For the remainder of the 2019 season, the Mingus Union High School football program will have a new head football coach. Robert Ortiz, who is in his second year guiding the Marauders, has been suspended for the balance of the season, which is three games.
Late in Mingus’ loss to Mohave on Friday, Oct. 4, Ortiz got into an argument over the clock. In the course of the argument, Ortiz drew three unsportsmanlike conduct penalties — which carries an automatic ejection.
Ortiz was already going to be suspended for the Marauders’ road game against Bradshaw Mountain on Friday, Oct. 18, as an ejection carries a mandatory one-game suspension per AIA rules. Mingus made the decision to additionally suspend Ortiz for the Friday, Oct. 25 game with Flagstaff and the Friday Nov. 1 game against Prescott, which are both home games.
A season ago, in Ortiz’s first season guiding Mingus, the Marauders went 8-2 overall in the regular season and posted a 5-1 mark in Grand Canyon Section play, which was good enough for a section championship. They then defeated Bradshaw Mountain in the first round of the playoffs before falling to Salpointe Catholic in the state semifinals. The 2019 season hasn’t gone nearly as well, as Mingus is 0-7 overall and 0-3 in section play.
For the balance of the season, the Marauders will be led by Erick Quesada, who serves as the football team’s wide receiver and defensive backs coach and is also Mingus’ head baseball coach.
