What's behind abrupt transfer of QB Marcel Jones from Chaparral to rival Saguaro?
Sophomore quarterback Marcel Jones, who started the first four games of this season at Scottsdale Chaparral, has left that school and is transferring into rival Saguaro, his father Cedric Jones told The Republic.
He will not be eligible for the remainder of this season, including the playoffs, he said. AIA rules require in-state transfers to sit out a minimum number of games before becoming eligible at the new school.
Saguaro (3-1), led by senior quarterback Mason Bray, is in Chatsworth, California, Friday night to take on 4-0 Sierra Canyon.
Jones was one of the most hyped young players coming into the season. He was ranked by The Arizona Republic in preseason as the No. 1 player expected to break out big this season.
But things turned sour in the last couple of weeks.
Cedric Jones said the move was not football related, but had to do with what he believes is a Chaparral football booster club that isn't transparent about how its funds are spent.
"I'm teaching my son how to be a man first. If it ain't right, it ain't right,'' Jones said, suggesting the booster club did not have proper oversight of money it raises, which led to him pulling his son from the school. However, at least one program supporter believes the move came after coaches opened up competition for the starting QB job this week.
Cedric Jones said he met with Saguaro AD Matt Harris Thursday and his son was enrolling into the school this morning. Harris declined comment for this story when reached Friday.
Marcel Jones came to Chaparral last year as a freshman with 11 other players from Cedric's talented West Valley youth football team. They dominated every freshman game for the Firebirds. But at the end of the school year, five of those players transferred to Mountain Pointe in Ahwatukee.
Cedric Jones and his West Valley youth team were highlighted in a September 2022 article in Sports Illustrated that focused on how Arizona's public school open enrollment policy has allowed top youth players from around the Phoenix area to feed into top high school programs located far from their homes. In the article, Jones referenced how bringing his players to Chaparral would send a message to Saguaro, another Scottsdale school, which has been one of Arizona's best high school teams over the past decade.
The article raised questions about whether parents were promisted assistance from the Chaparral program to cover gas money to and from Chaparral, an issue district officials had said they were looking into at the time.
Chaparral's program last year was led by Brent Barnes, who resigned as coach and moved back to Oklahoma to coach. Doug Nisenson moved in from Colorado at the start of June to lead Chaparral's program. The team was 1-3 heading into Friday night's game at Desert Vista (1-3).
Nisenson declined comment on the situation.
Chaparral Principal Joshua Pantier told The Arizona Republic in an email Friday morning that the Scottsdale Unified School District takes allegations regarding booster clubs seriously.
"When someone makes a complaint against a booster club, SUSD is committed to reviewing the complaint and determining whether an investigation is warranted," Pantier said. "The Chaparral football boosters have expressed their commitment to maintaining transparency with respect to their financials.”
Booster club president Casey Porter told The Republic that on June 13 there was a board meeting, which is open to all parents, not just boosters. Porter said Jones attended the meeting.
"We took him through what the board does, how to utilize funds, our P&L (profit and loss), everything," Porter said. "We answered his questions. At the end of it, we said, 'Do you have other questions?' He said, 'No.' I said, 'Would you like to stay to go through the rest of the meeting?' He said, 'No.' We shook hands and he left."
Before that meeting, Porter said, the booster club treasurer had a separate meeting with Jones, and took him him through their P&L for this year and the one reported as a 501(c)3 from last year.
"I don't see any substatiation to that claim," Porter said. "Our board meetings are open to anyone who wants to come in. And during that board meeting, we do go through all of our expenditures, what funds we're raising and what we're using those funds for."
Cedric Jones said he met with the Scottsdale Unified School District on Thursday regarding the issue.
"I feel confident that they're going to do their investigation and where that leads this," Jones said.
Jones said he also had issues with the administration. He cited an incident in which he and his wife were suspended from a game over what was deemed disparaging remarks in the crowd during a game. He said he brought the matter to Scottsdale district officials.
"They (district) rescinded all the suspenstions because it wasn't warranted," Jones said. "They (administration) didn't want me around."
Was quarterback competition an issue?
Bruce Hegg, a parent involved in the Chaparral football program who has two sons on the varsity football team, has coached several of the current players in a Firebirds feeder youth program. Hegg believes there is another issue at play — coaches deciding this week in practice to make it an open competition at quarterback between Jones and senior Lucciano Madda for the starting job.
Jones, in four games, was 61 for 110 passing (55.5%) for 687 yards and six TDs with four interceptions, according to MaxPreps. Last week, in a 37-20 loss to Brophy Prep, Jones completed 14 of 28 passes for 99 yards, two touchdowns with three interceptions. Madda came in late in the game and drove Chaparral to a touchdown, completing 6 of 7 for 68 yards. He also completed a two-point conversion pass.
"I think to a person, anybody who knew anything about football or a casual fan, when you left that stadium, you're saying, 'That kid's (Madda) got to play next week,'" Hegg said.
"The majority of the people think that the cart came before the horse, he (Jones) was anointed, he didn't have anything but freshman tape, and it's too much for him right now."
Hegg said his sons got along well with Marcel Jones. But, he said, selecting Jones to be the next varsity quarterback led to junior Bryce Herges transferring to Scottsdale Desert Mountain before the season started.
Cedric Jones disputes the claims about competition. He said if the booster club was transparent, his son still would be at Chaparral.
"That's the narrative they want to push out, that it has something to do with football," Jones said, contending there was no competition for the position.
He claims the booster club ''went on a smear campaign'' against him when he questioned them. "Their response was they'll do a background check and tell everybody what I was,'' he said.
Jones admitted to having a rough childhood, belonging to street gangs and getting in trouble with the law. He said he felt it was his mission to keep his son and other kids on his youth team on a different path, and bringing the kids to the Scottsdale school was part of that.
"When I was a child, I lived a different life, in the gangs and in the streets," he said. "I keep kids off the streets. I wanted to get a group of young Black men to get out of situations and be in places they could thrive. They were met with contention."
Hegg said he contributes to the booser club,
"I don't know where money goes," Hegg said. "But I'll tell you what I do know. I know they all have brand-new uniforms. I know that they have the best in class VIP lounge for boosters. I know they have all new practice pads. A lot of equipment was bought. To a kid, they'll tell you they have the best of everything."
Pantier, Chaparral's principal, said the program was moving forward:
"We wish nothing but the best for Marcel. Right now we’re focused on (Friday's) game with the players we have and on continuing to build a culture of excellence, hard work, and discipline within the Chaparral football program."
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: Scottsdale Chaparral football losing QB Marcel Jones in move to Saguaro
