Humberto Ayala is more than just a winner – he sets his players up for success.
After winning the New Jersey Group 4 State Championship in 2023, Head Coach Humberto Ayala and the Millville High School Football Team were invited to Lincoln Financial Field for an Eagles game.
"We were on the field, in the bleachers, it was an awesome experience," Ayala said. "Football's really big in Millville. I always say we're South; we're in the South. Football's treated here like it would be in Georgia or Texas. That's how big it is."
Originally from North Jersey, Ayala first moved to South Jersey when he enrolled at Rowan University in Glassboro. He started coaching basketball before making the switch to football, joining the Millville coaching staff 10 years ago.
"I didn't have the successes that some of my kids have, but always loved the sport and just was always a student of the game," Ayala said of his time playing high school football. "Was looking forward to having that opportunity to be in the position I am now."
Millville is no stranger to having players move on to college football and beyond. Jaguars running back LeQuint Allen Jr. played his high school football at Millville. While Ayala takes pride in getting his players recruited, it's all about preparing the players for life after high school – no matter what that looks like.
"We're in a city, so some of our kids come from adverse environments and different backgrounds. And sometimes, this is their way away just from life in general," said Ayala, who is the Eagles Tackle Football Coach of the Week, presented by Visa. "Some of our kids use this to spearhead themselves into college and they use it as a driving tool to get them where they want to go. I think right now actively we have 17 kids playing college football.
"I take pride in getting my kids into college. It doesn't matter the level. I got kids playing Division III football. I got kids playing Division II and so on ... I really take pride and I go above and beyond just because I want them to do something. I want them to have some kind of plan after football. ... As long as they're doing something positive in their life, that's all I care about."
On the football field, Ayala coaches a multiple spread offense, playing into his players' athleticism. The ball is shared around the receivers and running backs.
"I consider myself a player's coach," Ayala said. "I love the relationships I have with my guys. All my guys that are in college, I'm always continuously contacting them and in their spring break period or when they come back here, they're always stopping by and hanging out, lifting in our weight room. So, we've created a good standard and culture here that the expectations are what they are and they know what it is."
Outside of football, Ayala is the health and physical education teacher at Millville High School. The school, and the football team specifically, has been through a lot of adversity over the past two years – including the loss of former teammates, and a current player surviving getting hit by a car. Millville's Athletic Director Jordan Kessler praised Ayala's care for his students.
"Coach Ayala dedicates countless hours to making his program successful and supporting his student-athletes," Kessler said. "His commitment goes far beyond practices and games, as he makes himself available to his players and invests in their development. He leads by example and has built a program where players know they are supported, challenged, and cared for."
As the head coach for the past five years, Ayala and his staff also emphasize academics to their players, no matter how successful the football team is. Ayala says that the team's average sits around a 3.0 GPA. Part of its importance is the GPA requirement colleges have for their athletes if Ayala's students hope to play college football.
"I stay on top of them so that they can academically put themselves in the right positions," Ayala said. "And even if they're not going to play football, we still want them to do the right thing in the school building and be those leaders and role models that they're supposed to be.
"Our goal is to help guide them and put them in the right direction so that they see their worth and where they can go in life. And sometimes they don't have those figures or those role model figures. And my staff and I do a great job helping direct them on the right path." – Written by Caroline Connor
