Prep Football: Offensive coordinator Robert Meras promoted to head coach at Apple Valley
Kyle Godfrey’s decision to step down as head coach of the Apple Valley football team was a tough one to make, but also quite simple.
Godfrey, a father of four, mulled the decision and was at ease stepping away knowing who his replacement would be.
After joining Frank Pulice's coaching staff at Apple Valley in 2004, Robert Meras has been appointed the head coach.
Knowing Meras would be taking control of the helm helped Godfrey feel at ease.
“Football-wise, nothing is going to change, the core values are going to stay the same with his twist on it,” Godfrey said. “He’s going to bring a physical edge to the program, for sure. The program is in really good hands and is going to continuously get better as long as he has anything to do with the program. Meras does a lot of behind-the-scenes things, background work that he doesn’t always get acknowledged for. Those details are important.”
Godfrey announced his decision to the team earlier in the week. It was something they understood and respected, Godfrey said. Now, it’s time to focus on his family, as all four of his children are under the age of 10.
“It was big for me to talk to all the kids, because the relationships that you build and the rapport that you have with the kids, to me, is more important than the overall football thing,” Godfrey said. “I think those relationships are going to mean a lot to me and hopefully I can still continue those. I don’t see that really changing. Being a head coach isn’t easy. I don’t think a lot of people understand that.”
Meras has been the driving force of Apple Valley’s attack for the past 12 seasons as the offensive coordinator. He credits his wife, Natalie, and three kids, for their support leading to his new gig.
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With being appointed the head coach, he will still call the offense, with Nick Downing still serving as the defensive coordinator.
The rest of the coaching staff will remain intact.
“Not much is going to change. So it feels good to call yourself a head coach, but you’re just as good as your coaching staff,” Meras said. “Even dating back to the Frank Pulice days, this program has never been run by the whole ‘My way or the highway.’ We’ve always talked things out as a staff, everyone has always had a voice, so this isn’t anything too different from that. We are a tight-knit group. We work for each other and you’ve seen that we don’t have a lot of turnaround when it comes to coaches.
“We are trying to raise young men that can contribute to society and be relied on to be good human beings. That’s something that’s been laid down since Pulice and we’ve all as coaches held the kids to that standard of being good human beings and holding them accountable to that. That’s what makes a successful program.”
A four-year tenure comes to an end
Godfrey officially took over the program in October 2020 after Matt Rohrbaugh stepped down. When Godfrey took over, there was uncertainty surrounding the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic halting all high school sports action in California.
An abbreviated spring season meant teams would play five games — Godfrey's tenure got off to a bang with a 5-0 finish to capture the Mojave River League title.
The Sun Devils followed that up by going 7-3, and finishing second in the MRL standings. But Apple Valley made a historic run to the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 title game, despite losing quarterback Jayden Denegal — who is currently at the University of Michigan — to injury just before the postseason.
“That was all on the kids and their tenacity,” Godfrey said. "I had nothing to do with that. That was all them.”
The following season, Apple Valley went 8-2 with another second-place finish in the MRL standings. But the program was one of the best in the state rankings along with Oak Hills. The Oct. 21, 2022 meeting between the teams for the MRL crown was a classic that packed the stands at Newton T. Bass Stadium.
The Sun Devils lost in the first round of the Division 2 playoffs against Inglewood.
The 2023 season was certainly interesting for the Sun Devils which began with close losses to Chaparral and Upland, along with a trip to Las Vegas that ended with the game not being played due to weather concerns.
The Sun Devils finished third in the standings after being upset by Hesperia. But they got revenge in the first round of the Division 5 playoffs with a thrilling 35-32 victory. The season came to an end the following week with a 49-19 loss to Western.
Looking back at his four years at the helm, Godfrey is thankful for the opportunity, relationships he’s established, and the continued success of the Sun Devils.
“It was a good run,” Godfrey said. “I am super blessed to have the kids that we’ve had the last four years, and the staff we’ve had. That consistency of guys buying in and being able to stay on staff and onboard made my job a lot easier. We had a heck of a run. We get to say that we have had the University of Alabama and the University of Michigan come through our school to recruit.”
During Godfrey’s four years as head coach, the program has seen a dozen student-athletes graduate and receive scholarships to continue their playing careers at various colleges, including Jayden Denegal at Michigan, Gavin Hambrick at Boise State University and the towering Raymond Pulido at the University of Arizona.
The goal remains the same for the program and will continue under Meras.
“Sun Devils football will continue in its pursuit of developing players to be successful on and off the field,” said Kristin Celie, Apple Valley High School's athletic director.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Apple Valley High School has a new head football coach in Robert Meras
