Historically, charter schools have rarely impacted the high school athletic landscape, but American Leadership Academy has changed that narrative in Arizona.

Nowhere has this been more evident than the ALA football programs in Queen Creek and Gilbert.

Those football teams will meet tonight for the fifth time in a rivalry that is as unique as the prominence both programs have reached in a short amount of time.

“It’s a big game and we’ve been fortunate to come out on top the last couple years,” says ALA Queen Creek coach Ty Detmer, the 1990 Heisman trophy winner who’s experienced his share of big games over his collegiate and NFL careers as a quarterback.

Detmer is now in his third season at the helm, but was already familiar with the ALA mission and success on the football field. The Patriots won 3A state titles in 2016 and 2019 under then head coach Rich Edwards.

He was also familiar with Randy Ricedorff’s work at the Gilbert North program, where he took over in 2017 after a successful tenure at Show Low High in which he turned a dormant program into a 3A powerhouse. Ricedorff ultimately turned down an opportunity at Red Mountain for ALA in order to build his own football program from scratch while helping to build a unique athletic brand with ALA.

1. Ricedorff was the perfect fit not only for that football program, but the entire athletic program and school as well,” Detmer said.

Charting the Course

Ricedorff led the Eagles to the 3A semifinals in 2021 before capturing the 4A championship last December at Sun Devil Stadium. It was the third time in Arizona history that a charter school won a state title in football at any level–with the previous two coming in 2016 and ‘19 from sister school ALA Queen Creek.

Naturally, a football rivalry has evolved in which both schools tend to root for the other save for one night per season.

“I love the rivalry,” coach Ricedorff said this week, as the 2-0 Eagles prepare to host the 1-1 Patriots.

“It makes us better.”

If Gilbert North has a slight little brother complex, it’s hard to blame in spite of its success. Despite being the first ALA school to hoist a trophy at Sun Devil Stadium, the Eagles football program got its start a few years after Queen Creek opened. The enrollment and classification has followed accordingly.

But two factors give ALA Gilbert an inherent underdog perspective: ALA Queen Creek’s recent ascent to the Open Division playoffs, and an 0-4 head-to-head record against its Queen Creek counterparts.

And although Gilbert North has had its chances and leads in the last two matchups, Detmer’s Queen Creek squad has been able to take over in the second half.

“We really hope to put four quarters together,” Ricedorff added.

“I would really love to see us play our best game.”

Whatever the outcome tonight, there’s no denying the imprint ALA’s football programs have made in not only the East Valley but the entire state. As a charter school entity, the big picture success may have caught many–like this reporter–by surprise. But for the leaders and coaches responsible for the process, this was the goal from the outset.

“The owners and administration with American Leadership Academy had this vision from the beginning,” says Detmer.

“With our program, we’ve never had the biggest or fastest kids, but our coaches have done such an amazing job motivating and getting them to believe.”

Detmer insists his assistants Max Hall and James Verenski have been invaluable in terms of the success on the field.

“Verenski has been the defensive coordinator since the beginning, and (coach Hall) eight seasons now. Those two have been instrumental in our program’s success,” Detmer said.

Verlinski and Hall also provided continuity during the Edwards to Detmer transition. Hall and Detmer already had a close bond and friendship based on their resumes and success as BYU quarterbacks. It’s not surprising the Patriots have seen outstanding quarterback play with Hall calling the shots offensively and Detmer overseeing a program from small to big time.

The Patriot way: Small but fierce

In three short years, the Patriots have gone from 4A to 6A, thanks primarily to a classification system that determines placement on performance over enrollment.

ALA Queen Creek faced the ultimate 6A challenge in Week 1 against Saguaro, when it held its own in a 49-35 loss.

Coincidentally, it was another close loss to Saguaro two years ago that may have earned ALA the respect and self confidence it needed to make the jump from small to big school.

It was Week 3 of 2021, and ALA Queen Creek was hosting Saguaro, the big, bad powerhouse from Scottsdale known as Sag-U.

With 11 state titles since 2006 and a runner-up finish in the first Open Division playoff format, Saguaro had developed an endless pipeline of Division I recruits and a spot on the national prep football radar.

Although ALA QC had a pair of 3A titles in its pocket before quietly moving up to the 4A ranks, it was almost a matchup that looked out of place on paper.

But what may have looked like a tune up for Saguaro quickly turned into a four quarter slugfest.

At halftime the score was tied, and word spread on social media and throughout the Valley: Saguaro 7, ALA Queen Creek 7.

Saguaro eventually pulled out a 20-13 victory, and went on to capture the Open Division championship.

For Detmer’s ALA Queen Creek program, it was that close loss that may have rebranded it from the little-team-that-could to the team that belongs in Arizona’s elite football status.

“That game really did mean a lot to our kids and our program,” Detmer said earlier this week.

“The way the power rankings work and because of the close score, that game is what really shot us into the Open division that season playoffs that season.”

Depending on perspective, that was a curse or a blessing.

ALA Queen Creek had little trouble with their remaining schedule made of mostly 4A and 3A schools, finishing 9-1. The Patriots would’ve been a favorite to at least reach the 4A state title game, if not win the whole thing. But they ended up in the eight team, Open Division bracket with a quarterfinal matchup with longtime 6A power Hamilton.

“We stayed within a touchdown by halftime before they pulled away in the second half,” Detmer recalls.

“The next thing we knew, we were placed in 5A for the 2022 season.”

Save for a Week 4 loss to 6A town rival Queen Creek, ALA Queen Creek made its way to another 9-1 record, including a win over eventual 5A champion Higley.

Once again, the not so little charter school from Queen Creek qualified for the Open playoff field, where eventual open Basha awaited.

As it turned out, at least by point difference, Detmer’s Patriots gave Basha its most difficult test of the playoffs, entering the fourth quarter down 14-12, Basha pulled off a 31-25 victory before shutting out Chandler and holding off Saguaro 28-21 at Sun Devil Stadium.

It was the same setting in which ALA Gilbert North secured its first 4A state championship the night before in a 41-21 defeat of Glendale Cactus. Most ALA Queen Creek players and coaches were able to see that game live or on television, and without envy.

“I’m not surprised what coach Ricedorff has done with that program,” Detmer admits.

“But I’m also proud of what our program has accomplished.”

ALA rivalry: pass friendly?

Ricedorff has also earned his stripes as a quarterback whisperer, including his recent work with current Northern Arizona quarterback Adam Damante, who shredded his Queen Creek rivals last year for 423 yards and two scores.

This season Ricedorff is breaking a new varsity quarterback in junior Conner White, who’s thrown for over 524 combined yards and six touchdowns in his first two starts. White is also a grandson to Danny White and a nephew to Max Hall, who is an otherwise big supporter of White and all family members–but not so much tonight, which is all business.

ALA Gilbert will be short one assistant coach for tonight’s game after it was determined footballs had been improperly deflated. No word yet on any future self- imposed penalty from the school.