JUCO Fight Still Just ‘2nd-and-10’
Click below to view scenes from Mesa’s final two games of the 2018 season.
Mesa Community College head coach Ryan Felker, former Glendale Community College head coach Joe Kersting and former MCC football player, Dr. Louis Casillas, have been leading the fight to save junior college (JUCO) football in Maricopa County for nine months.
“Don’t screw with football coaches,” Felker said.
When the decision came down, Felker said he was pulled into former MCC President Sasan Poureetezadi’s office. Poureetezadi told him that all media inquiries were to be directed to the district. When Felker asked why, he was told that everything will be handled by Matt Hasson, director of communications and public relations for the district.
Coach Mark Mejia of Phoenix College said that a similar thing happened to him after the announcement came down. Some coaches referred to the instructions as a “gag order.”
Hasson denied that there was a “gag order,” but instead said the instructions were an attempt for the district to field media questions, because their officials were more knowledgeable about the decision to cut football.
The directions that the district office passed down had some coaches fearful of their jobs, Kersting said.
“I got involved because of the gag order that came down,” Kersting said.
However, with football now over, the coaches were more willing to speak out about the situation.
“I don’t care about my job anymore, it’s about the kids,” Felker said.
Casillas said the decision to cut football was a travesty. When he was growing up, he didn’t have the ability or maturity to play football at a big Division I college, so Casillas turned to MCC to further his development.
“How do you put a value on a life?” Casillas said with a long pause. “I always hear that it’s [the decision] is finances. But, you can’t put a value or a number on the life of a kid.”
Casillas had a successful playing career and even won a national championship. After graduation, he became a successful dentist in the Valley, but he still kept his finger on the pulse of the program that gave him his life’s chance.
“When this situation arose, I had to jump in and try to fight for these kids and their futures and their passion,” Casillas said.
Felker said there is still a chance to save football and they will not stop fighting until there is no hope left, not matter what it takes.
“This might get ugly,” Kersting said.
“But I don’t even think we’ve gotten to third down yet,” Kersting said with a laugh. “I think on first down we threw an incomplete pass and now it’s second and long, second and 10.”
Together, Felker, Casillas and Kersting said they believe they have been making progress toward their goal. Felker alluded to big changes coming down the line, but would not be specific as to what he was referring to.
When pressed, Felker said, “You’ll see soon. Everyone will.”
MCC finished their final season 4-5 overall and just 2-4 in conference.