Shane Purcell is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student who covers Desert Heights for AZPreps365.com.

Desert Heights Prep had to prepare itself to move to the AIA and is hopeful the new conference will continue to bring growth and success.

After competing in the Canyon Athletic Association for years, Desert Heights is now a member of the Arizona Interscholastic Association. 

While the move is expected to help the school grow, everyone had to work tirelessly together to make it a possibility.

Athletic director Courtney Martin had to prepare years in advance. “We did a lot of fundraising prior to the move to have a little piggy bank in our pocket,” Martin said. “We prepped knowing that we would have more money that would have to be spent out when we came.”

The fundraising took the entire Desert Heights community. The year prior to changing conferences the school held numerous events to raise money. “We did student-versus-staff games to get more fans out,” Martin said.

Fan attendance never has been an issue for Desert Heights. Football coach Kenrick Felix commended the athletes and their families. “It’s a small, tight, good community,” Felix said. “We support each other.”

Martin anticipates even more fan growth. “In the AIA, a lot more parents and fans travel with their teams,” Martin said.

While the school remains committed to the small community that is in place, Felix still wants to see growth in its ability to compete. “That’s always been the mission, to eventually move up to 11-man football,” Felix said.

The athletic staff hopes to bring more to the programs in the next five years. Transportation is a priority for Martin. “I would love to get athletic buses,” she said, which would be an upgrade from the school vans that the teams currently use.

The anticipated growth at Desert Heights would be unique due to its student population, which runs from K-12. Martin plans to structure the growth to accommodate students of all ages while keeping the close-knit community intact. “Building to have more kids be a part of the program, but not at the cost of the bigger community picture,” Martin said.