridiron success. When he learned his coach previously worked at Brophy, he looked up the program. Maichl reacted with surprise: “Coach Molander coached them?” “I trust everything he does,” Maichl said. “He’s also a very trustworthy coach. He pushes us to our limits all the time, but it’s all for the greater good. We all get better.” This summer, the Firebirds were hard at work. In June, Molander held practice from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. before sending his team to the weight room for a one-hour lift. Eastmark started donning helmets and shoulder pads last month and now with school in session, the squad usually starts practice at 3:15 p.m. Working out in the Arizona heat are several impact players that Eastmark returns for the 2021 season. They include Javien Celaya, who averaged 160 rushing yards per game in four contests last season. Cornerback Austin
Johnston, a two-way starter, led the Firebirds in tackles and racked up nearly 10 interceptions on the way to a First Team All Region nod. Kaiden McCarty, a wide receiver and defensive back, notched a First Team All Region honor as well for his performance at wideout. In addition to team leaders like Maichl and an abundance of juniors returning to Mesa, Molander is breaking in young talent such as outside linebacker and tight end Jordan Howard, who started on the defensive line as a freshman last year. “I think we can win a state championship this year,” Johnston said. “We’re not losing any guys. Going into next season, we’re all going to be seniors and that’s going to help as well.” Being a part of the Firebirds is personal for Johnston. His father Mike, now Eastmark’s special teams and tight ends coach, faced Molander on opposing sidelines when he worked at Hamilton High School. At Eastmark, Johnston has found not only a supportive community from his coach, who invites players over for lifting sessions. It resonates throughout the surrounding neighborhood, as Johnston said supporters of the program live near the school.
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Fall preview: Westwood sees increasing sports participation numbers BY ZACH ALVIRA Tribune Sports Editor
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he COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on schools and athletic programs since it began in March 2020. The spring season was canceled that year. Fall sports programs that summer were barred from having even a remotely normal offseason schedule. That carried over into the winter before spring sports, two years removed from competition, saw a break in cases. Even before the pandemic, schools were seeing less athletes participate in sports. Lower-level football programs were merged or canceled, and schools eliminat-
ed some sports all together. That was worsened by restrictions and some level of fear toward COVID-19. But as fall sports begin to kick off once again across the East Valley, Westwood, one of the oldest schools in Mesa Public Schools, is thriving. “Not only is our enrollment up but our participation is up,” Westwood Athletic Director Brady Pond said. “We’ve done a really good job of recruiting on campus and hiring coaches as teachers and teachers as coaches. We are all tied into the community.” There have been 175 newly registered
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As the fall sports season prepares to kick off, Westwood High School has once again seen an increase in participation among its students. Athletic Director Brady Pond credits the coaches on staff, most of which are Westwood alums. (Zach Alvira/Tribune Staff)
