Apple Valley in new look wants to recover from third place last season
After being one of the top two teams in the Mojave River League for seven consecutive years, Apple Valley found itself in an unfamiliar position after the end of the 2023 season.
Two losses to Oak Hills and Hesperia meant the Sun Devils finished the season in third place in the MRL standings for the first time since 2016.
When it mattered most in the playoffs, the Sun Devils got revenge on Hesperia with a 35-32 win in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 5 playoffs.
Nevertheless, new head coach Robert Meras is quick to remind his team that they finished third last season.
“Last year our team didn’t live up to the expectations we’ve had for years, and I told them it was one of the worst teams I’ve coached in the last 20 years,” Meras said. “You’re a third-place team. Nobody is afraid of you.”
A new but familiar face as head coach
Although Meras is entering his first year as head coach, he has been with the program for over two decades.
The longtime offensive coordinator replaces Kyle Godfrey, who had a 30-12 record in four seasons as head coach.
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The only real change Meras is making as head coach is the way the team organizes practices. Other than that, it’s business as usual for Apple Valley, including Meras continuing to call the plays on offense.
“It’s pretty much the same as we’ve always done it, and not much changes,” Meras said.
The biggest transfer in the MRL
Jacob Higgs, a three-year first-team starting quarterback and 2022 Daily Press Offensive Player of the Year, transferred from Sultana to Apple Valley and spent the summer competing for the starting quarterback job with returning senior Aryav Biswas, who backed up Noah Celie last season.
Apple Valley’s coaching staff and roster have put Higgs through the wringer, testing his leadership skills after spending three seasons on the opposing team’s bench.
The left-handed quarterback did not shy away from the challenge.
“I think the transition was smooth because I came here to work and win. That’s everything this school does, from the coaches to the players,” Higgs said. “The culture and the attitude, the way we approach practice and the weight room, that’s what I want to do here.”
Higgs admitted he hasn’t won many games as a starting quarterback – Sultana had a 13-18 record in his three years – and that’s all he wants to accomplish when he moves to Apple Valley.
“I want to win football games. If I pass the ball and we win, that’s it. I’m just hungry for a win,” Higgs said.
This attitude from Higgs certainly helped him gain the trust of his teammates.
“I’m really excited,” said offensive tackle Jonah Leaupepetele. “Throughout the offseason, I’ve been able to build a relationship between the two (Higgs and Biswas). That lineman-quarterback relationship is like a real brother, you don’t want him to get hurt. Being able to protect him is the most important thing in the game.”
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Mastering the trenches
Another aspect that makes things exciting for Higgs is the chance to play behind a formidable offensive line.
Meras called this year’s offensive line one of the greatest in school history and credits it to the weight room drills Godfrey introduced several years ago when he was named head coach.
“They have great potential, but at the end of the day we have to pull ourselves together and perform. Our league is not easy,” said Meras.
Leaupepetele, who already has several NCAA Division I offers, has taken on the leadership role in the experienced offensive line.
Leaupepetele knows how important the success of his unit is for the rest of the team.
“This year and last year, I’ve tried to be a leader while dominating my own game to set an example of dominance so others can dominate,” Leaupepetele said. “We have a really good offensive line and this program expects a lot from us.”
The way to the future
Much like last season, Apple Valley has packed its schedule with early challenges to prepare for both MRL action and a playoff run. The Sun Devils open the season on the road at Orange Vista, ranked the 77th best team in California by CalPreps.com. Apple Valley’s first home game is the following week against Chaparral, ranked 29th in California.
After hosting Tempe, Arizona’s Corona Del Sol and playing a bell game against Victor Valley, Apple Valley closes its preseason with a home game against 33rd-ranked Upland.
But ultimately, the most important game of the season for the Sun Devils will be at home in Week 7 against three-time MRL defending champion Oak Hills.
“The Oak Hills game is always going to be a very physical, big game,” Meras said. “Everyone asks me what I think about the Oak Hills game, and I tell them Oak Hills is the best team up here right now. I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that.”
If Apple Valley can beat Oak Hills for the first time since 2020-21 and reverse the result against Hesperia, the jump from third-place team to MRL champions is certainly possible.
Apple Valley High School Football Schedule 2024
- Thurs. 22 August – Apple Valley in Orange Vista, 7:30 p.m.
- Fri. Aug. 30 – Chaparral in Apple Valley, 7pm
- Fri. Sept. 6 – Corona del Sol in Apple Valley, 7 p.m.
- Fri. Sept. 13 – Apple Valley in Victor Valley, 7 p.m.
- Thurs. 19 Sept. – Upland in Apple Valley, 7pm
- Fri., Oct. 4 – Apple Valley at Sultana, 7 p.m.
- Fri. 11 Oct. – Hesperia in Apple Valley, 7pm
- Fri. 18 Oct. – Oak Hills in Apple Valley, 7pm
- Fri. 25 Oct. – Burroughs at Apple Valley, 7pm
- Fri., Nov. 1 – Apple Valley in Serrano, 7 p.m.
