2-A South Football Region Media Day

2-A South Football Region Media Day

RICHFIELD, Utah-Thursday afternoon, for the second consecutive year the Quality Inn Conference Center of Richfield hosted the 2-A South Football Region Media Day to conclude the football media days broadcasts on the Mid-Utah Radio Sports Network.

Mid-Utah Radio Sports Network broadcaster Robert Lovell once again moderated the proceedings. These consisted of the head coaches and star players from Beaver, South Sevier, North Sevier, San Juan, Grand and Enterprise High Schools.

1:44 p.m.

The Enterprise Wolves were the last team to address the media. This contingent consisted of head coach Andy Messersmith, tailback Tyler Hess, defensive end Jack Lee, guard/nose guard Case Jones and cornerback/receiver Steven Anzalone.

Messersmith is appreciative of the fact he has two solid cornerbacks he can rely upon in space and Jones says he looks forward to hitting, especially someone else other than his teammates.

Messersmith is hoping to be more successful inside the red zone this season as in 2017, the Wolves were excellent between the 20’s but fizzled thereafter.

Messersmith anticipates a key non-region game against Class 4-A Ogden as they will host the Tigers. He asserts it will be fun to go against some big boys, especially with them coming to Enteprise on August 24.

In proverbially taking a page out of the Grand playbook, Messersmith says he hopes to excel as the Red Devils have in moving personnel around predicated on circumstances.

Hess looks forward to Ogden, Lee anticipates going against Beaver, Jones looks forward to both the Ogden and Beaver games and Anzalone has his eyes on going against Ogden.

1:26 p.m.

The Grand Red Devils, the favorite to win the 2-A South football region, were then up to address the media.

Head coach Dennis Wells brought three players with him to Richfield. They included tailback Trent Elmore, defensive lineman/tackle (and student body president at Grand High School) Jarrett Reidhead and center Brody Williams.

Wells got down to brass tacks out of the gates, saying he loathes the fact that his Red Devils have been picked as the region favorite.

Williams said he’s excited for this season and Elmore, coming off of a broken collarbone, says he’s ready for the season to start.

Wells said he admired his team’s grit for giving Beaver a good game on the road last season and says he sees his team as comparably good on the road as they are at home.

With the San Juan contingent still at the conference center, Wells glanced toward them on set and said that “he can never overlook San Juan.”

Reidhead said he’s looking most forward to playing against South Sevier as does Williams. The Rams will be the Red Devils’ homecoming opponent.

Wells also said, in speaking of the 2-A North region that he believes the Red Devils can beat anyone in that region except for South Summit.

1:09 p.m.

The San Juan Broncos then addressed the media. Head coach Barkley Christensen was on-hand as were his star players. These included QB Corbin Palmer, slot/outside linebacker Carlos Redd, slot/receiver Landen Pemberton and center/nose guard Tanner Black.

These are four of the six seniors on the season for the Broncos.

Palmer spoke of his strength increasing through his weight training regiment as he has increased his bench press from 250 pounds to 310 pounds. Christenen confirmed the Broncos will have more elements of the spread and will follow in the footsteps of his mentor leader, former San Juan head coach Monty Lee, whom he played for.

As was the case with Lindley’s decision, Christensen says he is doing this predicated upon personnel.

Christensen stated his preseason schedule, which includes a tilt against 2-A power Delta, sets up nicely for the Broncos. San Juan also faces a glaring task August 17 against defending state champion South Summit.

Across the board, Christensen, Palmer, Redd, Pemberton and Black all confirmed their eyes are squarely focused on South Summit August 17.

12:52 p.m.

The North Sevier Wolves were up next at the podium, led by head coach Devin Lindley. He was joined by left guard Tanner Sorenson, outside linebacker/slot Burke Mickelsen, outside linebacker/slot Tate Johnson and QB Taylor Crane.

Sorenson, who has garnered interest from Snow College and Weber State, says he hopes to put out good film for college coaches this season. Lindley reported he was impressed with the amount of kids who have come out for football, as more than 50 showed up. He lauds the fact that the Wolves’ depth is better than it has been in previous years.

Lindley is also proud of the fact that his current pack of Wolves has “taken the weight room to heart.”

While the Wolves have traditionally taken to the skies in passing the ball more often than not, Lindley says he will focus more on balance and his personnel, rather than play calling. It does bear mentioning, however, that, per Lindley’s admission, Crane can throw the ball 50 feet flat-footed.

The Wolves will have a challenging schedule as soon as region play commences as they will have three road games in league play.

Mickelsen says he’s looking forward to playing against South Sevier and Johnson is anticipating the Wolves’ game against Grand. Crane looks forward to the Wolves’ first game against the Woods Cross J.V. and Sorenson anticipates games against South Sevier and Gunnison, traditionally two of North Sevier’s biggest rivals.

12:31 p.m.

The South Sevier Rams were the next team to show up at the press conference. They were represented by head coach Weston Zabriskie, fullback/outside linebacker Tyson Chisholm, receiver/LB/DB Peydon Wood, QB Tracen Winkel and jack of all trades Tucker Gayler. In Zabriskie’s words, Gayler “just loves to play the game.”

Zabriskie said the Rams feel all right about where they currently are. He cites the fact that he has lots of returning varsity experience as a definitive asset.

Chisholm stressed the need for he and his teammates to be “consistent every week” and that, in so doing, the Rams can get lots of wins this year. Wood asserted that the Rams have to play mistake-free football in hopes of giving them a chance to win.

South Sevier has three of their first four games at home and Zabriskie suggests that if the Rams can get off to a hot start that the momentum can carry them to a successful season.

Zabriskie says he will analyze game plans from week-to-week and see what works and stick with that which is successful.

Chisholm also confirms that he has been out to the U.S. Air Force Academy of Colorado Springs, Colo. to meet with Falcons head football coach Troy Calhoun as they have recruited him. He is also looking forward to the Kanab game on August 17 (a KMGR broadcast) with rapt anticipation. Wood looks forward to the North Summit game and Gayler looks forward to Richfield.

12:06 p.m.

The Beaver Beavers commenced the proceedings at this media day. The Beavers are a traditional power and appear to be right in the mix of title contention once again in 2018.

The Beavers were represented by head coach Jon Marshall, who has led Beaver to three consecutive state championship game appearances.

His players at the presser included receiver/cornerback Spencer Williams, receiver/outside linebacker Preston Roberts, tight end/defensive end Hunter Hafen and QB/outside linebacker Ryker Albrecht.

The Beavers, as Marshall confirmed, have only five seniors this season, so to counter this, Albrecht said he “wants to have a high completion ranking.” He also stated he is a new outside linebacker so there’s lots for him to learn.

Marshall said he only has two returning starters from last season so he sees leadership as a glaring question mark entering this season.

With over 20 seniors lost from last season, per Marshall, he said his rebuilding process can be assuaged by the fact he has lots of good kids in his program.

Unabashedly, Marshall said the expectations for the Beaver program remain the same although he admits that inexperience may cause a different road to be taken toward a state title.

In the non-region games, Williams said he wants to see his Beavers teammates progress in time to contend for both region and state titles in 2-A.

Marshall stated he sees the 2-A South region as “extremely balanced.” He believes that San Juan and Enterprise, despite being projected to finish near the bottom of the standings, have a chance to emerge with a championship.