Catalina High football coach returns to his alma mater with rebuilding agenda

Virgil Henderson is back at Catalina, ready to take on another challenge.

The Trojans’ new head football coach has returned to his alma mater with the goal of rebuilding the struggling program.

“It’s different compared to when I was in school in ’87, it was more population, enrollment was higher, now the enrollment is lower, participation is low,” Henderson said. “So it’s just trying to get kids to get involved because a program that’s so down so long that, every time we talk about it, no kids want to play because everybody wants to win and unfortunately the program’s bad. I just want to change the culture right now, so it’s taking some time.”

On Friday, the Henderson era at Catalina debuted with a 36-6 win at Santa Rita. The short handed Trojans jumped out to a 36-0 lead in the third quarter after leading 14-0 at halftime.

Catalina has around 30 players but was limited due to ineligibility.

“When I came out here I was worried because as you look on the sideline, we had like 17 kids who suited up; a lot of kids are ineligible,” Henderson said. “So I was worried about our wind, our conditioning ... when we got to fourth quarter, are we going to withstand it?

“I knew we had to get a big lead because they got some decent kids, that could hurt us; we’re still learning.”

For sophomore tight end/defensive end Zyaire Nash, who had a bruising 36-yard touchdown run, the Trojans are off to a good start.

“It was cool that he came back, help fixed the culture now,” Nash said. “Look, we didn’t win the first game last year. Now that he’s here, what? First game? Yeah.”

Fellow Trojan players are also optimistic, especially given Henderson’s history with the school.

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“I really I like that he knows what we’ve been through,” said junior running back/receiver/linebacker/cornerback Aryan Holmes. “We’ve been through a curse. We just kept losing, losing and hopefully we can get up and win a streak this year.”

Catalina, which went 1-9 last year, has gone 15 seasons without a winning record (not counting 2020 when the school didn’t field a team). The Trojans went 3-7 in 2023, 0-7 with two forfeits in 2022, 0-9 in 2021, 1-9 in 2019, 2-7 in 2018, 5-5 in 2017, 0-10 in 2016, 1-9 in 2015, 1-9 in 2014, 2-8 in 2013, 4-6 in 2012, 1-8 in 2011, 4-6 in 2010, 5-5 in 2009 and 4-6 in 2008.

Henderson is Catalina’s third head coach in the last three years.

In the mid-1980s, Catalina played in 3A Division 1 (the highest level) against schools like Sunnyside, Tucson High, Canyon del Oro and Salpointe Catholic. Now, Catalina’s enrollment is 628 in the AIA’s latest census.

Rather than being placed in one of the 2A South regions like other Tucson teams, the AIA put Catalina in the quasi-Independent Region with teams like Avondale St. John Paul II (0-1 and 1-9 in 2024) and Peridot San Carlos (1-0 and 2-8 in 2024). The Trojans are scheduled to play nine games, seven freedom games and St. John Paul II and San Carlos in “region” games.

“I’m thinking, ‘man, the numbers, the numbers, the numbers, but then I keep on forgetting I’m in 2A now, so things are a little bit different,” Henderson said. “We’re in a region where, independent region, where, we can build, and just continue going strong. So, I think it’s just changing the culture and building it.”

Junior quarterback/safety/receiver Caden Ozment feels the shift: “It’s pretty nice, he makes practice fun. I’ve never really wanted to skip practice with him as head coach. I always like being at practice with him, he’s always doing fun stuff.”

Henderson’s last few jobs were at the 4A level. He previously was head coach at Rincon/University and Cholla — also schools where it has been difficult to win.

“I like to take on the challenges,” Henderson said. “There’s always great programs out here that it’s easy, you can walk in, you can coach this football team. But I get a better satisfaction coaching kids that don’t know a lot about football and they want it, but they just don’t know a lot about it and I like seeing the results later on like ‘man, I remember, you couldn’t do this, now, look at you’ and that’s what it’s about.

“The wins, the losses, they’re going to come.”