'We're all locked in': Mountain Pointe football to have different look with transfers now eligible
It's a huge number. Reportedly, 27 football transfers have come to Phoenix Mountain Pointe since last season ended. That's unheard of, even in this age of the transient high school athlete, jumping from one school to another as if they're part of a portal.
But unlike the NCAA, transfers aren't immediately eligible in high school, unless they can prove to the Arizona Interscholastic Association why they should be. And, at Mountain Pointe, maybe 17 of those are on varsity, and about half of those will likely be seeing significant playing time come Friday, when the 4-1 Pride gets set to play host to 4-1 American Leadership Queen Creek in a big 6A game.
American Leadership Queen Creek got its impact transfer in Week 1 when quarterback Enoch Watson won his hardship case with the Arizona Interscholastic Association and didn't have to sit out any games after moving in March from Flagstaff, where he played last year at Coconino.
Mountain Pointe, coach Eric Lauer said that there are eight transfers whom he could see on either side of the ball starting or getting major reps on Friday.
Most notable are defensive back/receiver Rylon Dillard-Allen and sophomore linebacker Jaylyn Colter. Dillard-Allen started at Phoenix Desert Vista as a sophomore, and Colter started on Chaparral's varsity team as a freshman, leading the team with 64 tackles.
"We'll literally and physically be doing stuff that nobody's seen before, because of some of the kids," Lauer said. "No, we're not changing our whole offense and defense. It's not like that. But it's hard to game plan for personnel in situations that you've never seen before.
"At the end of the day, it's going to be football. But I feel like the Colter kid, Rylon, they've brought a level of swag, the mindset, the attitude that we had for all those years with Norris (Vaughan). I think it's going to give the whole program a kind of shot in the arm."
Under Vaughan's leadership, Mountain Pointe, in nine seasons starting in 2009, when 99-19, going 14-0 in 2013 when the school won its only state championship and finished ranked No. 6 in the nation by MaxPreps. Mountain Pointe went to three state championship games under Vaughan.
But since he left, the program dropped off, and it's no longer spoken about the same way Liberty, Chandler, Basha, Hamilton and Saguaro are. Even Peoria Centennial, which gave Mountain Pointe its only loss in the first half of this season, a 35-0 setback.
'Just be patient'
Colter can't wait to wear the maroon and gold that his father wore for Mountain Pointe back when he played for Karl Kiefer.
"I'm glad the five games are over with," said Colter, who has early offers from Oregon and Arizona State. "It was rough, but it was like, 'Hey, it's going to come. Just be patient.' "
Colter was among five from Chaparral's 2027 class who came over to Mountain Pointe. Desert Vista, with four head coaches in four years, lost 12 transfers to Mountain Pointe. Colter grew up knowing some of those guys, too, through youth football.
"We all locked in," Colter said. "We're like brothers now."
Dillard-Allen, a natural leader, embraced every practice, running scout team, and making starters better, before waiting for his turn.
"I tried to go hard in practice as much as I could," Dillard-Allen said. "I took every rep as if it was a game rep, so I'd be prepared for this week.
"The first five games, I was yelling from the sidelines to the DBs, where the play was going to be, trying to help them."
Valley Night Lights: The best guide to Arizona high school football
Lauer walks the fine line of keeping everybody happy, those guys who poured out their hearts and souls in the first half of the season that found the Pride going 4-1 and those guys champing at the bit to finally be unleashed on a Friday night.
"Now we're going through another transition," Lauer said. "These guys are eligible now. But what does that look like now? You've got guys who helped you win four games. Now they're coming off. Do they have value anymore? We're in a little bit of a pickle.
"Meanwhile, we're playing one of the best, well-coached teams we're going to see all year."
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: Mountain Pointe football different with transfers now eligible
