After every successful play during the three-week spring ball period for Desert Vista, the sound of three claps echoed through Thunder Stadium.

It meant the team had done something right. Whether it be a successful play, recognition for a player or simply the end of a drill. It motivated players. It let them know they were quickly learning the ins and outs of a new playbook — their fourth in four years.

It’s a subtle new tradition introduced by new head coach Scooter Molander and his staff to show appreciation for players and the hard work they put in during the off-season. It’s also the first step in changing the culture of the Desert Vista program. And players have begun to respond accordingly.

“It came from a great coach a long time ago, Jesse Parker,” Desert Vista coach Scooter Molander said of the three-clap idea. “It’s just a positive thing. The good news is our players are calling it just as much as our coaches.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean a huge thing, but little things that can lead to a big play.”

Molander knew taking the job at Desert Vista would be a rewarding experience. Yet, still a difficult one.

He’s back in the 6A Conference, where he helped build Brophy into a yearly contender. But Desert Vista is in a more difficult spot than the Broncos were when he took over.

Desert Vista has been unable to maintain a new head coach since the retirement of longtime leader Dan Hinds, who led the Thunder to two state titles during his tenure.

Ty Wisdom was hired as Hinds’ successor, but parted ways with the school after a season in which he took the Thunder to the playoffs. Then came Nate Gill, who revitalized the Sierra Linda program into one with a winning culture.

He won two games as head coach before stepping down for mental health reasons in January. Molander was hired in March. His first order of business was to build relationships with players. That’s been achieved through hours of film sessions watching practices from days prior to identify mistakes and praising them for good plays made on the field.

“Usually, coaches are only caught on to people doing the bad thing,” senior wide receiver Roan Martinez said. “Just to have the whole team here and them call somebody up to tell them good job and have the whole team clap for them, it shows the coaches really care for us and they’re seeing the good we’re doing.”

Martinez has quickly become one of the better receivers in the state. At 6-foot-2, 185 pounds and fast times on the track, he’s started to gain attention from colleges.

He knows by the time his senior season is near complete, he will have enough film to really open the eyes of Division I programs. He has the size, speed and overall athleticism. He’s also got elite pass catching abilities that helped him become a 1,000-yard receiver last season with quarterback Braxton Thomas — who is now finishing his high school career in Florida.

Martinez knows he will be looked upon as a leader this season. He knows this Desert Vista team is young in key positions.

But he’s excited to prove doubters wrong about the Thunder.

“Everyone on this team knows people aren’t expecting much from us,” Martinez said. “We’re coming with our goal being to make the playoffs and go as far as we can. This coaching staff is going to bring us far.”

Playing with a chip on his shoulder is something senior lineman Isaiah Packer has had to do his entire life.

He isn’t the biggest lineman at 5-foot-11, 260, but where he lacks in size, he brings in intensity on the field.

Packer, nicknamed “Packman,” plays bully ball. His low center of gravity helps him get into the chest of opposing defensive linemen. When he’s on defense, he uses his speed and violent hands to penetrate the line.

He’s had to play with a violent mentality his whole life and work hard to achieve his goals. Now, much of that is rubbing off on his teammates.

“I was always undersized, I still am,” Packer said. “I’ve always just had to go that extra mile and have that extra aggression to go against everybody else that’s bigger than me.”

Packer is confident in the players on this year’s team. He feels they’re motivated to catch teams by surprise, especially with the potential for yet another down year ahead for the Thunder.

But that hasn’t stopped him from motivating teammates. And it hasn’t stopped the coaching staff from holding them accountable and instilling discipline early on in the process.

Molander said his players have attacked the weight room since he arrived. Many participated in track to get faster. Even when other players leave the program, those who remain are buying into what Molander and his staff are teaching them to be successful.

Many of those same philosophies and culture worked when he built Brophy into a power. They worked the last three seasons at Eastmark, where he won a championship in the school’s third varsity season.

Now, he hopes his take on a football program’s culture will work on Desert Vista, too. So far, the Thunder are headed in the right direction.

“It’s just words if I come in here and talk about discipline,” Molander said. “We have to be consistent in what we’re doing. It would fall on flat ears if we don’t establish what we demand from ourselves as well.

“The guys are buying into what we’re doing because they’re seeing the improvement in not just themselves, but each other, and what the spirit of a team can be.”