Coach Mike Cofer goes over a play during Slam Academy’s football practice near Sam Boyd Stadium Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019.
Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019 | 2 a.m.
Mike Cofer didn’t like the pace of his team’s football practice. The Slam Academy players appeared to be moving to the next drill with a leisurely stride — something that caught the coach’s eye.
“Let’s go. Let’s go,” he barked. “We are wasting time.”
Cofer, the two-time Super Bowl champion kicker with the San Francisco 49ers, is determined to win another football title — this time with the Sports Leadership and Management Academy of Nevada, or Slam, a public charter school competing in its first varsity season in the class 3A.
Cofer brings much energy to practices, which are scripted to the minute and focus heavily on the game’s basics. The Bulls have mostly underclassmen on their roster, many of whom are new to the sport. Cofer couples his over-the-top intensity with plenty of praise and encouragement.
After one player caught multiple passes, he proclaimed: “Keep doing that and we’ll find a spot for you.”
“Our job is to get the kids excited about football,” Cofer said.
Cofer, who doubles as the school’s athletic director, starting building the football program four years ago by entering players in the Henderson academy’s middle school into a 14-and-under recreation league. The school comprises grades 6-12, with about 500 high school students.
They played a mostly junior varsity schedule last season and posted a respectable 8-1 record. Slam has split its initial two games this season in its maiden varsity season, easily beating 2A Calvary Chapel two weeks ago and losing Friday to Del Sol by 28 points. The ultimate goal is to reach the playoffs in its first season of being eligible to compete.
“We are the ones starting the program,” said sophomore quarterback Joey Kuykendall, who has been with the program since its rec league days. “We are the ones setting records and being the first.”
Some teams don’t expect Slam to give them much of a game, and rightfully so. The Bulls don’t have a stadium, practicing at the Silver Bowl soccer fields on Russell Road and Boulder Highway, and playing home games mostly at Chaparral. They have some equipment but lack a few of the necessities such as a blocking sled for linemen, a lined field or uprights for the kicking game. Instead, kickers attempt to boot the ball off a light pole.
“We aren’t a high-end program. We aren’t a high-end school,” Cofer said. “We just figure it out.”
Cofer doesn’t dwell on what the program lacks and refuses to use it as an excuse. He’s also thrifty in obtaining gear. When player numbers exceeded expectations this season — a good thing — Cofer had to borrow shoulder pads from other programs.
The Slam roster has just four seniors, including starters Jaden Durant and Isaiah Golden, 10 juniors and mostly sophomores. They even start a freshman in linebacker Alex Mendoza.
Yet, the group is confident. They were dominant on the lower level last season and, more important, Cofer has empowered his players to believe that they belong. Competing against the likes of established 3A schools Moapa Valley (the state favorite) or Cheyenne won’t be easy, but Slam’s expectations won’t change. They envision a playoff berth.
“We don’t have as many players as other teams, but we put in the work and go the extra mile,” said junior linebacker Braeden Williams, who at 6 feet, 210 pounds is one of the Bulls’ best put-together players.
Williams, Durant and Golden each had a pair of touchdown runs in the win against Calvary. While the outcome wasn’t what they wanted against more-established Del Sol, there were flashes of good play. It’s enough to continue the confidence.
“We hope to get to a point where nobody underestimates us,” Cofer said.
Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21
