Apple Valley kept pulling them back.

The Eagles go into the 2026 football season with three coaches who used to be at Apple Valley, left for a while, and now have returned. One of them is Matt Hentges, the new head coach.

Hentges, an Apple Valley High School teacher, previously was the football team’ s offensive coordinator and assistant head coach. He stepped away from coaching for two years because he had young children at home, but when the head coaching position opened he jumped at the chance to rejoin the Eagles’ program.

“ I care about this program,” said Hentges, who played at Eagan High School and St. Cloud State.“ I’ ve been in the building a while now, so I value what this program means to the community and the positive effects it can have on our building in general.

“ When the head coaching job opened, I had to do it. I felt it was the right time to get in there and try to put a positive stamp on this.”

Once hired, one of Hentges’ first actions was to bring in veteran coaches Chad Clendening and Joe Joran, both of whom worked at Rosemount last season. Clendening also is an AVHS teacher and was head coach of the football team the last time the Eagles reached the state playoffs in 2017. Joran has more than 50 years of

Photo by Mike Shaughnessy

Jackson Cozy takes a handoff during Apple Valley football practice Aug. 19. Cozy, a senior, returns at running back and also is expected to see playing time on defense.

coaching experience, most of it in District 196. He was on the coaching staff for Apple Valley teams that finished second in Class AA in 1985 and first in 1986( at that time, Class AA was the enrollment division for the state’ s largest schools). More recently, Joran coached the Eagles’ outside linebackers and is returning in that role.

Hentges takes over a team that has potential but also has to replace some key graduates from a team that was 4-6 last season.

“ I think our talent is great,” senior running back Jackson Cozy said.“ We lost some guys, but I’ ve seen nothing but good things out of all these younger guys.”

Returning defensive lineman Jay’ Shawn Smith, a senior, described the Eagles’ younger players as“ very coachable. They’ re being humble, not being selfish, and they have an open mindset to learn from their mistakes.”

In addition to being on offense, Cozy also is expected to see some playing time on defense.“ He’ s a good runner, a good tackler, and one of those kids who’ ll stick his nose in anything. He’ ll do whatever the team asks of him,” Hentges said.“ He’ s embraced the culture we’ re trying to establish, and it helps when your culture guys also are very talented football players.”

Eagles quarterback Noah Weaver was the

Schedule

Games on Fridays at 6 p. m. unless noted Sept. 3( Thur.): Rochester JM, 6 p. m. Sept. 11: at Waconia, 7 p. m. Sept. 18: Two Rivers Sept. 25: at Hastings Oct. 2: at St. Thomas Academy Oct. 8( Thur.): Burnsville, 6 p. m. Oct. 14( Wed.): at Mankato E., 7 p. m. Oct. 21( Wed.): Owatonna, 6 p. m.

Lyman Myers wherever they believe he will have a matchup advantage. Apple Valley could start some sophomores on the offensive line but the anchor will be senior Kayden Otto, a returning starter who will play left tackle.

Although Hentges was offensive coordinator in his previous time with the Eagles, Zack Roble returns in that position and will call plays.“ Zach puts his own twist on it in some areas, but his offense is similar to what we ran when I was doing it,” Hentges said.

Clendening also was defensive coordinator when he was Apple Valley’ s head coach.“ We’ ll go back to an odd front, a 3-4 defense,” Hentges said.“ What I really like about Chad’ s defense is its ability to adapt to a lot of things we see in( Class) 5A.”

“ I feel like we’ re going to be able to disguise our schemes a little better,” Smith said.“( Clendening) has coached for a lot of years and knows how the pieces will fit so we can be successful.”

See Eagles, 15

Photo by Mike Shaughnessy

An Apple Valley running back follows his blocking during practice on Aug. 19.