After three years of playing 11-man football, Desert Chapel will return to 8-man football this season.
The Desert Sun confirmed the move with interim head coach Scott Alvarez on Thursday, a day before the 2026 high school football season in the Coachella Valley officially begins.
“We entered the summer fully intending and prepared to field an 11-man team,” Alvarez said, “but an unusually challenging offseason and significant roster attrition left us without enough players to responsibly and safely continue at that level.”
Alvarez said that Desert Chapel is in the process of communicating with the CIF Southern Section office and the affected schools regarding the transition and scheduling. Their first game had been scheduled for Aug. 28 at Whittier
Christian, but will no longer take place.
In three years as an 11-man team, the Eagles went 5-18. They went 0-5 in 2023, 3-6 in 2024 and 2-7 in 2025.
But the news could matter to more than just Desert Chapel, the private school in Palm Springs. It could also be relevant for high-profile transfers who left the school this summer amid uncertainty regarding the football program.
Starting quarterback Samuel Mourhess, a 6-foot-4 pocket passer who threw 48 touchdown passes over the previews two years at Desert Chapel, transferred to Xavier Prep in Palm Desert. Jayvon Garcia, a 6-foot-4 receiver who caught 65 passes for 1,119 yards and 11 touchdowns in just six games last season, has transferred to Desert Christian Academy in Bermuda Dunes.
Both Xavier Prep and Desert Christian Academy have games Friday night, and it is still unclear if Desert Chapel’s move back to 8-man football will have an affect on Mourhess and Garcia and their eligibility for their new teams. Discussions with the CIF-SS offices are ongoing.
Andrew John covers sports and recreation in the Coachella Valley for The Desert Sun. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com. Find him on Instagram at @desertwriter.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Desert Chapel drops 11-man football, moves back to 8-man for 2026 season
