For once, Coronado benefits from a transfer

How did Scottsdale Coronado coach Mike Olson react last summer when he heard quarterback Jay Vanderjagt was transferring in from Scottsdale Saguaro? “I think I went to Tee Pee (Mexican restaurant) that night and had about five margaritas,” Olson said. “I was pretty happy.”

In Scottsdale, elite players don’t transfer from Saguaro to Coronado. They leave Coronado for Saguaro or Chaparral or Desert Mountain. That’s the reality for a football program with few resources, one winning season the past six years and 71 percent of its kids eligible for free and reduced lunch.

“If I had the kids that aren’t starting at Saguaro or are starting at Saguaro that live in this area, we’d be pretty deep this year,” Olson said.

What Olson does have, however, is the one kid who bucked the trend.

Like a lot of kids, Vanderjagt was looking for a better situation for himself when he transferred. At Saguaro, he was stuck between Kare’ Lyles and Max Massingale. His chances of playing were remote. So he left. The difference: He didn’t transfer to another high-powered program. He came to Coronado, which hasn’t won a state title since 1976 and in the five years before his arrival was a combined 21-31.

Vanderjagt had friends and teammates at Saguaro telling him he was crazy to go. Why leave royalty for the lower class? But Vanderjagt had connections at Coronado. His private quarterbacks coach, Mike Giovando, is a Coronado alum who’s on Olson’s staff. Vanderjagt’s father, Mike, a former NFL fieldgoal kicker, also is helping out. The biggest reason, however, was the obvious one.

“I just wanted to get on the field my junior year,” Vanderjagt said. “That was the biggest part. I knew if I came here, we could do something special.”

Coronado didn’t win a state title last year like Saguaro, but it finished 7-3, its best record since 2008. Vanderjagt was the catalyst, throwing for 2,171 yards and 27 touchdowns.

“I wanted to help them so bad,” Vanderjagt said. “I knew if I worked hard, I could maybe improve their chances of winning. I feel like we’ve turned the program around.”

Coronado can take the next step this year and make the state playoffs, even as it moves up to the 4A Conference. It was placed in the Black Canyon Region along with Apache Junction, San Tan Combs, Phoenix Cortez, El Mirage Dysart and Phoenix Washington. That’s a division Coronado can win, especially with Vanderjagt behind center.

“When you have a quarterback like we do, anything can happen,” Olson said.

Including a renewed sense of optimism not just in the locker room but within the entire school community.

“I feel like there’s a lot of excitement going into this season,” Vanderjagt said.

That’s always the case at places like Saguaro and Chaparral. At Coronado, it’s a welcome – and overdue – change.