GILBERT, Ariz,— The Highland football program has built a reputation as a team who will beat you with tempo on offense while shutting you down on defense. This combination has led to 5 straight years of deep playoff runs and a state title to add to their trophy case. 

But, this is not the way things used to be for Highland. The recent success can be credited to head coach Brock Farrel and his team buying into what he's selling. 

Farrel was given the keys to the program in 2017 after a 3-7 season the year prior to Farrel’s start as head coach. In Farrel’s first season as the head honcho, Highland was 8-4 while breaking the school record for pass attempts in a season and he led Highland to the 6A state quarterfinals. 

Farrel’s coaching record only got better from there as he led his team to the semifinals in 2018 then winning a 6A state championship in the 2021-22 season. 

Not only was there a noticeable difference in the win column, there's a different energy around the whole program entirely.

Defensive coordinator Jason Lyons knows better than most about the change in energy and intensity since the Farrel era started. 

“It’s night and day," Lyons said. "I was fortunate enough to see both sides of that. My first year here was the year before his first year. I got to see what was going on before and then what it became and I would attest that to coach Farrel."

One of the big differences under Farrel that Lyons noticed was his high-intensity practices.

“It starts with his practice intensity concepts. That’s been a big part of it. Tempo and organizational skills have got us in a spot where we can ask a lot of the kids that we have,” Lyons said. 

Highland’s players seem very receptive to the high-intensity, college-like practice schedule Farrel has implemented and see it as one of the best ways to prepare for upcoming games. 

“It gets us fired up,” quarterback Joe Walter said. “He does not settle for OK. He settles for good and great.” 

Good and great are understatements on how quick Farrel changed the narrative of Highland football, turning them from a team who was fighting to make the playoffs to a team that wins championships. 

“If I can look back, the first thing we talked about is a passion for excellence. I want everything to be high energy and not apathetic,” Farrell said. 

The ingredients were there for Farrel. He had a tough football team who wanted nothing else but to win football games on Friday nights. 

Not only has Farrel pointed them in the right direction there is a fun energy he brings to his practices.

While music is playing from the speakers and players on both sides of the ball are dancing along to the beat, Farrel, who was a college quarterback, can be seen taking some reps under center during practice and slinging the football 35 yards on a rope to his players, who seem shocked to see that coach has still got it.