The last time Shadow Hills lost against Cathedral City, Coach Davis was the coach. At Cathedral City.

Mr. Davis is the head wrestling coach, garden club head, and biology teacher at Shadow Hills High School.

He started off his wrestling journey young with a friend who told him that he wouldn’t be friends with him if he didn’t join wrestling. The two would end up competing on the mat together through college.

Before coming to the Valley, Davis coached in the Marine Corps. He started coaching at Cathedral City and then moved to Shadow Hills. 

Many years of leading athletes, and his time in the military, have instilled a strong work ethic.

He starts each morning at 4:45 A.M. and oftentimes leaves school at 9:30 P.M, once events and matches are over. Davis doesn’t mind though, sharing that it’s all worth it because he loves what he does and he loves interacting with the students.

The Shadow Hills team started small, but Davis has worked hard to change the wrestling culture. The team is now one of the biggest in the Valley. He wants to ensure the wrestlers are in a positive environment. He wants them to do their best and not always put winning first. 

“We really emphasize the fact that you’re just around a bunch of positive people, and not the fact that you need to win,” Davis said.

Adding, “I think that’s what separates us is that it’s okay to reach your potential. You don’t have to compare yourself to other people.”

Davis says the team this year is going to be one of the best teams he’s ever had. He expects many of his wrestlers to be state qualifiers and they’ve already started preparing for the season by going to tournaments on the weekends, and pushing hard. The wrestling team has a handful of seniors and one of Davis’s goals is to get them to the next level in their life, whether that be college or trade school. He strives to help his wrestlers get to where they need to be.

Above all, Davis reminds his wrestlers how important it is to be respectful.

“At  the end of the day people won’t remember your high school wrestling accomplishments, but they will remember how you made them feel,” he pointed out.