By Richard Smith
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In less than two years, the Paradise Honors offense has done a 180.

Led by quarterback Gage Baker and an elite wide receiver corps, the Panthers made the 3A title game operating an Air Raid offense that threw for 6,151 yards and a nation-high 91 touchdowns (in 14 games), while running for a mere 652 yards and five touchdowns.

With an almost completely different coaching staff and different starters on offense from 2023, Paradise Honors — through nine games — has run for 1,943 yards and 24 touchdowns and thrown for 1,217 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The crucial factor for this sea change is an offensive line that mostly arrived in the wake of the record-setting air show.

“They have been our most consistent group,” Coach Josh SeKoch said. “They’re a lot tougher than we thought. I don’t know that we thought we’d run the ball this much, but the inconsistency at quarterback has kind of dictated that.”

They are, from left to right: senior left tackle Jayden Marquez, senior left guard Ryland Wilson, junior center Chase Coats, junior right guard Abraham Torres and senior right tackle Sean Lillmars.

All five linemen were there last year, as was junior Nick Johnson, who is the top reserve and occasional tight end.

But in 2024 the linemen were fairly new, Marquez and Wilson sat the first five games after transferring in and the Panthers were more balanced offensively yet still ran Coach Josh Goodloe’s Air Raid.

Johnson said this large line — Wilson is the only lineman that weights less than 260 pounds —is better suited for the new run-heavy spread than the Air Raid.

“I don’t think the Air Raid would work in 4A,” Coats said. “It worked when we had a great quarterback and wide receivers. I don’t think it was sustainable. Even last year we saw we lost a couple of games we should have won. If the pass didn’t work, we really didn’t have anything.”

The big men also were eager to learn from one of their own, and all six linemen credited their position coach with their improvement.

Offensive line coach Creston Cooledge played for SeKoch at Valley Vista, then played at Weber State through 2021. He coached with SeKoch at Buckeye Youngker before joining him at Paradise Honors.

“Last year we were all right. This year we’ve improved significantly,” Wilson said “Our footwork is a lot better and we’re a lot faster. We’re stronger.”

Paradise Honors went 6-4 in the regular season in 3A.

The Panthers ran more, but their young offensive line was more comfortable in pass protection.

“When I got here they were raw. I had to coach them in the basics in spring ball. But they were all fully bought in since day one, so it was easy,” Cooledge said. “They were always trying to pass set.”

The jump to 4A was big, Marquez said, but this team came ready for the challenge.

By the second game, this squad found its identity. Paradise Honors ran for 380 yards against Flagstaff, with junior Chuck Van Dyke gobbling up 291 yards.

“Flagstaff was one of our best games for running, for Chuckie as well,” Torres said. “Going through the year, we’ve had better communication.”

Van Dyke followed with 223 yards on 28 carries the nest week against Poston Butte.

Now, Lillmars said, Van Dyke has more confidence in the line.

Despite a tough 2-0 loss at San Tan Valley Combs, the offense now believed it could run against top 4A teams.

“We fought against Combs and it was a really good game,” Lillmars said. “After that game, it showed that we were a whole lot more than people were expecting of us.”

A rout of Independence set up 3-2 Paradise Honors against 3-2 rival ALA-West Foothills on Oct. 3.

The Panthers nearly doubled up on the Guardians on the ground, as Van Dyke rumbled for 224 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. Paradise Honors pulled away for a stunning 35-7 rout.

“I think it was probably the most fun I’ve ever had in a game,” Coats said. “I other games, even the ones where we were blowing teams out, I don’t think we had the energy we had in that game.”

Several players transferred to ALA from Paradise Honors, and the Panthers saw lot of social media chatter from the Guardians the week of the game.

That made the win sweeter, Torres said.

Skyline Region play has been tough ever since, with Peoria, Phoenix St. Mary’s Catholic and Northwest Christian beating the Panthers.

Those are all 4A playoff teams and Paradise Honors will be too after finishing a loaded schedule 5-5.

“I feel like that’s the biggest reason we’ve been competitive and it keeps you in games. When you’re able to run the ball you shorten the clock. We don’t go a ton of three and outs,” SeKoch said.

All six have a different personality, SeKoch said. Torres is the quietest and has the best technique, with Marquez also letting his play do the talking.

Cooledge described Wilson as a goofball and Coats as the class clown.
Then there’s the 6-8, 330-pound Lillmars, Paradise Honors’ folk hero.

“We see all the middle school kids, and all the little ones want to high five Big Sean,” SeKoch said. “My daughter wants to come and say hi to Big Sean, and all the other fourth and fifth graders that are here after games. Nobody wants to see Chuckie or Prestos Brown. They want to see Big Sean.”

The coach said Lillmars has lost a ton of weight and changed his body composition.

He started the offseason at 360 pounds and now is closer to 330.

“I think Sean is the most improved dude,” Cooledge said. “If I had him all four years, he’d go D1 for sure, with his frame. He’s come a long way with his footwork. He cut weight for sure.”

SeKoch gave Cooledge the credit for the new-look line, which has own face shields, practice jerseys, awards and its own helmet sticker.

The shirts read DOLA — Dominant Offensive Line Attitude.

Marquez and Lillmars are likely to play in college. Marquez is a center at the next level.

SeKoch said right now the Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is the ideal home for both linemen.

Wilson said he most likely will join the Army.

The running back and three of the linemen who paved the way will be back.

In an Oct. 17 win against Thunderbird, the Panthers ran a simple power play to get a first down in short yardage, Van Dyke ended up going 42 yards to score.

The junior had 1,676 yards and 18 touchdowns on 223 carries entering the Northwest Christian game.

“He’s got great vision. I actually didn’t think he was as fast as he is. And then you watch him in games. He plays faster than he actually is,” SeKoch said. “He’s done it without a fullback and, for most of the season, without a tight end.”

Richard Smith
Senior News Editor | Glendale & West Valley Preps

rsmith@iniusa.org

Richard Smith has been with Independent Newsmedia since 2016, and worked at a Sun City-based news outfit covering the Northwest Valley for 22 consecutive years.

An NAU alum and lifelong Arizona resident, Richard began as a copy editor and page designer at Surprise Today and the Daily News-Sun, then rekindled his love of sports writing by taking the reins on West Valley Preps in 2008.

For most of the mid-2010s he was the Surprise editor and West Valley Preps reporter. Now he’s the West Valley Preps Editor and Surprise Associate Editor.

As COVID restrictions slowly lift, Richard is cautiously optimistic he will visit book stores, football fields and gyms again this fall.