C-Town Round-Up: CUSD Coaches Preview Their Teams

As the 2025 Arizona high school football season steadily approaches, coaches from the Chandler Unified School District are preparing for the task at hand, but not before sharing thoughts with media members from across the Valley on Tuesday.

With Chandler Basha head coach Chris McDonald being the longest tenured member of the bunch in his eighth season, Gilbert Perry head coach Joe Ortiz returns for his fourth season, and Chandler Hamilton returns head coach Travis Dixon for his second year.

But the returning CUSD trio also welcomes a trio of newcomers.

Former Auwatukee Desert Vista and Scottsdale Horizon head coach Ty Wisdom returns to the Valley to lead Chandler, replacing Rick Garretson, after spending four years at Omaha (Neb.) Millard South.

Derek Zellner makes the jump from 5A school to 5A school, moving from Gilbert to Chandler Arizona College Prep. Zellner, who has been coaching since 1994, considered retiring following the conclusion of the 2024 season. 

After former head coach Steve Vaught stepped away from football in February, Zellner said he couldn’t deny the opportunity to be a Knight when Vaught asked him to take over.

“That was a huge compliment,” Zellner said.

Lastly, Queen Creek Casteel brings a veteran football mind in Joe Bushman to be its new head coach, replacing now Dobson head coach Bobby Newcombe. Bushman comes from Division III Lewis & Clark after telling Arizona Varsity in May that he felt a calling to coach high school football again.

Here’s a snapshot of what each coach anticipates fans will see from their teams on Friday nights this Fall.

Arizona College Prep — Derek Zellner (1st Season)

“Going to be a fun team to watch, exciting team, a lot of guys coming back. So if we can get our system implemented like I know we have in the past, with the people that we have running it, it should be exciting. We’ve got a former ACP coach coming back to run the defense. So we got some great playmakers on defense. The great thing is the amount of guys returning. That’s huge from a state runner-up. You know, going up into 5A is going to be difficult, but we’re excited for the challenge, for sure. And like I said, in there, there’s a lot of familiar foes or opponents. That’s kind of good news, but I just told them, ‘Hey, let’s trust one another.’ And that’s one of the things that we’ve had here is them getting to know who I am and me getting to know who they are, building that trust and that rapport and that relationship, that’s been the key thing, more so than the on the field stuff. So if we can come together as a tighter unit off the field, we’re going to be that much better on the field.”

Basha — Chris McDonald

“I would like the other opposing coach to say, I can’t. I hate playing these guys because they’re fast, physical. They’re smart. They don’t make mistakes. And, you know, we’ve got to bring our best effort, you know, to compete.”

Casteel — Joe Bushman

“For one, we’ll play really hard, and we’ll compete. You know, we might not be the biggest or the fastest team out there, but we’re going to get after people and really rely on our execution. And I think our togetherness. We talk a lot about building a strong bond and a family, because we want to be able to trust our brothers, and that’s what, you know, that’s what wins football games. You know, you got to trust the people around you. I think we’ve done a really nice job, not just me, but our entire staff of bringing these guys together. So I think you’ll see a really tight knit group, and I think you’ll see a group that also, when adversity strikes, will stick together.”

Chandler — Ty Wisdom

“I think you’re going to see an up-tempo team that’s flying around. Offensively, you know, got a dual-threat quarterback in (Will) Mencl, going to get it out to his playmakers. I really like our receiving core. I think we’ve got six, seven guys that we can get the ball to. I think, you know, some people who don’t talk about it now, but I really like our (offensive line) up front. They’ve gotten way better since I got here. So I like that part of it, and then defensively, we got a little bit more depth than I thought we would. So bottom line is, we got to continue to grow together and just be mentally tougher. Obviously, you know, we’ve got a gauntlet of a schedule, just like everybody does out here. So it’s about dealing with some adversity and bouncing through that. But no, I think they’re going to be a fun team to watch. We just got to continue to grow and be playing our best football in November, December.”

Hamilton — Travis Dixon

“I think we’re a team that’s hungry, a team that’s going to be confident and disciplined. We’re gonna play exciting brand of football that’s gonna be stronger than was in the past. And I think the biggest thing you see between this is that we’ve got to have 11 guys point as one. That’s gonna be the most important thing that you’ll see this year within our program, 11 guys point as one.”

Perry — Joe Ortiz

“Talented. Understanding what we’re trying to do a little bit better, a little bit older, a little more mature, and hopefully that turns into more wins.”