One of the more revealing things Robert Meras learned about his Apple Valley roster this offseason had little to do with a depth chart.
He realized he has coached players in every class currently on the team, from seniors to freshmen, dating back to his time in the youth organization.
That kind of continuity gives Apple Valley an unusual connection between the lower levels of the program and the varsity team.
“I have seniors right now all the way down to freshmen that I’ve coached in the youth organization,” Meras said. “I’ve coached seniors and everything in between.”
For Meras, the significance goes beyond familiarity. Players have been introduced to the program’s expectations years before they arrive on Friday nights, and those lessons can continue to build as they move through each level.
“If there’s a group that really hangs their head on what we believe in, it’s going to be the next coming groups here in the next four years,” Meras said.
That same internal development is evident in Apple Valley’s strength and conditioning program.
Anthony Morales and Sam Jang, both former Apple Valley players, now work at the school and help lead the program. Meras said both have accumulated multiple certifications and continue attending college programs and seminars to expand what they bring back to the players.
Their connection to the school gives the work an added layer.
Morales played offensive and defensive line for Apple Valley, while Jang was a Mojave River League Defensive Player of the Year at middle linebacker. Now they are helping prepare the next generation of players to handle the physical demands of varsity football.
The program’s emphasis has been straightforward.
Get stronger, faster and more athletic while developing the habits required to maintain that work.
For players such as junior linebacker and running back Chase Higgs, that work has become part of the identity of the program rather than something reserved for the offseason.
“We spent a lot of time in the weight room and speed training,” Higgs said. “Our strength and conditioning coaches are great, so we all put in the work. It’s important to us.”
That preparation also matters for players like senior offensive lineman Lucas Arceo, who has spent his entire football career in the trenches.
After years of facing some of the most talented linemen in the MRL, Arceo said the experience has taught him not to be overwhelmed by an opponent’s reputation or recruiting attention.
“Don’t let all the big boys, especially the ones that have all these offers and all that, intimidate you because they end up not being all of that,” Arceo said.
That confidence is part of what Apple Valley hopes its younger players will inherit.
The Sun Devils have already established that they can develop players from within the program and compete deep into the postseason. The challenge now is continuing that pipeline while this senior class tries to leave behind a team that can take the next step.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Apple Valley’s continuity starts long before Friday nights
Reporting by Jose Quintero, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jose Quintero, Victorville Daily Press | USA TODAY Network
