Cole Topham is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Valley Christian High School for AZPreps365.com.

An unpredictable football season is almost underway for the Valley Christian Trojans, but the team’s energy remains the same in spite of the uncertainty.

That palpable energy is apparent to first-year head coach Jake Petersen, who has been with the program since 2014. The team, which has achieved a 17-7 record over the past two seasons with consecutive playoff berths, has its eye on a 3A championship. For Petersen, the success of Valley Christian is evidenced by the team’s pride for its culture and close bonds.

“I think we've really worked on building relationships with the kids as a priority and not make it about football all of the time,” Petersen said. “Whether it's the camaraderie they have with their teammates or the relationships they have with the coach, they're going to be a lot more involved emotionally and willing to do things they might not have been doing before.”

That dedication to a foundation of trust is reflected in Valley Christian’s devotion to keeping its players on the field and safe from COVID-19 this season.

The school has been vigilant about protecting its football players from the virus. In the offseason, the team limited activities to the outdoors in small groups of 10. The Trojans require players to wear masks in groups and encourage limiting contact with people outside of practice. 

However, the most impactful safety measure has been Valley Christian’s commitment to launder every player’s uniform after each practice. In the past, Petersen said that players struggled to consistently wash their equipment. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the school decided it would ensure each jersey, pair of pants, helmet, and shoulder pads were properly cleaned and disinfected. The Trojans also invested in new practice pants and tops as another measure to prevent the spreading of germs.

“There's nobody telling us that we have to do it,” Petersen said. “But we took it upon ourselves to put these measures in place because, as coaches, we want to have a season just as much as the kids do.”

More keys to success for the Trojans include staying physically healthy and keeping players unselfish. The Trojans’ depth will be tested this season; they lost 17 starters to graduation. 

Valley Christian will be led by senior quarterback Jaden Hanzal. Hanzal played in all 11 games his junior season, throwing for 1,073 yards, nine touchdowns, and four interceptions while splitting time with Vinnie LaGatta. Hanzal is committed to play for the University of Mary, which is also where Petersen played collegiately. 

“That the news was really exciting for me,” Petersen said. “To have someone go back and play for the college you played for is a big deal. You feel a lot more value and sense of accomplishment for your program.”

The Trojans head into 2020 with a two-headed monster at running back. Senior Tony Gomez and junior Kaden Majurcak combined for more than 1,200 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns last season. Petersen said he plans to continue to divide carries up between his two playmakers.

At receiver, the Trojans will rely on the duo of Austyn Gerrard and Andrew Hanzal to replace the production of Tanner Canfield, who led the team in receiving yards (594) and receiving touchdowns (eight) last season. Although Gerrard hasn’t logged many varsity snaps, Petersen praised his physical abilities and potential to replicate Canfield’s statistics. Hanzal figures to slide into the team’s primary role and Petersen raved about the impact his star receiver has on the field.

“He’s the kind of guy that takes the top off the defense with his speed,” Petersen said. “In the last couple of years, we haven't really had any team that's been able to keep up with him. He's somebody that you always have to be aware of as a deep threat.”

The defensive back group was a key factor for the Trojans in 2019, accumulating 14 interceptions. But, 12 of those picks came from seniors. Many new faces will have to step up and contribute immediately to the secondary.

“We have got some talented guys that are filling those roles, but they don't have varsity experience,” Petersen said. “Watching film and learning what the other team is doing and getting a lot of reps in practice is going to be very valuable for those guys. We might not have one single shutdown guy, but collectively the communications between our defensive backs have been outstanding. Probably better than any team that I've ever had.”

With high expectations in mind, the Trojans will take on the River Valley Dust Devils at Anderson Auto Group Fieldhouse on Oct. 2. The game is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m.

2020 Valley Christian Trojans Schedule
10/2 @ River Valley
10/16 Winslow
10/23 Coronado
10/30 @ AZ College Prep
11/6 @ Payson
11/13 Fountain Hills