The Fountain Hills High School boys soccer team lost 1-0 to San Tan Foothills last Friday, Dec. 17. The Falcons played 96 minutes of scoreless soccer until one San Tan goal in double overtime.

The night was cold and the Falcons were missing several players, but their night did not end with a whistle. The Falcons had one more hurdle last Friday. After the game, the players learned that head coach Matt Pugliano is leaving Fountain Hills to coach in Apex, N.C.

“We’ve been planning to move since the end of last school year, so I knew this would be my last year going into it,” Pugliano said. “That might be why I’ve been a little more piss and vinegar with the kids, I wanted to squeeze everything out of it that I could.”

Pugliano was surprised at how fast things changed for him. On Wednesday, Dec. 15, he received an email informing him of the opening at Apex Friendship High School. He interviewed on Thursday and was offered the head coaching job on Friday. Pugliano said his plan was originally to move at the end of the school year, but he didn’t expect a head coaching job, so he chose to capitalize on the opportunity.

High school soccer in North Carolina looks different than it does in Arizona. The boys play in the fall and have already finished the 2021 season, but the girls season doesn’t start until February. Pugliano will start at Apex Friendship in January, but he’ll be able to work with the Falcons’ interim coach, Ryan Griggs, since he won’t be coaching right away in North Carolina.

Like Pugliano, Griggs is a Fountain Hills alumni. Last year, Griggs helped some at practices, but this year he took to coaching. Pugliano will help ease Griggs into his new role and will assist Griggs at the Bohdie Larson Celebration Classic tournament this month. The Falcons start the two-day tournament at Red Mountain Park at 10:30 a.m. against Central High School.

“Some of the messages we’ve been trying to share with them have been a ‘stick through it and see it to the end’ kind of thing,” Pugliano said. “So, to walk away in the middle of a season was very, very tough.”

Pugliano said that he and his wife agonized over the decision to leave, and his team was the strongest reason to stay. Only freshman Tyler Griggs knew because of his older brother and new coach, and Pugliano said he was happy both Griggs stayed quiet about the news. Pugliano told the rest of the team after the late loss to San Tan.

Pugliano’s biggest concern is that his team of 16 people shrinks after his decision. That’s why Pugliano is going to co-coach winter break practices, and Pugliano hopes that by sticking around this December, he can help Griggs avoid coaching a depleted team.

“Sadly, Fountain Hills is dwindling in student population,” Pugliano said. “We talked at length before the season even started. We were curious as to whether or not we’d have two separate teams. We thought we might be co-ed, which is what it was when I was in school. We were much bigger then, too, so it’s kind of ironic now that we’re smaller we might be going back to co-ed. As much as I love the students here, that’s not something I wanted for my soccer career.”

The Falcons are 0-3-1 after the first month of competition, and the rest of the season will look different one way or another. The Falcons will be tested in each of the 10 regular season games from Jan. 4 to Feb. 1. The Falcons start 2022 by hosting Northwest Christian on Tuesday, Jan. 4, at 4 p.m., and then the Falcons host Scottsdale Preparatory Academy on Thursday, Jan. 6, at 4 p.m.