Challenge for new coach: Stepping out of his dad’s (formidable) shadow
By Brian Gomez
There was a time, long before the popularity of nutrition bars and sports drinks, when the biggest concerns Sam Duane Jr. had at Corona del Sol High School were the day-to-day basics of his dad’s coaching routine: How many oranges, for example, and how much Coke to serve players during breaks in the team’s hard-fought basketball games.
Those were the days when planners were still thinking about a new Mesquite High School in Gilbert, where, after graduating from college, Duane Jr. landed a coaching job himself, and when the idea of naming the Corona gym after his father would have seemed incredibly farfetched.
It was, coincidentally, a time when the prospective top talent of this coming season’s team, T.J. Benson, Dan Winterbottom and Josh Spence, hadn’t even been born yet.
Now, having retraced his steps back to Corona as the new head coach, Duane Jr. knows he won’t be dealing with just the orange peels and empty Coke cups of his youth.
For one thing, he’ll be called on to meet the expectations of those who think he should match the standards promulgated no doubt forever by his dad, Sam Duane Sr.
Perhaps most important, he’ll need to rely on a group of relative unknowns to secure the foundations of his own coaching future—a future that won’t soon forget the achievements of a formidable predecessor.
“Before I really got into coaching, I never thought I wanted to coach here,” Duane said. “But when I started coaching, this is where I wanted to be. Every time I walk in the gym, it’s neat to think about how I grew up in there.”
Aided by assistants Andy Strom, Darren Ridge and Steve Garrison, Duane’s new team breezed through summer workouts this month without any setbacks. The Aztecs made the Final Four at the University of San Diego’s annual team camp and advanced to the quarterfinals of a Tempe summer league, before finishing first in the silver division of the Just Hoops Desert Classic in Gilbert.
Although Corona’s accomplishments won’t mean much when the slate is wiped clean this fall, they’ll surely help erase the painful memories of a losing season, the first in six years under former head coach Joe Maisel.
“We have more shooters here than I ever had at Mesquite,” Duane said. “We really had to manufacture points at Mesquite. We had good athletes, but we didn’t have pure shooters.”
Duane is far from finalizing his varsity roster, but the amount of talent he has to work with has been clarified, despite the absence of senior power forward Craig Borengasser and senior guard Alex Gordon, both of whom are spending the summer in Germany through a cultural exchange program.
The Aztecs don’t have a definitive leader like they did last season in point guard Steven Koehnemann, meaning they’ll have to get contributions from a number of different players.
Spence looked stronger in summer workouts and he’s starting to develop a better shot around the basket, even while continually swarmed with double teams. He naturally creates opportunities for Winterbottom, who has refined his three-point accuracy.
“I’ve made a lot of progress since last season,” Spence said. “I’m still working on my shot, but I’ll get it.”
Much of Corona’s offense runs through Benson, a hardnosed player who is just as good driving to the hoop as he is shooting from the outside. Duane also turns to newcomers Sean Considine, Jared Godfrey and Josh Stover, among others.
“I’m trying to keep my shot how it is,” said Benson, who has sparked interest from several Division I schools, including Utah, Cornell, Oregon State, Boise State and Northern Arizona.
“I don’t want to lose my stroke right now, especially in the month of July, which is the biggest month for recruiting.”
Corona appears more structured with the ball, mainly because of Duane’s newly-installed offensive sets, some of which mirror the ones he ran the past four years at Mesquite. On defense, the Aztecs are playing mostly man-to-man and they’re not pressing nearly as much as they did last season.
“We’ve got to learn how to play harder and we’ve got to learn how to execute a little better,” Duane said. “We’re still trying to find who fits where and what fits where. We’re rotating guys and we’re looking at guys in different spots.”
Aztecs sign with MCC
Two former Corona basketball players have enrolled at Mesa Community College. Guard David Brisco will play basketball and wide receiver Chris Palmer will play football.
Bleachers finished
New bleachers have been constructed along both sidelines of the lower deck inside Sammy Duane Gymnasium. They are equipped with handrails that separate the sections, all of which run eight rows deep.
Corona gives to charity
Arizona Cardinals cornerback Coby Rhinehart last week presented about 30 basketballs and footballs to students at the Thomas J. Pappas School for the Homeless. The sporting equipment was purchased through funds raised during Corona’s first annual charity basketball game.
Duane’s old job filled
The coaching position Duane left vacant when he returned to his alma mater was filled June 26.
Gilbert Mesquite Athletic Director Matt O’Neill hired 58-year-old Bob Haack, a coaching legend with 550 wins at Hanks High School in El Paso, Texas. Haack was one of more than a dozen applicants who applied for the Corona job when Maisel resigned to spend more time with his family.
Central Region update
Desert Vista head coach Al Merino stepped down June 30, citing a desire to pursue career opportunities in publishing.
Last year, the Thunder made an appearance in the Class 5A state championship game, where they suffered a 56-51 loss to Gilbert. They return starters Travis Gabbidon and Xavier Kilby.
Want to hit the links?
The Corona boys basketball booster club’s annual scramble golf outing will be held at 1 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Foothills Golf Club in Phoenix. Cost is $100 per person for a bucket of range balls, greens fees (cart included) and a barbecue dinner.
Dozens of door prizes will be given away and there will be silent and live auctions. For registration information, contact Bill Ewing at (480) 897-8919.
Did you know?
Strom’s brother, Matt Strom, is the boys basketball head coach at Chandler Basha High. The 4A Bears will play a junior varsity schedule this fall, before moving to the varsity level in the 2004-05 season.
Reach the reporter at brian.gomez@wranglernews.com or visit him online at http://sundevils.freeyellow.com/briangomez.html.