Mesquite goes out of state to hire football coach

For once a football coach hiring didn't cause another domino to fall in Arizona.

Mesquite (Gilbert) went out of state to replace the retired Mike Reardon as Matt Gracey was hired out of California to take over the program. Gracey, 36, resigned from Sherman E. Burroughs High School in Ridgecrest, Calif., where he posted a 20-25 record in his four-year tenure. Before that he coached at Port Angeles in Washington.

Prior to that Gracey coached at Winslow and made the Arizona Class 3A semifinals twice while compiling a 43-13 record.

While he enjoyed his time at Winslow, he and his wife really liked the Phoenix area each time they visited and when it comes to big-school football, the Southeast Valley is where you want to be.

"Normally you don't fall into a position like this," Gracey told the East Valley Tribune. "With the coaches and athletes there, it's quite a fortunate position to be coming into."

Gracey's hire was approved on Tuesday. It was the latest in recent hires as Chad DeGrenier left Cave Creek Cactus Shadows for Mountain View (Mesa) and Joy Christian (Glendale) landed Phoenix North Canyon's Brian Cole, who made the rare Class 5A to Class 1A move.

The two programs left behind are obviously in the need for a new coach. Both programs won recent state titles – 2006 from Cactus Shadows and 2006 for North Canyon – so they should receive plenty of attention.

RANDALL McDANIEL HONORED
Former Agua Fria (Avondale) star Randall McDaniel is one of 12 individuals who will headline the 2011 class of into the National High School Hall of Fame.

McDaniel was a three-year varsity starter and two-time all-state selection in football and basketball at Agua Fria.
He also played baseball and participated in track and field, setting the school record in the 100-meter dash as a senior.

He was an All-American at Arizona State University and played 14 years with the Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League (NFL), where he started 202 consecutive games at left guard. McDaniel is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The induction into the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) National High School Hall of Fame is July 2 at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown in Philadelphia. The 29th Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be the closing event of the 92nd annual NFHS Summer Meeting.

MOUNTAIN POINTE BOYS VOLLEYBALL IS OFF TO HOT START
Mountain Pointe (Phoenix) boys volleyball won the Chandler Wolf Howl Invitational by going 8-0 in one of the state's prestigious early season events. The Pride wasn't one of the favorites heading into the season despite winning back-to-back Class 5A state titles in 2008 and 2009, but continued to show coach Fred Mann runs one of the most consistent programs out there.

A TOUGH MEET FOR MARCOS DE NIZA AND MOUNTAIN POINTE
The day after news came that Olympic marathon hopeful Sally Meyerhoff was killed on Tuesday while on her bike when hit by a pickup truck, the two schools she competed for in high school met in a track meet.

Meyerhoff, 27, ran at Tempe Marcos de Niza as a freshman and still holds the school record for the 800 meter run. She won two state titles in cross country for Mountain Pointe after transferring there before her sophomore year and also helped the Pride to the 2000 5A state title.

Marcos coach Anna Rodriguez was a teammate of Meyerhoff and tried to honor as much as possible while keeping together.

"We're trying to mourn her, but we're also trying to remember how great she was," Rodriguez told the Arizona Republic on Wednesday. "I think we're trying everything to keep her legend going, because she was amazing."

Jason P. Skoda, a former Arizona Republic and current Ahwatukee Foothill News staff writer, is a 15-year sports writing veteran. Contact him at jskoda1024@aol.com or 480-272-2449.