Tim Iannello is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Marcos de Niza High School for AZPreps365.com.

 

One of the biggest storylines of the 4A division is the turnaround of the Marcos de Niza football program. The Padres ended their 2018 season with a 3-7 record, but this year they had a regular season record of 5-5 and made it to the second round of playoffs after upsetting No. 3 Canyon del Oro in the first round.

The turnaround came in the second year of head coach Eric Lauer’s tenure at the school. Lauer came over from Mountain Pointe high school in the spring of 2018, making it hard for him to implement his system in year one.

Lauer still isn’t done transforming the team in his vision.

“We’re still transitioning,” Lauer said. “Last year was just show up, and this year we turned it up a little bit. It’s attack the process, have fun, and surrender the outcome on Friday nights.”

Lauer took over as the head coach after the death of coach Paul Morrow, who was one of the winningest coaches in Arizona high school football history. Lauer had some big shoes to fill but has done the most with his opportunity and earned the respect of his players.

“I thought it was a great hire because I was at Mountain Pointe with him and I’ve seen his leadership,” senior linebacker Micah Willingham said. “He’s not really a coach who’s going to yell at you and fight with you. He’s going to teach you to get better. That’s what students in this community need. A lot of us come from homes with no guidance and Coach Lauer is a perfect figure for that.”

Lauer is a big proponent of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. This has helped the team bond and help players find a faith they didn’t know that they had before.

“He introduced me to God again,” junior player Jacob Irick said. “I went to church for the first time in a while.”

Beyond his newfound faith, Irick also said he has a new passion for the game.

“Coach Lauer gave me a new fire for the game,” Irick said “A couple of years ago I didn’t want to play anymore.”

Lauer has brought the team together more than they had been in recent years. The culture is even different from his first year with the program.

“There’s more unity and less cancerous attitudes,” Willingham said. “It’s more of ‘let’s get this win’ instead of one player saying ‘I’m going to ball out’.”

The Padres also put equal focus on the student part of being a student-athlete. The team has a study hall before every practice where teachers come in and tutor the players.

“The words student-athlete means they’re a student first and it’s a privilege to play here,” Athletic Director Lenia Ruiz said.

This emphasis on the student first has done wonders for many players on the roster.

“My grades have been a lot better,” junior quarterback Antonio Hernandez said. “Coach Lauer is always on you about getting school done before football.

Lauer also uses school as a gauge to see if his team is ready for playing on Fridays.

“If you aren’t playing, there’s a part of the process you aren’t doing well,” Lauer said. “The process is going to school, being on time, and bringing the things you’re supposed to have. I’m not confronting the performer; I’m confronting the performance.”

The school’s enrollment is the smallest in their district with just under 1,500 students. The Padres don’t use this as an excuse for not having the best players.

“We’re small, but we have to play like we’re 6A,” Ruiz said.

In 2018 Marcos de Niza only had six freshmen, which clearly wasn’t enough to have a team. In Lauer’s second year the school was able to field a full freshman team.

“Coach Lauer has made freshmen want to come here now,” Ruiz said. “Lauer has built a strong team of coaches who are positive for kids here.”

Though the team reached new heights this year, the players know that there is more room for this program to grow. With a fresh batch of underclassmen coming in they are prepared to make an even bigger improvement in Lauer’s third season as head coach.

"The bar is set. Next year we want to top that,” Irick said.

Lauer’s second year as coach had a lot of positives, but the team still faced a great deal of adversity. After a four-game win streak, the team suffered a three-game losing streak. In addition to that, they lost one of their best defensive players to injury and even had a player quit after the regular season.

The Padres have encountered more change than just on the field. Lauer believes in giving back to the community that surrounds the team.

“Make it more than just about football,” Lauer said “We’ve donated over $1,000 to other programs on campus. We send players to visit the on-campus daycare every Friday. We believe in community service, and that starts at home.”

The Padres’ season came to an end on Nov. 15 after a heartbreaking 27-26 loss to Mesquite. The Padres put up a tough fight all the way but couldn’t come out on top. The team was overcome with emotion.

The Padres hope to come back next season and improve upon the thrilling year they had. This won’t be easy due to the loss of senior running back Yakeen Baylis, who is the school’s all-time leading rusher. Baylis finished the 2019 season with 1,736 yards on 229 carries with 23 touchdowns, as well as 11 receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown.