Rees Goodall is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication student assigned to cover Tempe High School for AZPreps365.com.

As the clock expired in Tempe football’s 55-6 loss against Combs to round out the 2021 season, the program couldn’t have been farther from the heights reached in the 1990s under coach Tim McBurney.

McBurney, who left Tempe in 2001, led Tempe to a 14-0 state championship season in 1996, the last of three titles in program history.

Fast forward 25 years later, and the Buffaloes were mired in a 16-game losing streak, putting the program at rock bottom.

Tempe needed a spark, not only to reinvigorate the program but to return to the program’s stature from decades bygone.

The spark was found with the head coach hiring of former Westwood defensive coordinator Sean Freeman, who has led what some have called the “Tempe Turnaround” over the past four seasons.

The motto has become synonymous with the program since Freeman took over in 2022.

“We made a conscious effort to include it anytime we posted accolades of our players,” Tempe offensive coordinator Matt Pinnick said. “It sort of took on a life of its own the last couple of seasons, and we all embrace it. It’s the first thing people mention when they meet us.”

Before Freeman joined, Tempe's long losing streak had stretched across three seasons. While Freeman’s initial season yielded only one victory, the path to success was laid.

The freshmen class from that one-win team helped build the foundation from Freeman’s blueprint to turn around Tempe’s fortune.

“They believed in coach Freeman,” Pinnick said. “They set the bar that all the teams that follow must surpass.”

Tempe spent Freeman’s first three seasons in 3A, a move that helped the program get back on its feet. Back-to-back 5-5 campaigns were enough to see the Buffaloes be promoted back to 4A, before the 2025 season. 

“I’ve noticed that it’s a bigger division within 4A and how each team is much better coached and disciplined than 3A,” rising senior-to-be Jaiden Hart-Rodriguez said. ”We need to make sure we’re ready and prepared for the teams that we face if we want to make it to the playoffs.”

The 2023 season was Tempe’s first with more than five wins since 2019, when the Buffaloes finished victorious on seven occasions.  

“It’s vibing around Tempe right now,” Freeman said. “It feels good to sit back and watch it grow and watch it develop.” 

Freeman also got to sit back and watch the growth and development of his former quarterback, Saul Mendez.

Mendez, nicknamed “The Mayor” by Freeman, was a mainstay under center in all four seasons of his career. Mendez threw for 6,782 yards and 82 touchdowns, and he established his legacy in the hallways of Tempe forever.

“He's been here so long — a four-year term,” Freeman said. “He’s the guy who runs Tempe High School.”

Now that Mendez’s four-year term is up, Tempe transitions to a new era under Freeman.

Mendez isn’t the only key starter leaving Tempe. The defense lost multiple key pieces, including linebackers Brooklen Curran and Jayden Chavez, while defensive lineman Zihyon Walters is preparing to take on college football at Southern Utah. 

“The group that returns is very talented,” Pinnick said. “The cupboard is certainly not bare. The biggest thing we need to do now is add mass and strength.”

One item in the returning cupboard is Jaiden Hart-Rodriguez, whose versatility tallied four interceptions as a defensive back and four touchdown receptions as a wide receiver.

Hart-Rodriguez, alongside other Tempe players and coaches, said the team needs to get bigger and stronger to prepare for another season in 4A. However, as it looks to build muscle, Tempe won’t have to craft the culture next season.

“When I first came to Tempe, it was a family built on structure and discipline,” Hart-Rodriguez said. “(It was) built by guys who want to win and earn everything by any means.”

Freeman’s “Tempe Turnaround” not only changed his players’ mindsets, but it also turned around his own mentality ahead of the 2025 season.

Over Freeman’s first three seasons, Tempe allowed 32.7 points per game.

Those defensive struggles led Freeman and Tempe to appoint former Saguaro defensive coordinator Paris Wilcox to lead their defense.

“The conversation we had was about helping Tempe get over the hump of 5-5,” Wilcox said. “They’ve always had an offense that can score points, but have not had a defense. Tempe needed a defense with an identity and sense of urgency.”

Wilcox’s defense only allowed 18.6 points per game, an improvement by eliminating two scoring possessions per game this season.

The improvement was built on Wilcox’s motto for his defenses.

“I told Freeman, ‘I can bring a fast, physical, and focused defense every week,’” Wilcox said. “The standard for defense needed to be raised and upheld, and I feel we accomplished that.”

The ‘Tempe Turnaround’ hasn’t been limited to the Buffaloes, as just up the road, the Arizona State football team has seen its own resurgence as a winning program.

“Anytime we see a national headline that talks about the revival of football in Tempe, we feel like it pertains to us as well as it does to the Sun Devils,” Pinnick said. “Tempe High School is a proud, stoic program, and like ASU, we are doing everything we can to make the alumni, staff and city proud.”

Tempe’s construction of Freeman’s blueprint is nowhere near completion. Tempe is still seeking its first playoff appearance since 2019.

Tempe’s goal of its first playoff appearance under Freeman came close to fruition this year, as it went down to the final game of the season.

Many of this year’s major contributors had been key players in Tempe’s ascent since Freeman’s appointment.

“It’s humbling,” Freeman said. “It’s a surreal moment that you get to make this run and have this record with the team you started.”

However, Tempe’s 48-14 loss against Marcos de Niza kept the Buffaloes on the outside of the playoff line.

Despite the loss, the week prior presented Tempe with one of its program highlights.

The Buffaloes defeated Glendale 41-14, for their first victory on their senior night since 2019, honoring those who laid the foundation of the program.

“It means a lot because in the past years of this program, we haven’t gotten wins on our senior night or our homecoming games,” former defensive lineman Zihyon Walters said.

The game was much more than a senior night victory – it was an appropriate sending-off for the seniors who helped build the foundation for Tempe football.

“Our message to those seniors is simply ‘Thank you,’” Pinnick said. “There were some lean times early on. A lot of these guys played varsity as freshmen, so they struggled through a 1-9 season early on, and could’ve chosen to leave or try a different sport.”

The seniors opting to stick through the ups and downs as Freeman implemented his plan for the future of Tempe football has continued to further the Buffaloes to where they want to be.

While a playoff berth continues to be the most immediate goal, Tempe’s staff believes the long-term goal should be even bigger — building a program capable of sustaining success, not just chasing it.

“We’ve made strides, but we aren’t where we want to be,” Pinnick said. “Yet.”