Sly Lewis said there was only one school that would bring him to leave Sabino.
“Home.”
In January, the longtime Sabino High School assistant football coach took over at his alma mater, Pueblo High School. A 1992 graduate, Lewis has led the Warriors to a 2-4 record so far in his first year at the helm, including a 40-8 win over rival Cholla.
“I’ve loved every minute of it,” Lewis said. “Just trying to build a program, piece by piece.
“Brick by brick.”
Lewis played under Saturnino “Curly” Santa Cruz at the southwest-side Tucson school. Pueblo’s stadium is named for Santa Cruz, who was inducted into the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
First-year Pueblo head coach Sly Lewis pleads his case to one of the officials after an unsportsmanlike like penalty against one of his Warriors in the third quarter of their Sept. 20 game at Empire High School.
Lewis coached at Sabino for 20 years, helping the Sabercats to a state championship last year, as well as runner-up finishes in 2005, 2006 and 2016.
“It was a great time,” Lewis said. “Now I’m at home, so excited to the future.”
Then-Sabino offensive coordinator Sly Lewis hugs Devon Waxwood (12) as the Sabercats celebrate their 2023 3A State Championship win — a 68-46 victory over Surprise Paradise Honors at Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix on Nov. 25, 2023.
At Sabino, Lewis worked for current Sabercats head coach Ryan McBrayer and, before that, Jay Campos, who is now Mica Mountain’s assistant principal for athletics.
“Sly was a great receiver coach for us. Very passionate. Definitely a good teacher of fundamentals, had great connections with the kids and just did a really good job for us his Sabino for many, many years,” Campos said.
Campos waited for Lewis after Pueblo’s 59-7 loss at Mica Mountain last week.
“I’m happy for him,” Campos said. “He put a lot of work into being a good coach and he worked his way up and he got an opportunity out Pueblo. I think it’s a great situation being he’s an alum and I think they’ll probably embrace him and he’ll keep building this thing.
“They’re obviously pretty young right now, but I think they’ll do good things as they keep going through,” he added.
Against Mica Mountain, Pueblo junior receiver Dominic Ornelas caught a 39-yard touchdown pass. Ornelas said playing for Lewis is the “greatest experience I’ve had as a player.” He’s in his third year on varsity.
Then-Sabino assistant coach Sly Lewis tries to get his offense organized in the red zone against Round Valley in the fourth quarter of the Sabercats’ second round state 3A playoff game on Nov. 9, 2023, at Sabino High School.
“He’s the reason why I scored that touchdown,” Ornelas said. “He coaches us hard every day — gives his heart, soul and effort into us every single day.”
Having an alum as a coach is “amazing,” Ornelas said.
“He’s cool with everyone, knows everyone,” Ornelas said. “It’s just great. Great vibes — great everything.”
The Warriors’ losses this have come to top teams like Casa Grande Vista Grande and Mica Mountain — both top 10 in 4A — and Buena, which is No. 9 at the 5A level.
Lewis said they have work to do, but they’re young and he’s excited to build with them.
“Right now we’re just battling, you know. Guys are competing and that’s all I can ask for,” Lewis said.
Pueblo senior athlete Andres Carpenter leads the 4A Kino Region with seven touchdowns.
Lewis said Southern Arizona high school football has changed a lot since he started coaching.
First-year Pueblo head coach Sly Lewis and the Warrior bench look on at the opening kickoff during the Warriors’ matchup earlier this season at Empire High School on Sept. 20.
“Different schools. Obviously this being a new school, but they’re a good team, so they played well (Friday),” Lewis said of Mica Mountain. “We got some guys that are young and, you know, just wanna make sure that we competed and we did that. So I’m excited for our guys.”
After Santa Cruz left, the Warriors fell on hard times, including 0-10 seasons in 1996 and 1997.
In 2014, former UA player Brandon Sanders took over Pueblo and led the Warriors to the playoffs three times.
Last year’s Pueblo coach, Jacob Allen, left for Sahuarita, who are 3-3 after finishing 2-8 last year and have won two in a row.
Allen went 12-21 at Pueblo but did go 6-4 in 2022.
With the Tucson area’s football power, at least among public schools, moving to the outer edges of late to areas like Marana, Oro Valley and Vail, Lewis hopes to keep more talented players on the South side.
“It’s huge. It’s huge, you know. Definitely want to keep kids on the South side and make sure that we’re building with them,” Lewis said. “You’ve got to create that culture and that’s something that I I want to do.”
Ornelas said the Warriors will be back in the playoffs soon and bring success back to Pueblo after the suburbs have shined.
“Oh it’s the dream. It’s the dream. It’s everything we want,” Ornelas said. “It’s everything we want for this year and all my seniors coming up next year, I just I can’t wait because we’re gonna be there, soon.”
