Eric Sorenson
Ty Wisdom flips off the light switch while almost simultaneously spinning 180 degrees in his high back, rolling chair.
It’s lunch hour at Chandler High but class is in session for the head coach and his star pupil, sitting next to him at the rectangular table in Wisdom’s office.
Four times a week during the school year, this set 30-minute class has only one student.
With a pen in hand and notebook full of formations open, 2027 five-star quarterback Will Mencl, sporting two green and gold Oregon wristbands, is ready.
Week 4 of Spring Ball🏈#WeAreChandler pic.twitter.com/nqTJDgBBqg
— Chandler High Football (@chandler_wolves) May 14, 2026
On the big screen is a cut up from several of Chandler’s spring practices as Coach Wiz begins hastily clicking the mouse on his laptop – his voice moving as fast as an auctioneer at a Texas livestock sell off. There is little wasted time, or breath.
Outside of the hum of the schools’ air conditioner, the room is silent, and dark – sans a small fluorescent light on the corner of Wisdom’s desk – as the next edit shows Mencl launching a beautiful deep ball down the far sideline.
“Hey,” Wisdom chimes in. “Great ball! But watch your footwork.”
Mencl silently nods in agreement as the video cuts to the next play – one where CHS’s young offensive line leaks protection.
“I know that busted pretty quickly,” Wisdom says, rewinding the opening half of the play over, and over, and over – as Mencl effortlessly sidesteps the rush and breaks containment down the center of the field before the play is blown dead. “But be patient before taking off.”
How it Started
The mid-day meetups have become commonplace after Wisdom was hired to be the Wolves’ head coach in late December of 2024. Mencl, who had just completed his sophomore season, and first on varsity after transferring in from Saguaro, approached his new play caller with a suggestion.
“It started with me just asking for a little extra help during spring ball and just wanting to be on the same page,” Mencl explained. “We did it once and the next time, I was eating lunch in my car and he was like. ‘Where the hell you at [laughing]?’
I was like, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize this was an every day thing [laughing].'”
Across the desk, Wisdom smiles, leans back in his chair, and nods in approval.
An Understood Synergy
Extra film session with his quarterback is nothing new for Wisdom.
The really good ones, like Mencl and University of Alabama freshman, Jett Thomalla, who Wisdom coached at Millard South High (NE), understand the scheme, with close to 200 plays and formations, takes time to master – far more than the traditional practice schedule allows.
If the daily study sessions become almost monotonous, Coach Wiz considers it a success.
Rivals’ @Andy_Villamarzo ranks the 10 best returning high school football players in 2026👀
Read: https://t.co/QFME1VnjbS pic.twitter.com/1oplP2WYFP
— Rivals High School (@RivalsHS) May 17, 2026
He also feels it allows a window of opportunity to drill even deeper into the details – small tweaks in maybe the formation or execution, which could give the nationally ranked Wolves an advantage against some of the truly elite defenses they’ll face this fall.
“It’s not what I know and it’s not what I’m comfortable with,” the second-year head coach emphasized. “[Will] has to be comfortable with what we’re doing. He knows that I’ll take the feedback.
‘I don’t like that. Why did you call that?’
“I’ll be the first one to pull him aside and say, ‘That was a [expletive] call by me.’ None of us are drawing up a play that’s trying not to work. [Our opponent] is coached on the other side, too. They’re going to make plays.”
Wisdom encourages the in-game dialogue with his star quarterback.
“That’s how your relationships build,” he continued. “That’s how you build that trust.”
I love this Team 🐺 #INAM
— Ty Wisdom (@Coach_Wiz3) June 28, 2026
That mutual faith takes time – something that evolved last season as the two began working together. Wisdom admits it hasn’t always been perfect.
“We had kind of breaking point in the [regular season] Hamilton game in the second half when we fell apart,” he explained. “I lit into him. It was a bad job of coaching. It didn’t make him respond.
“I told him on Monday, ‘I’m sorry. That’s on me. If I’m triggering something that makes you play worse, that’s on me.’
“I need him to know I’ve got his back. If you throw 10 touchdowns in a game or a few [interceptions], we’re in this together…you don’t have to be perfect. The best leaders take ownership of their mistakes.”
Mencl’s Mental Evolution
Everyone has a story.
Mencl’s is less traditional than most high-profile high school quarterbacks.
“I’ve always had to deal with a lot of adversity,” the recent Oregon commit explained. “I mean, I didn’t start my first game at quarterback until I was in eighth grade because I was told I wasn’t good enough when I was younger and I battled a bunch of injuries.”
He pauses in reflection before pivoting his thoughts.
“I would say I’m the most competitive person in the world. Uno’s been banned in my house because I couldn’t stand losing when I was younger.”
🚨NEW🚨 QB Will Mencl ranks No. 13 and five-stars in the updated 2027 Rivals300.https://t.co/lDEKUJ8pUr pic.twitter.com/3JCQfUy2JD
— Rivals (@Rivals) April 20, 2026
The quarterback and his head coach are bonded by their intense drive to win.
Oregon commit Will Mencl is the QB MVP for JJettas workout session today at Flight School ✈️ @WillMencl
Special arm talent and he put it on full display #UANext pic.twitter.com/DxBAGSPdmd
— Billy Tucker (@TheUCReport) May 16, 2026
Mencl not only excelled on the field last season leading the Wolves to the Open Division Championship Game but he also, maybe even more importantly, changed his in-game mindset as he got more familiar with the intricacies of his new head coach. One bad read or bad throw didn’t pitfall into a bad game, or even a bad drive.
“There was a big emphasis of getting back on the iPads on the sideline during games and figuring out what we needed to be fix,” he said. “Also, being 100 percent honest with each other. If one of us doesn’t like a play, it’s out that same day.
“Just having that honesty and being transparent with one another has helped out a lot.”
Now, back to the film.
