​The high school girls’ soccer scene in Arizona has just seen a significant upheaval as a title-winning coach makes a move within the same town. Jason Hammonds is stepping in as the head coach at Queen Creek High, leaving nearby Casteel after an 11-year run there. At Casteel, where Hammonds was the program’s first and only head coach, the Colts secured four state championships and finished as runners-up three times.
Hammonds, who was named The Arizona Republic’s 2026 coach of the year, recently guided his team to the Open Division state championship, ending Phoenix Xavier Prep’s streak of five straight titles. “Coach Hammonds combines a wealth of soccer expertise with a remarkable ability to build and sustain a championship culture,” said Queen Creek athletic director Matt Harris in a press release on July 8. “We are thrilled for our student-athletes to compete, grow and excel under his leadership.”
Although both schools sit in the same town, they belong to different public school districts: Queen Creek High is part of the Queen Creek Unified School District, while Casteel operates under the Chandler Unified School District. Hammonds transformed Casteel into one of the state’s most competitive programs since taking over after the program’s inception in 2016. Since 2020, Casteel has appeared in five state championship games. During his tenure there, Hammonds posted an impressive 160-24-7 record.
Under Hammonds, Casteel also achieved a landmark milestone this past season, producing the school’s first Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year in girls’ soccer—goalkeeper Kendall Pechacek earning the honor. Hammonds has also contributed to the Valley’s youth soccer landscape through his work with the Arizona Arsenal Soccer Club, where he coached multiple youth levels and served as an assistant coach for their Women’s Premier Soccer League team.
“I’m honored to lead the Queen Creek High School women’s soccer program,” Hammonds said. “My goal is to build a culture of excellence, accountability, and growth, one that develops outstanding student-athletes on and off the field. I’m excited to work alongside our players, families, and community as we strive to compete at the highest level and create a program everyone can be proud of.”
Last season, Queen Creek finished with a 6-8-2 overall record and earned the No. 16 seed in the 6A playoffs, where they were eliminated in the opening round by top seed Pinnacle, which later finished as runner-up to conference leader Perry.
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter for The Arizona Republic, focusing on high school, college, and Olympic sports. To share ideas for human-interest stories and other news, contact Stanley at logan.stanley@usatodayco.com or 707-293-7650. This report originally appeared in Arizona Republic with the headline highlighting the Open Division champion coach’s move to a nearby school in pursuit of improved SEO.