Wickenburg football's small roster hasn't stifled team's spirit

WICKENBURG — It's a little after school, and a few players come onto the football field. A few more trail them.

"We'll have a few more coming out," a player tells a reporter.

A total of 13 arrive for a mid-week practice during a week in which there is no game.

They're smiling, filled with hope and the promise of more games after defeating Tuba City Greyhills Academy 44-0 on Aug. 28 in Wickenburg High's football season opener.

The Wranglers' game against Whiteriver Alschesay set for Sept. 4 was canceled due to Alchesay having a weekend tribal function. Alchesay wanted to reschedule it for midweek, but that didn't work for Wickenburg. The Wranglers' next game is Sept. 11 at Hopi.

With just 13 players in the program and on their fourth head coach in two years, fans cheered as touchdowns were scored, something rarely seen during an 0-10 2025 season in which they were outscored 536-36.

Before the calendar turned to September, the Wranglers already had one more win and eight more points scored than all of last season. Not bad for a team that was down to about seven players during summer workouts, wondering if it would have a season.

Other small Arizona high schools, like NFL Yet in south Phoenix, Kingman Academy, Glendale Prep canceled varsity football due to low numbers. Even some 1A schools, like traditionally strong Elfrida Valley Union, canceled. And 1A schools Cicero Prep and North Phoenix Prep joined forces to make a team.

"I had no doubt we'd have a season," Wickenburg sophomore lineman Aiden Gifford said. "I'm proud to be with them. I'm proud to work with them."

At the start of spring ball, Wickenburg had 14 players. Then, at the start of the summer, new coach Justin Stangler said, all of the seniors quit.

This was not the same Wickenburg that advertises outside its stadium with a big sign that lists the school's nine state championship years, the last coming in 1977. And its three state runner-up finishes in 1955, 1979 and 2006. No, this was no longer Norris Vaughan's program.

Once a 3A powerhouse in football, could Wickenburg join other 2A schools and cancel varsity?

It couldn't petition to go down this season. It already played a 3A schedule last year and it had to go through this season before the AIA reclassifies football teams again prior to the 2027 season.

The AIA, however, worked with the Wranglers to play a seven-game Independent schedule against schools from the Navajo Nation in northeast Arizona, most of which are smaller, 2A schools. Holbrook is the only non-reservation school on the schedule. It borders the Navajo reservation

"We had a core group of basically freshmen who were out here every day in the summer, working hard," Stangler said. "Once school started, and transportation was happening, we had more kids. We're going to be up to 17 kids next week."

That's still considerably small, even for a small school.

Recently, a senior came out. He is now the team's only senior, who transferred in from out of state. He has to go through the required Arizona Interscholastic Association 14-day gradual heat acclimatization process before being cleared to play.

"The schedule is going to get tougher every week now until the end of the season," Stangler said. "There will be some growing pains. But it was good way to start with that young of a team."

This has been a bit of a culture shock for Stangler, who came over from Surprise Willow Canyon, where he was used to having more than 130 players in the 5A program during his eight seasons, with teams at the freshman and JV levels along with varsity.

"I wasn't even really interested," Stangler said about the Wickenburg job. "I was going to take a year off. I was going to go to (Goodyear) Desert Edge and coach there (as an assistant). Then, in the process, this interview happened. And once I got out here, I was like, 'Wow, this is something I think I want to take on.' The people out here are great. The facilities are fantastic for a small school.

"But it's been a challenge. Small-school football is definitely a change. I was joking around with our coaches, it's almost easier coaching a program of 130 kids than it is 17."

There are five coaches on his staff with a combined 100 years of coaching experience.

"I think it's great that we got the players out here," said junior fullback/linebacker Victor Seagoe-Alverado, who had two touchdowns in the season opener. "We had barely any players out in the summer. There were seven, maybe six. I didn't think we'd even have a team. I'm thankful for all of the players who showed up."

Wickenburg junior quarterback Jeancarlo Cisneros never played quarterback before this season. He said he never touched a football until his freshman year.

"I just had to work hard," he said. "Last year, I was barely able to throw a football to save my life. Now I can throw it better."

With everybody playing both offense and defense, Cisneros said, "We just have to condition, and as coach calls it, play Ironman football.

"Hang in there for as long as you can," Cisneros said. "But always give it 100 percent.

"We already shocked people. They didn't think we'd have a team."

Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. Catch the best high school sports coverage in the state. Sign up for Azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don't miss a thing. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Wickenburg football's small roster hasn't stifled team's spirit