Jason Goldie is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover North High School for AZPreps365.com.

PHOENIX – As a sophomore at North High School, quarterback Luke Haugo has already shown that he has the skill, mentality, resilience and drive to take his future as a football player to the next level.

Three Pac-12 football programs agree.

Despite all he has accomplished already, his journey is just beginning.

Haugo’s process started with an interest in football from a young age, which was initially nurtured and developed by his family. His skills and abilities were further honed through participation in youth teams, private coaching and tournaments, followed by a carefully-considered, strategic decision to enroll in North.

So far, it has been a successful journey with a promising future.

“He’s definitely on his way in the classroom with his GPA, and starting to get the offers, so he’s on the right path,” North head coach Mark Mejia said. “We just want to continue to push him to be the best that he can be.”

Haugo said he first held a football when he was about 3 years old, and he played his first flag football game when he was 7. Football wasn’t the only game in his house, however. He played basketball first, and has two sisters who went to state championships in basketball and volleyball. His father and his grandfather both played college football. He also has two cousins with promising football futures, as well.

“He got into football, he started to show interest, we watched some games, and then he asked me if I’d teach him what I knew,” said Mark Haugo, his father and a former college quarterback himself.

Luke started with flag football in third grade, playing quarterback in a local league called Prime Time against kids who were a few years older than he was. Even at a young age, Luke was showing indications of future success as a football quarterback.

“They won the state championship, and he’s got a trophy almost as big as he is,” Mark said. “When he got that first big trophy, he was hooked.”

In the early days, Luke’s coach was his father, who played quarterback for BYU before transferring to San Diego State. Mark credits his own knowledge and coaching ability to his college coaches and shares that with his son. He continues to work with Luke on the mechanics of how to throw, release points, footwork and the nuance of being a quarterback.

“[Playing] quarterback, once you get the mechanics down, flips to about 80 to 90 percent mental,” Mark said.

Even though Mark was a college quarterback, when Luke was about 7 years old, his family decided to take his game to the next level by hiring a quarterback coach, Mike Giovando, whom Mark met several years prior.

“The game is constantly evolving, and no one is more cutting-edge than Mike Giovando in the country, period,” Mark said.

From their first meeting, Giovando recognized Luke’s potential and natural ability.

“He had some confidence to him,” Giovando said. “He was coachable. He listened. He worked hard … He could throw already, he has an understanding of footwork, and he just understood a lot of things at an early age. He was a little bit ahead of the curve on that. I could tell he was gonna be something else.”

Luke described his work with Giovando over the last seven years. In addition to intensive quarterback training, Giovando has helped Luke with his mechanics, such as how and where he holds the football, arm angles, release points, and creating spin. Furthermore, Giovando has helped Luke with his football IQ, such as understanding offenses and defenses, being aware of different situations and coverages, making smart decisions and being a student of the game.

“I’ve been working with Coach Gio for seven years now,” Luke said. “Just getting right with my mechanics and IQ of the game.”

The next big step in Luke’s career track was making a wise decision on the right high school to attend that would highlight his abilities as a basketball guard and a quarterback, as well as support his strong intellect and academics.

With the state of Arizona having a open-enrollment policy, the Arizona Interscholastic Association bylaws allow students to choose what high school they want to attend, sometimes camping out in front of their desired school to ensure their spot. For Luke, the obvious choice might have been to attend a traditional football powerhouse like Pinnacle or Saguaro, where he would be almost assured a playoff opportunity. Having played for the Argos, the feeder team for Saguaro High School, he considered that. But for him, his search was more strategic. With advice from his father and Giovando, he met with Mejia to explore becoming a Mustang.

They contemplated where Luke would have the best opportunity to play varsity as a freshman, which schools would complement his playing style, the strength of the coaching staff – Mejia and his assistant, Alonzo Highsmith, both played college football – and how they could help prepare Luke for college football.

One major consideration for Luke was where he could make the biggest difference for both the school and the football team. He hoped that by playing for North, he would eventually help lead the team to a playoff berth. Having finished second in their division in a very challenging 2022 season, the Mustangs are on their way to achieving that goal.

Finally, in choosing the right high school, academics were a major priority to Luke. North offered an International Baccalaureate program, which appealed to Luke’s intellectual side. He is currently excelling in the I.B. program with a 4.7 GPA.

“We have the International Baccalaureate program, which is an advanced academic program,” said Becky Vogel, the North athletic director and assistant principal for student connectedness. “It’s internationally recognized. We also have a strong AVID program, which is a college-focused program.”

With all of those considerations, the choice to attend North was complex and nuanced. The 2022 season for the Mustangs was extraordinarily difficult, with North facing five playoff teams during the season, and Luke missing three games due to an injury. Luke recognized the opportunity this season presented for him to learn through the difficulty and improve his skills.

“It has made him a better quarterback,” Mark said. “He’s much more quick to release. He’s able to scramble more. He’s taken a ton of hits this year that most quarterbacks wouldn’t take, so he’s gotten tougher as a quarterback.”

Even though Luke has received three offers from Power 5 universities, he remains humble. He knows that he has not embarked on this journey alone. He acknowledged that his parents and coaches have played a large part in his success so far.

“My dad has been the manager of my sports career, I’d say,” Luke said. “He’s been guiding me. Without him, I don’t know if I’d end up at North. He’s helped me a ton. My mom, on the health side of things, [has] been there for me…If I get injured, she’ll take care of me.”

Now that football season has come to a close, and Luke is already sitting on several offers, he still has no plans to rest on his laurels. Instead, he can be found on the basketball court, honing his skills as a guard on the Mustangs basketball team, hoping to help lead the team to another division championship.

“After the season, I’m gonna be transitioning into basketball season, hoping to make some noise in that,” Luke said. “I’m gonna be continuing to get bigger, faster, stronger.”