Niall Rosenberg is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Corona Del Sol High School for AZPreps365.com.

 

When arriving in the land of the Aztecs, the last name “Duane” sets the tone for future generations at Corona Del Sol High School.

Lately, after a string of losing seasons, that once championship culture is longing to be seen again.

The Corona Del Sol High School boys basketball program has had two generations of Duanes coach the program. One is Sam Duane Sr., who coached the Aztecs to four state titles, and the other is Sam Duane Jr., who won four-straight state titles from 2011-12 to 2014-15. 

Now, the program led by Neil MacDonald has struggled to maintain a winning record, with the last being 2021-22 when the Aztecs went 11-7.

Even with the struggles of the program, Corona Del Sol Athletic Director Sylvester Glover said he has full faith in Coach MacDonald.

“He’s been able to produce results,” Glover said. “Not like the big ones that we had when Sam Duane Jr. was here. The biggest thing with Coach Mac is he’s got a heart of gold and it’s students first, and he’s able to get students opportunities to be seen by college scouts.”

MacDonald was Duane Jr.’s assistant when the Aztecs went on their four-straight championship season. When Duane Jr. stepped down in 2015 to spend more time with his family and pursue his administrative degree, according to The Arizona Republic, “Coach Mac” took over the team and led the Aztecs to another championship in 2016-17 but fell short to Basha High School.

Following that championship appearance, the Aztecs struggled, going 8-10 in 2017-18 and 9-9 the next season. The Aztecs would not have another season over .500 until 2021-22.

Coach Mac said he believes the standard set by Duane Sr. still echoes in the gymnasium today, but the way high school basketball is, the wins and losses haven’t been followed.

“High school sports are cyclical,” MacDonald said. “You’ll have a run, and at some point, it shifts a little bit and then it comes back. We had a couple of great runs when I took over and then we graduated a lot of guys. We rebuilt, and four or five years ago, we had a team that we felt could compete for a championship.”

To rub salt into the wounds of Aztec fans, Sam Duane Jr. returned to coaching basketball, this time at Perry High School, just under 15 miles away. He has led his team, including five-star prospect Koa Peat, the No. 6 high school recruit in the country, according to ESPN 100, to the last three state championships.

To return to where the Aztecs once were, when either one of the Duanes was behind the bench, is easier said than done.

Open enrollment in Arizona means a student can choose any high school in any district. Glover mentioned how money and population have caused major challenges in bringing glory back to the Aztecs.

“Unfortunately now, with the explosion of the population and the new neighborhoods to the outskirts of the valley, we’re losing a lot of students,” Glover said. "They’re heading elsewhere, they’re just heading out to these brand new schools. They’re moving out further to where these schools have so many students that they’re able to make these huge investments in their program.”

One of these investments was the construction of a $16.25 million, 45,000-square-foot gym Millennium High School, which includes three full courts and enough seats to have 2,432 people, according to McCarthy Building Companies.

The investment seems to have paid off for Millennium. In the two seasons with the new gym, it has made the state championship game both times, although losing both. 

Glover has the tough task of being an athletic director in the changing world of high school athletics. With the rise of multi-million dollar investments into programs, it could become the new normal for schools around the valley. 

“At this rate, it’s almost like it’s just gonna become a commercial, just kind of another arm of capitalism,” Glover said. “The students are becoming more and more transient, and it’s becoming more and more of a sword-fighting competition to try and attract students. If I’m being honest, it seems like it’s just trending more toward that sort of prep school environment.”

College sports have changed drastically with the expansion of NIL and Title IX causing schools to share future revenue dollars with student-athletes. If this finds its way into the high school realm, it could change a lot of things for schools in the valley.

For now though, Corona Del Sol worries about the next wave of adults it is releasing into the world. The Aztecs focus on the education of students when they compete athletically, along with the student part of a student-athlete, according to assistant coach Andrew Svorinic.

Svorinic, alongside Coach Mac, said he understands the importance of academics with their team.

“From an academic standpoint, the ball is gonna go flat for everybody at one point or another,” Svorinic said. “The student part of it is going to take them the rest of their lives from a career standpoint to contribute to society, contribute to the community, take care of their families, make money and contribute positively. That’s gonna take the athlete the rest of the way. Basketball can only take you so far.”

Both Coach Mac and Coach Svorinic have a squad in which not one player has played varsity basketball before, according to Svorinic. It will not be easy for the Aztecs, especially when they have to travel and see old friend Duane Jr. and take on his Perry Pumas during the season.

Even with the wins and losses being where they are today, Corona Del Sol sticks behind Coach Mac and the rest of his staff, according to Glover. Something that Duane Jr. did when he stepped down and gave the mantle to MacDonald. 

Coach Mac explained the number one piece of advice he has received from the coach he worked with for so many years is to focus on the process.

“Block out the outside noise,” MacDonald said. “Don’t pay attention to what’s going on outside of here. Focus on your players and the process and let the wins and losses take care of themselves.”