ORO VALLEY, Ariz. — With just two weeks till their first game, Canyon Del Oro High School football, the defending 4A state champions, come into this season looking a little different.
29 seniors graduated last year, leaving new head coach, Scott McKee, with a fresh roster. However, McKee says these players have stepped up and are ready for the season.
“You’re at CDO so there is no acceptable answer, but a great winning season and a playoff run," McKee said.
Last time we saw McKee, he was helping lead CDO, as an assistant under Dustin Peace, to the 4A State Title.
But after Peace stepped away from coaching, McKee stepped in.
“It’s a blessing to be able to coach kids again and be at a place that dusty built and made it amazing," McKee said.
This season down 29 seniors from last year, McKee will look to Peace for help with a younger roster.
“I talk to Dusty every night about where do you start with the young group because that group that won the state championship was very similar to this a couple years ago," McKee said.
Filling the role of players like Kayden Luke and Sa’Kylee Woodard isn’t easy, but McKee says just having those players helped shape the attitude for this season.
“What they have is leadership," McKee said. "That’s the part you took for Vijay King, Ryan Madison, Kayden, and Sa’Kylee. Those guys had great leadership and then these guys were in the locker room with that. So, it’s interesting because the program is running itself for that aspect.”
CDO kicks off the season August 30th against Mesa's Eastmark High School.
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Erin Patterson is a reporter for KGUN 9. She's agraduate of the University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s in News Media with a Sports Concentration. Erin recently obtained her Master's Degree in Sports Journalism from Arizona State University at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, where she gained experience a sports reporter, anchor and producer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Erin by emailing erin.patterson@kgun9.com.
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