COYOTES CLINCH PAC WEST SOUTHERN DIVISION, HOST SUNDAY MAY 15 PLAYOFF

(SHADOW HILLS) – In their storied eight-season history, the four-time champion SoCal Coyotes have never missed the playoffs, and today Pac West Commissioner Justin McKenzie informed the non-profit sports leadership organization that its young spring developmental team has officially continued that streak.

The spring Coyotes have mathematically clinched the Southern Division title, and will host the first round of the Pac West playoffs on May 15, Mr. McKenzie said.

Despite dropping their last two games, the spring Coyotes – made up mostly of young first- and second-year players who will battle for roster spots when veterans and pro prospects return in the fall – have overcome waves of injuries and adversity to pull within eight quarters of a fifth franchise championship.

Hard-fought, mid-season road wins over the streaking High Desert Rams and Los Angeles Spartans ultimately proved to be the difference.

“We are extremely proud of these young men,” said head coach J David Miller. “They have been severely challenged, but what does not challenge you will not change you. We’ve watched leaders emerge before our eyes. Leaders create culture, culture drives behavior, and behavior produces results.”

The Coyotes have a dozen players mending from injuries, many of whom will be ready by playoff time. Newly appointed Director of Player Personnel Marvin Jones will join the Coyotes on their sidelines for the first time.

The Pac West playoffs pit the North and South Division Champions against the #3 and #4 seeds from a 10-team league. The Coyotes will play the #3 seed, which has yet to be determined.

YEAR-ROUND COMMITMENT – The Coyotes non-profit sports leadership organization is committed to building year-round, developmental football. The non-profit sports leadership organization fields the only team in Southern California that has played two full seasons in two different leagues for three straight years. The goal of the spring Pac West season – develop, and discover, a few younger players who can contribute in the fall.

COYOTE CRUCIBLE – Typically, the Coyotes draw from a few A-list veterans each week who are available to mentor young, improving talent that will battle for roster spots and playing time in August, when the full squad returns to play the nation’s best talent in the Southern California Football League. In recent weeks, however, many Coyote veterans have enjoyed NFL pro days and toured CFL and AFL camps, with a record number of players who won the LCFL championship in December getting next-level looks. That, combined with a rash of injuries to younger players, has turned up the heat in the spring ‘Coyote crucible.’

ON THE FIELD, 70 PLAYERS EACH YEAR earn the distinction of ‘Defending the Shield’ in the uniform of the SoCal Coyotes. Many will earn a shot with NFL, CFL or AFL opportunities, or graduate into business careers. Off the field, more than 30,000 Coachella Valley youth annually participate in Coyote Leadership Training and receive published Coyote Leadership Curriculum.

THE SOCAL COYOTES affect every community they touch. Coyote programs reach thousands of youth through coordinated efforts with numerous local charitable and civic organizations, including Boys & Girls Clubs, the YMCA, the Desert Strength Academy, the Boys & Girl Scouts of America, and Rotary International.

Discover more at www.thesocalcoyotes.com.

-Ron DiGrandi, SVP & Community Outreach ([email protected], 760.285.7073)