It is never too early to talk about football, and the Flagstaff High School Eagle football team is already gearing up for the upcoming season! Starting this winter, many of our players have been participating in the offseason lift program to get stronger and faster. I was in the weight room several times during these workouts, and I have never been more impressed with what I saw. Student-athletes were constantly pushing themselves to achieve personal records with their lifts. More importantly, the support the players gave each other illustrates a strong teammate camaraderie that is refreshing to see this early in the process.

The Eagles have taken the practice field throughout this past month as they start to install both the offensive and defensive playbooks. In his fourth year at the helm, Head Coach Mickey Clements looks to reinforce his West Coast-style offense with a greater emphasis on the run game for the incoming season. Created by former 49ers coach Bill Walsh and perfected by subsequent coaches like the Packers' Mike Holmgren and the Broncos' Mike Shanahan, the West Coast offense relies on an effective zone-blocking rushing scheme. This is complemented by short, highly timed passes with an occasional pop down the field to keep the defense honest.

The run game will likely need to be a major focus this season following the departure of Chase Brown, arguably the best quarterback in Flagstaff city history. Chase leaves behind big shoes to fill; shoes that don’t seem to have an immediate replacement. An upcoming position battle for the right to lead the Eagles will surely be something many people will be watching closely. Two quarterbacks who replaced Brown after his torn ACL last season, AJ Valdez and Broden Custer, will surely get plenty of reps to win the job.

The 2026 schedule mirrors last year’s schedule (with the home and away games flipped) as the team looks to bounce back from last year’s 2-8 season. The Grand Canyon Region is notoriously difficult, with multiple teams qualifying for playoff spots. Bradshaw Mountain High School is currently the toast of the region, while Coconino High School showed some serious grit in their playoff run last year. To tackle this tough region and accomplish their goals, the Eagles are well on their way through hard work in the weight room and on the practice field.