It’s a fresh start for the program in 2024.
After a winless campaign last season, Wilder will have a new head coach for the second-straight season. He’s hoping to bring back the winning ways to a school that before the 2022 season didn’t have a record below .500 since 2008. The Wildcats have only one win in the last two seasons combined.
Enter Josh Duty.
This will be Duty’s first high school coaching gig after many years of coaching middle school and playing semi-pro football. He coached football and basketball at Riverglen Junior High and girls basketball at South Junior High. Duty has played for a few semi-pro football teams over the years, most recently with the Treasure Valley Invaders of the Mountain West Football League.
Duty played quarterback and helped coach the offense this past season. The Invaders play their home games at Wilder.
He’s eager to make an impact on a program that has had a couple down years.
“The long term goal is to build a program, something the kids and community and the school are proud of,” Duty said. “We have the coaches in place to do that. The players are in place to do that. That’s the ultimate goal.”
It’ll be a clean slate on the field for a team that had five all-conference players last season — three being seniors. Junior Julian Neri was one of those players and is expected to spend time at both quarterback and running back. Sophomore Gelacio Martinez is also set to play some quarterback, a player Duty is excited to get to coach.
Senior Brandon Leal Perez is a big target at tight end who will also play along the defensive line. Conner Smallwood and Fidel Padilla highlight other key contributors in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
Duty isn’t the only coach on staff that has experience playing for the Invaders. Offensive coordinator Kass Rivera and defensive coordinator Nick Hanks both play for the semi-pro team.
“We have this Invader core from working with Wilder,” Duty said. “It’s super exciting. These guys are smart. Great work ethic, they play hard when they’re playing, they coach hard when they’re coaching.”
The biggest thing Duty has preached to his players is focusing on the challenge ahead and not worrying about the last two seasons.
“I’ve been telling the guys we have to stay in the present. We can’t focus on the past, that’s done. Last play is over, everybody makes mistakes…let’s build a program now. Let’s get things going for what we have and build for the future.”
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