Coronado High School football trying to rise back up after hitting rock bottom

Inside the large room at the Scottsdale Unified School District headquarters Thursday afternoon, Coronado coach Rick Benjamin and his three captains are waiting for a media outlet, anybody, to approach their table in a room filled with other SUSD high school team representatives.

Arcadia, Chaparral, Desert Mountain and Saguaro are getting the bulk of the attention.

Coronado is waiting for its turn. A couple of reporters finally approach the table. It's hard to get the spotlight after years of losing, gradually moving from the top classification in the Arizona Interscholastic Association to the smallest of the 11-man levels, 2A.

The Dons begin their quest to find relevance next Friday when they travel to play Scottsdale Prep, a team expected to contend for a title.

They're coming off an 0-10 season and getting outscored 487-19 in their first year in 2A, after moving down from 3A. This is far from where the program was in 1976 when the Dons went 13-0 at the largest level in Arizona, capping an unbeaten season with a 17-12 win over Phoenix South Mountain in the state championship game.

That was the school's only state final appearance.

There have been winning seasons since, but, with Saguaro and Chaparral taking off, parochial school Notre Dame opening in north Scottsdale, Desert Mountain turning it back up as a power, and a changing demographic in south Scottsdale and fewer players coming out, Coronado's football program has eroded over time.

Since MaxPreps came into existence in 2004, tracking every state's high school football teams' records, Coronado has been at the highest competing in 4A. There have been only five winning seasons since, the best year coming in 2008 when the Dons went 11-2, losing to Tucson Santa Rita in the 4A Division II state semifinals. The dwindling numbers and lack of production moved them down to 3A in 2018, when they went 1-9. They went 0-10 the next year and 0-5 during the 2020 COVID-19 season, before winning two games in 2021. Then, hitting rock bottom last year, losing their opener 15-12 to Phoenix Cortez, which was able to end its 50-game losing streak.

Coronado was shut out in seven of its last nine games and had to forfeit one game. The only points it scored after the season opener was six in a 60-point loss to Phoenix Veritas Prep on Oct. 7. They finished the season with 13 players.

There are currently 18 players listed on Coronado's roster for the 2023 season on MaxPreps.

"Because these other schools have been so good for so long, players are going to those schools," Benjamin said, looking around the room during SUSD media day. "Those top athletes aren't coming to Coronado. Hopefully, we can change that.

"We're trying to build from the bottom floor up."

Benjamin hasn't been able to field a freshman team. He said typically only two or three freshmen show up, but he said a lot more freshmen are playing this year too, which he hopes will build a foundation.

"We need to work that foundation as we go and hopefully change some things up," Benjamin said.

To keep them motivated, even at 2A, Benjamin said it starts at the lower levels, which is where Coronado is now.

"What I say to them is, 'It's a fantastic sport,' " Benjamin said. "It's more than just wins and losses. It's about maturing to be somebody, understanding your purpose and role in life and assisting and serving other people. I tell them, 'The only challenge they have to overcome is themselves.' So we're working to build up each individual. It will eventually evolve into a team. And when the right foundation is built, you'll start seeing some wins. It's going to take some time to change things."

Part of that foundation are the captains, who want to lead the younger players onto a positive pathway.

Senior Martin Munoz, who plays offensive and defensive line, said it starts with conditioning, getting stronger in the weight room and getting quicker.

Dylan Cruz, a junior tight end, said he expects there will be 30 players suiting up for the first game next Friday.

"We've got some kids getting last-minute stuff done," Cruz said. "It's a little frustrating. The weight and the pressure of having those kids and being younger and put in a position to have to go both ways, it puts more pressure on us. There's more responsibility.

"But to have a team that relies on you, it feels good."

Related: Basha-Liberty headlines The Republic's Top 10 preseason high school football scrimmages

It was tough last year for quarterback Nicholas Vanalstine, thrust in to lead the offense as a freshman. But he feels he'll be more prepared this year.

"We're just trying to be competitive," he said. "I don't expect to win every game. But I just try my best, keep the team up, because we all do our best. Just try to win."

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert atrichard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter@azc_obert

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Coronado HS football trying to rise back up after hitting rock bottom