Brandon Cadiz is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Canyon View High School for AZPreps365.com 

PHOENIX -- On an early Friday morning, as the scorching heat blasted down on Canyon View’s practice in Waddell, Jaguars flag football coach Cory Beal sprinted around right end as the pseudo quarterback during a drill. 

The joyful Beal had a smile on his face as one of the defenders caught up to him after five yards -- a testament to his remarkable journey over the past two years.

In January 2022, Beal was diagnosed with Polycythemia vera (PV), a rare blood cancer that leads to the overproduction of red blood cells. Before his diagnosis, Beal suffered a stroke, which ultimately led doctors to discover the condition.

PV affects 44 to 57 people for every 100,000, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders. 

“The stroke saved my life,” Beal said. “Had I not had the stroke I would have not known about the PV.”

Beal, who served as an instructional coach for teachers and directed plays part-time, was told by his physical therapist that his recovery would be a yearlong process after losing the function of his left arm and leg. 

Beal, eager to be present for Canyon View’s first-ever graduating class in May 2022, set an ambitious goal to recover in four months. The school opened in the 2018-19 school year and Beal was there from the start.

“I came to be very close to that senior class,” Beal said, “because I knew them as freshmen when we first opened the school. So it was not an option to not be at graduation.”

His path to recovery included three therapy sessions a week. Early on, a task as simple as walking down stairs was a huge obstacle.

“Every stair felt like a bungee jump and 12 feet tall,” Beal said. “It took me 20 minutes to get downstairs.”

Other exercises like bandwork and stabilization helped regain strength in his left leg. For his left hand, he had to separate magnets that were clumped together individually and place them in a cup. 

It was a humbling time for Beal as everyday tasks became a struggle for him. He had to rely heavily on family and friends. 

“I was able to drive him around when he needed to be driven,” Addie Beal, Cory’s  daughter, said. “I would have to help him eat or drink sometimes. It was hard to watch.”

Throughout his recovery, Beal maintained a positive attitude toward his goal. 

“Having a goal was central to my success,” Beal said. “I had to make graduation. Without that, I don’t know if my recovery would’ve been as fast.”

In May 2022, Beal achieved his goal of hosting the graduation ceremony, but his journey didn’t stop there. 

In October 2022, Canyon View Athletic Director Andrea Hudson offered him the opportunity to coach the school’s flag football team for the inaugural 2023 season.

Although Beal faced residual symptoms like fatigue and severe headaches, he accepted the role, trusting the school believed in him.

“If you trust me, I’ll trust myself,” Beal told Hudson. 

Coaching has become therapeutic for Beal, providing him with his best medicine in recovering. 

Under his lead, Canyon View’s inaugural flag football season in 2023 was nothing short of impressive. The team finished with a 14-2 record and reached the 5A state championship game. Beal was named Region Coach of the Year.

Throughout his first season, the team and school rallied around Beal. On Myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) awareness day, the team surprised him with red wristbands in support of his battle against blood cancer.

“Our booster club president made me a red polo shirt and got the girls red wristbands,” Beal said. “That day we had a game and she pulled out the red wristbands. It was hard not to choke up.”

Addie’s friends on the team, rusher Maddie Smith and center Maycie Bassett, along with their families, supported Beal during his recovery.

Just a month ago into the 2024 season, Smith’s family dropped everything when Beal was sick. They came over and delivered some soup to check in on him.

“Him being out here and showing it’s OK to be going through this, but also persevere through the life he has, it’s very inspiring,” Smith said.

Beal’s positivity and grit have made him a beloved figure. Some players see him as a second father.

“The way he supports us and the way he’s always there for us makes us want to be there more for him, too, because he’s genuinely the nicest person,” Bassett said. 

Beal continues to lead his team with the energy and passion he’s always had. He hopes to take the Jaguars back to the state championship game this season and finish the job they started.

“I hope that I’m a light,” Beal said. “If they know the whole story, how you go from almost dying over a 24-hour period to losing your left arm and left leg to dealing with brain conditions and neural pathway issues, and yet I’m out there coaching football. I’m out there running routes and running drills. I’m not one to just talk.”

Beal’s cancer is gone, but he has to take four pills every morning and receives bi-weekly Bezremi shots.

Beal is a huge advocate for the Mayo Clinic’s ongoing research for cancer. He was grateful to have an expert just 45 minutes away from him.

If anyone is inclined to donate to the Mayo Clinic, they can do so by visiting their site. https://www.mayoclinic.org/giving-to-mayo-clinic/ways-to-give