While prep athletes are doing their best to train for their sport(s) of choice during the COVID-19 shutdown, the coaching world does not stand still. A few notes/observations for consumption:

The Life's-Not-Fair-Department - Most recall the boys basketball brawl between Skyline and Cesar Chavez that put an unfortunate exclamation point on the end of first week of the 2019-2020 season in late November. It was the championship game of the Phoenix Union Coyote Classic at Central High. At least one of those schools will have a new coach next season. If both end up with new mentors, it wouldn't be right.

Skyline coach James Capriotti packed his bags after the season, ending a five-year run as coach for the Coyotes in late March. Four of Skyline's top five players, all starters from its 6A semifinal team this year and 6A state qualifying squad the year prior, won't return. Three were seniors - Capriotti's stepson Dayton Harris, Tanner Poeschl, a transfer from Mesa Mountain View for his junior and senior seasons and Tyree Tyler. The fourth is Capriotti's biological son, junior-to-be Dominic. The lone returning varsity player for Skyline with appreciable varsity experience is three-year starter Patrick Herrera.

Skyline proved a bonafide contender the final two years with Capriotti at the helm. The same five players got the bulk of the playing time. James Capriotti is settling in as one of two coaches for a pair of teams at PHH Prep with Dominic leaving with him. Life goes on and it's good for the Capriottis.

At Cesar Chavez, veteran coach Gary Lee is in limbo at best at this time, recommended for non-hire earlier this month as coach for next year. Lee is appealing the decison made by Chavez's administration. The appeal process could have as many as three levels. If that process doesn't come out in Lee's favor it will end 20 seasons leading the Champions in the Phoenix Union High School District. Apparently, Lee is the scapegoat for the brawl - a skirmish noone could have contained. And one both schools were equally at fault. Chavez basketball under Lee has been a perennial contender for top honors in big-school basketball and one of the most respected programs in theValley. Lee has amassed more than 400 wins in his career.   

Basketball hires imminent: Skyline conducted interviews for its boys hoops vacancy last week and may have an announcement for Capriotti's replacement by the end of this week. Interviews were conducted with a mix of current local coaches as well as some from out of state. Also on tap soon a replacement for Cory Rojeck as girls basketball coach at two-time 5A champion Millennium.Possible the hire could come from within.

Campo Verde openings close to being filled: The Coyotes are set to make two high-profile hires. Campo hopes to announce a new baseball coach in the next couple of days to replace the school's first and only coach to date -- Shawn Dukes. Dukes posted a 168-101 record over 10 seasons, including its best finish as 5A runner-up in 2017.

The open football position at Campo is halfway through the interview process (eight candidates total). Half the candidates interviewed on April 24 and the rest today (April 27). May 1 give or take is a target for the football hire. AD-to-be-and-partly-is-now Max Ragsdale has kept the football program going for the past month while the search for his successor has progressed.

Visit Mesa Basketball Challenge field set: The field for the 9th annual Visit Mesa Basketball Challenge boys tournament for 2020, a staple of December's prep calendar, has been finalized. The tournament will shift its start time a week earlier for the first time. It will run the week prior to Christmas (Dec. 19-23) rather than the week after Christmas. All tournament games as usual will be played at Mesa Mountain View HS. Eleven Arizona schools and five schools from out of state comprise the field. The 11 from Arizona with records/accomplishments from 2019-2020 season are: Perry (15-14, 6A quarterfinalist), Sunnyslope (23-6, 5A semifinalist), Mountain View (14-12), Red Mountain (8-20), Paradise Honors (22-6, 3A semifinalist), St. Mary's (24-4, 4A semifinalist), Corona del Sol (14-13, 6A 1st round), Salpointe Catholic (30-1, 4A state champ), Pinnacle (13-16, 6A quarterfinalist), Chaparral (14-14) and Chandler (19-9, 6A semifinalist). The five from out of state are: Valor Christian CO (20-6); Regis Jesuit, CO (13-14); Smoky Hill CO (18-7); Sherwood OR (19-8) and Chino HIlls CA (13-12).