Marcel Jones entered his sophomore season as one of many extra intriguing gamers in Arizona highschool soccer. In line with Burn Metropolis Sports activities, he led Chaparral’s (Scottsdale, Ariz.) freshman workforce final yr to an undefeated season, scoring 40 whole touchdowns and finishing nearly 85% of his passes. He additionally obtained a minimum of two Div. I affords throughout his freshman yr.
The Arizona Republic wrote in a season preview that Jones “may need been probably the most dynamic participant on the freshman degree final yr when the Firebirds’ freshman workforce blew out everyone they performed. Runs, passes and makes folks miss. Count on him to have a monster sophomore season on the varsity.”
However that sophomore season has come to an finish. Jones has transferred from Chaparral Excessive Faculty after 4 video games, transferring to cross-town Saguaro Excessive Faculty.
He won’t be eligible for the remainder of the season, in keeping with the Republic. With the transfer, he finishes his sophomore season with 687 passing yards at a 55.5% completion charge and 200 speeding yards on 40 makes an attempt.
Why the sudden change?
Jones’ father, Cedric, informed the Arizona Republic that the transfer was associated to his perception that the Chaparral soccer booster membership “isn’t clear about how its funds are spent” and didn’t have correct oversight, reporter Richard Obert wrote.
Chaparral principal Joshua Painter informed the Republic that Scottsdale Unified Faculty District is “dedicated to reviewing the grievance and figuring out whether or not an investigation is warranted.” Membership increase president Casey Porter added that he “doesn’t see any substantiation to that declare.”
There was additionally hypothesis that the choice got here after the teaching employees opened up a contest for the beginning quarterback job this week, which Cedric Jones strongly rejected because the rationale for the transfer.
Learn the Republic article right here for a complete overview of the information.
Marcel Jones’ switch is the most recent change for a workforce that has undergone a change during the last yr. Chaparral was highlighted in Sports activities Illustrated’s September 2022 function about Arizona’s open enrollment coverage and its impact on the state’s highschool soccer scene, and the opening paragraph highlighted the college’s want to take down the traditionally dominant Saguaro program.
Nonetheless, during the last a number of months, there have been quite a lot of departures in this system, together with 5 members of the freshman workforce that moved to Mountain Pointe (Ahwatukee, Ariz.) and the resignation of head coach Brent Barnes, who accepted a job to teach Yukon Excessive Faculty in Oklahoma, a state by which he had beforehand lived and coached.
Jones’ departure removes what had been a promising piece of Chaparral’s future. His dominant freshman season led him to be thought-about the prime quarterback in Arizona’s class of 2026, and in January, he picked up affords from Arizona State College and UNLV.
Now, he’s off to Saguaro, the place he’ll study beneath first-year head coach Zak Hill, who has beforehand served roles because the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at ASU and Boise State.
The highschool soccer world will wait till his junior yr to see the progress made.