Jake Sloan is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Shadow Mountain High School for AZPreps365.com.

 

The Shadow Mountain High School football team started the 2024 season 0-4. That would dishearten a lot of coaches, but not Stephen Hemming. His attitude whether they win or lose has been constant throughout the season, and it’s rubbed off on his players, too.

When the Matadors won their first game against Madison Highland Prep 53-3 on September 27, Hemming and his team stayed disciplined throughout and handled the win with maturity, an example of the positive output the head coach has on his team. 

“I feel like I’ve grown as a coach in being more understanding how important relationships are,” Hemming said. “You have to have the patience and perseverance to understand it’s a process and it’s not going to come overnight. This year is a good example of that.”

The Matadors finished the year 4-6 losing their final two games after bursting onto the scene with four-straight wins and narrowly missing the 2A Division playoffs.

The Michigan native’s background in the military and past coaching experiences put the Matadors in a position to have this season be a stepping stone to future success. 

“The military taught me to adapt and overcome,” Hemming said. “Being somebody that served in combat, you never knew what was going to happen day-to-day. You think the game is going to go a certain way, but it never does. You just have to be mentally strong enough to know it’s never going to go the way you planned, and I’ve seen that a lot this year.” 

Before developing a passion for coaching, Hemming had his mind set on joining the military and serving his country. Hemming was in the United States Marine Corps for five years before being discharged due to injury. He used his experience and training as a way to create an environment at practice and games where the players displayed maturity and discipline that he felt led to wins down the stretch. 

“It taught me how precious life is,” Hemming said. “I joined the military with the intent to serve my country, and I was miserable most days. To me, it’s about making a difference, and I went back to thinking of how people made a difference in my life, and it was always sports. I think the military showed me what hard work does and what mind over matter is.” 

Hemming’s coaching career started during his last legs in the military, as he had no plan for a career after the military. He started at the youth level after a recommendation from his wife, Jensen, and he hasn’t looked back. Hemming has been all around the valley, coaching most recently before Shadow Mountain at Trivium Preparatory Academy. 

Before the start of every season, the team takes a weekend trip up north to Camp Shadow Pines in Heber, Arizona, for a chance to bond with each other. Hemming cherished his first time and also used the opportunity to grow closer with his players. 

“The kids had a ton of free time outside of practice, so at the end of the day, I just wanted them to be kids,” Hemming said. “Not everyone gets to play at the next level, so I want them to enjoy these four years as much as they can.” 

One player who made the trip up north was sophomore running back, Trevor Ferro. Now that Ferro has seen Hemming’s coaching style for a full season, he’s also developed a much closer relationship with him and his team over time.

“I’ve noticed we’re more together as a team,” Ferro said. “We’ve also come together more once we started winning. Coach Hemming has also made us not only better players but better people.” 

Ferro's mother, Carey, had a front-row seat to Hemming’s first season as one of the boosters for the Matadors and saw firsthand the genuineness he had with the players. As a mother, this was toward the top of the list for Carey above the play on the field. 

“I think he’s much closer and in tune with a lot of the players,” Carey said. “Not that last year was bad or anything, but I feel like Coach Hemming has stepped up to bring the team together and act as more of a unit and family. The boys hold each other more accountable, and it’s lovely to see.” 

Hemming’s military background benefits a football team that is mainly composed of freshmen and sophomores with upperclassmen sprinkled in.

Carey saw a majority of the players from last year graduate, which she said left this year with a “broken family team.” 

“Coach Hemming has been great for the boys,” Carey said. “He’s brought that military structure with clear expectations that I think have really set the boys up with long-term success. He’s also very caring, and he treats everyone like a family.” 

Because Hemming enlisted in the Marine Corps straight out of high school, he never had the opportunity to earn a college degree, so he eventually found the time and graduated from Arizona State University in 2023. Enrolling in college in his 30s was a little different compared to his late teens, but Hemming still got it done. 

“My maturity level was a lot different,” Hemming said. “I tell the kids all the time, I didn’t care about school in high school, and it put me in a bad spot as an adult. It taught me how important school is, and that’s helped a lot in coaching. It was really hard doing classes while coaching high school football, and I’m glad to be done with it now.” 

Hemming is a member of the “Soldier to Sideline” community, an organization dedicated to finding ex-military jobs coaching as well as providing a community for soldiers to find opportunities all across the country. This has been an important part of Hemming’s coaching career as he’s met countless people through it. 

“They’ve given me a great network of coaches I can reach out to,” Hemming said. “We have a huge Twitter group chat of people that served in the military and that are approaching. There are about 140 people ranging from middle school to college coaches. It’s helped me want to grow as a coach, and it’s a brotherhood similar to what we experienced in the military.”