Dixie State quarterback Skyler Ence hopes to build ... - The Spectrum

Football Preview 2007 

Dixie State quarterback Skyler Ence hopes to build 

upon a solid Rotary Bowl performance — Page 10 

The Warriors possess two of the state’s best skill players. The Flyers boast a returning 2,000-yard 

rusher. The Panthers have a boatload of offensive starters back. The Tigers are loaded in the 

backfield. Profiles of those Region 9 teams — and plenty more —inside. 

Friday, August 17, 2007 © 2007, The Spectrum

— Friday, August 17, 2007 — The Spectrum & Daily News 

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www.thespectrum.com FOOTBALL 2007 

Friday, August 17, 2007 — The Spectrum & Daily News — 

Contents 

High Schools 

Canyon View 3 

Cedar 4 

Dixie 4 

Hurricane 5 

Pine View 6 

Snow Canyon 6 

Enterprise 7 

Kanab 7 

Parowan 8 

Milford 8 

Beaver 9 

Colleges 

Dixie State 10 

SUU 11 

Led by quarterback Skyler 

Ence, Dixie State looks to 

rebound from rough first 

season in NCAA Division II. 

See the Dixie State preview on 

page 10. 

Southern Utah plans an 

aggressive ground game 

against a difficult batch of 

opponents. 

See the SUU preview on page 11. 

Contributors: David Cordero, 

Rich Johnson, Beau Eastes, 

Bob Hudson, Garron Tooley, 

Jud Burkett, Christopher 

Onstott, Garrett Davis, 

Doug Cary. 

Falcons hope youth 

will lead the way 

By RICH JOHNSON 

rjohnson@thespectrum.com 

CEDAR CITY — Austin Minefee 

ran all over opposing defenses last 

year. 

The former Canyon View star 

running back ran left. He ran right. 

He ran up the middle and through 

defensive backfields, rushing for 

more than 2,000 yards and scoring 

a whopping 18 touchdowns. 

How could someone replace a 

running back like that? 

Gentry Julian knows the answer: 

Don’t try to be Austin Minefee or 

Keith Remington, his predecessor 

at fullback. Instead, the junior is 

ready to help this Canyon View 

team develop its own reputation. 

“You just have to go out there 

and try to work as hard as you 

can,” Julian said. “You just go out 

and full on.” 

Julian will replace Remington, a 

three-year starter, at the fullback 

position. The bruising Remington 

rushed for more than 1,000 yards 

as a junior, but struggled with injuries 

in 2006. 

“He was outstanding,” Julian 

said. “I just hope I can do half as 

good as he did.” 

Julian will also be the feature 

back in the Falcons’ Wing T offense, 

which relied heavily on Minefee’s 

speed last year. 

“(Minefee and Remington) 

were hard workers,” said senior 

tight end and defensive end David 

Huntsman. “It’ll be hard to replace 

them because they ran hard. But 

we’ve got guys coming up that 

work hard, too.” 

The Falcons know they will have 

Canyon View FalCons 

■ COACH: Randy Hunter 

■ 2006 RECORD: 4-6 overall, 

0-5 Region 9 

■ KEY RETURNEES: Dave 

Huntsman (Sr., TE/DE), Zac 

Minchey (Sr., WR/RB/DB) 

■ SCHEDULE: Aug. 24, at 

Emery; Aug. 31, vs. Millard; 

Sept. 7, at Duchesne; Sept. 

14, at Moapa Valley; Sept. 21, 

vs. Hurricane; Sept. 28, vs. Dixie; 

Oct. 4, vs. Snow Canyon; 

Oct. 12, at Cedar; Oct. 19, at 

Pine View 

to work hard to overcome the loss of 

nine starters on both sides of the ball. 

Huntsman and Zac Minchey are 

the only returning starters from 

2006. 

“It gives these guys an opportunity,” 

said coach Randy Hunter. 

“But at the same time, nothing can 

replace experience. We need some 

kids to get experience in a hurry.” 

Although Hunter said the two 

starters don’t have any added 

pressure, Huntsman said he and 

Minchey push themselves harder. 

“All the kids look up to you as a 

captain and you have to live up to 

an example,” Huntsman said. 

Julian said Minchey and 

Huntsman more than carry 

that load. 

“They’re really pushing us,” he 

said. “They’re the first to get up 

hills when we run.” 

In order to help the newcomers 

learn the system faster, Hunter 

has enlisted the help of a certified 

Wing T expert. 

Good Luck 

from 

● See FALCONS on 7 

and have a 

Great Season 

435.674.6200 • www.thespectrum.com 

Canyon 

View 

fullback 

Gentry 

Julian 

runs 

the ball 

during 

practice 

at 

Canyon 

View 

High 

School 

in Cedar 

City on 

Aug. 8. 

Garrett 

Davis / The 

Spectrum 

& Daily 

News

— Friday, August 17, 2007 — The Spectrum & Daily News FOOTBALL 2007 


Logan’s run will carry Redmen this season 



CEDAR CITY — Cedar quarterback Logan 

Obering, already one of the fastest players in 

Region 9, ran roughshod over defenses last 

year as the Redmen shocked everyone by winning 

the league championship. 

He couldn’t possibly get any better, could 

he? 

Think again. 

“He’s 15 pounds heavier and stronger 

everywhere,” said coach Todd Peacock. 

“He’s gone to a couple of camps, and he’s 

really thrown the ball better and more 

accurately and with zip. As a sophomore, he 

could hardly bench press the football, so it 

was hard for him to throw. He’s grown into 

himself, and he’ll be a better passer.” 

Mixing Obering’s speed — the Redmen 

clocked him unofficially at 4.52 seconds in 

the 40-yard dash — with his knowledge of 

the offense — he’s entering his third year as 

the starter — is already a dangerous combination 

for any opponent. But add that new 

strength with a better passing game, and 

he’s bound to give Region 9 teams fits. 

“I feel a lot more comfortable this year,” 

By BOB HUDSON 

bhudson@thespectrum.com 

ST. GEORGE — Fullback Corbin Sharp 

and center Siotame Uluave know they will 

have an important job throughout Dixie 

High’s football season. 

They and several of their teammates will 

be expected to create holes for Nate Carter 

to run through. As a junior Carter rushed 

for 2,035 yards, a fact that will make him a 

target of opposing defenses all season. 

“We’ll need to make bigger holes and 

more blocks,” Sharp said. 

“We can’t be walking to the ball,” Uluave 

added. “We need to be looking for that key 

block so he can get that touchdown.” 

Dixie’s offense will be the same it has been 

since coach Jake Nelson came onto the scene 

half a dozen seasons ago. “It will be the same 

Dixie football; run the ball, throw it when we 

need to and play tough defense.” 

McRae Heppler and Chunner Nyberg 

battled through the preseason for the 

opportunity to direct the offense from the 

quarterback position. 

Dixie has 40 letterwinners back, but only 

nine of them qualify as returning starters. 

That group includes Carter, who played on 

both sides of the ball; Sharp, Uluave, Joe 

Pikula, Sampson Katoa, Brad Collins, Bobby 

King, Tanner Torres and Mike Mortensen. 

“We’re a senior-heavy team,” Nelson 

noted. “We have a lot of seniors who played 

special teams who need to step up now.” 

Included in that group are people like 

CeDar reDmen 

■ COACH: Todd Peacock 

■ 2006 RECORD: 8-3 overall, 4-1 

Region 9 

■ KEY RETURNEES: Logan Obering 

(Sr., QB/DB); Spencer Montgomery (Sr., 

OL/DT); Dylan Fox (Sr., MLB/OL); Ryan 

Corry (Sr., WR) 

■ SCHEDULE: Aug. 17, at Bear River; 

Aug. 24, at Millard; Aug. 31, vs. American 

Leadership Academy; Sept. 7, vs. 

San Juan; Sept. 14, vs. Delta; Sept. 21, 

vs. Dixie; Sept. 28, at Pine View; Oct. 

4, at Hurricane; Oct. 12, vs. Canyon 

View; Oct. 19, at Snow Canyon 

Obering said. “My sophomore year I was just 

kind of in there. My junior year I started learning 

the plays and calling them out. Now I’ve 

got them down.” 

Even if he still wasn’t as comfortable as 

the starter as he is now, Obering was a major 

part of Cedar’s remarkable run in 2006. 

● See REDmEN on 12 

Jud Burkett / The Spectrum & Daily News 

Dixie’s Nate Carter tries to stiff arm Snow Canyon’s Quinn Linde as Linde tries to bring 

him down in a Region 9 game last season. 

Cade Cowden, Jeff Hauck, Whit Bundy, Zac 

Whitney, Jesse Nyberg, Daniel Schrimp, 

Max Sherwin and Andrew Blake. Juniors 

who’ll be called upon to contribute include 

Logan Lloyd, Ian Gatchell, Jake Mills, Chase 

Garrett Davis / The Spectrum & Daily News 

Cedar quarterback Logan Obering hands off to a running back during practice on Aug. 8. 

Teamwork along offensive line will be key to Dixie’s success 

Harmon and Travis Bleazard. 

Sharp and Uluave are among the team’s 

leaders. 

“Our job is to just be an example, showing 

the younger kids you work hard and you 

Dixie Flyers 

Aug. 17-at Springville 

Aug. 24-Cimmarron 

Aug. 31-Coronado 

Sept. 7-Bishop Gorman 

Sept. 14-bye 

Sept. 21-at Cedar 

Sept. 28-at Canyon View 

Oct. 4-at Pine View 

Oct. 10-Snow Canyon 

Oct. 19-Hurricane 

deserve it,” Uluave said of his role. He said 

that example extends from the field into 

the classroom. 

Sharp agreed. “As leaders we’re trying to 

be an example and set the tone.” 

Both said last season, in which the Flyers 

finished with an 8-5 record and a visit to 

the Class 3A semifinals, taught them many 

valuable lessons. 

“We learned to work together and go 100 

percent on every down to get close to the 

state championship,” Sharp said. 

“I actually learned a lot of stuff from last 

season,” Uluave said. “You just work that 

much harder because you want to get there 

(to the state finals) and get that ring on 

your finger.” 

This season, of course, the Flyers and 

their crosstown rivals at Pine View and 

● See FLYERS on 12



Hurricane’s 

formula: 

fewer miscues, 

more wins 

By GARRON TOOLEY 

For The Spectrum & Daily News 

HURRICANE — Hurricane football coach 

Chris Homer has a pretty good idea of what 

it will take to improve upon his team’s 5-6 

record from last year. 

Cut down on mistakes. 

“We had a pretty good team last year,” 

said Homer, “but turnovers killed us in 

most of our games last season.” 

Hurricane opens the 2007 campaign 

tonight at home against Millard before traveling 

to Delta to play the Rabbits. 

“If we work hard and execute, we’ll win 

a lot of games this year,” said Homer. “It’s 

important for us to get out of the gates early 

and be ready to play.” 

Hurricane lost several players at the 

offensive skill positions, but has four starting 

offensive linemen returning. Juniors 

Ryan Butler and Justin Edwards are back 

along with seniors Justin Behunin and Jared 

Behunin to pave the way for junior fullback 

Gordy Dotson. 

“We’re expecting big things out of 

Dotson,” said Homer. “If he can stay healthy, 

we’ll be in good shape.” 

Dotson rushed for more than 1,600 yards 

last season, a total that leads Homer to 

■ 

■ 

■ 

Hurricane Tigers 

COACH: Chris Homer 

2006 RECORD: 5-6 

SCHEDULE: Aug. 17, vs. Millard; 

Aug. 24, at Delta; Aug. 31, at Moapa; 

Sept. 7, vs. Virgin Valley; Sept. 14, at 

Park City; Sept. 21, at Canyon View; 

Sept. 28, vs. Snow Canyon; Oct. 5, vs. 

Cedar; Oct. 10, vs. Pine View; Oct. 19, 

at Dixie 

Quarterback Jase Langston hands the ball to running back Zach Sorenson during a recent practice. 

believe opposing defenses will key on him. 

Senior Kirby Webb also returns to help the 

Tigers ground attack. 

Going into the season, Brock Prince was 

thought to be the starting quarterback for 

the Tigers, but volunteered to move to the 

backfield with Dotson. 

“Brock is really a team leader and sets a 

good example for our team,” Homer said. 

“He gets everybody else thinking what 

they can do to help the team, and it really 

improves our chemistry.” 

The Tigers are young on defense this year, 

returning only four starters from last year’s 

squad. Seniors Kirby Webb, Justin Behunin 

and Jared Behunin will shore up the defense 

at linebacker while junior Justin Edwards 

returns on the defensive line for the Tigers. 

After losing all four defensive backfield 

starters from last year’s team, Homer is still 

undecided on who his main cornerbacks 

and safeties will be. He did mention that 

Prince will see some action at safety. 

● See TIGERS on 14 



Hurricane football players participate in a drill at a recent practice. 

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Mature Panthers ready for better finish 

By DAVID CORDERO 

dcordero@thespectrum.com 

ST. GEORGE — You want 

accountability? Ask Pine View 

football coach Ray Hosner and 

returning quarterback Nick 

Marinko why Pine View missed 

the playoffs last season. 

Hosner: “I did a bad job coaching 

last year. I wasn’t focused where I 

needed to be. The attitude was a 

little bit more negative last year and 

that’s my fault for not being able to 

get that under control.” 

Marinko: “I was a big head case 

last year because I moved here 

right before the season. I was kind 

of new to the offense and everything, 

I was still learning the whole 

time. I wasn’t really comfortable.” 

There doesn’t appear to be the 

slightest bit of finger pointing 

among the Panthers this season, 

which bodes well for a club returning 

a plethora of starters that will 

compete with Snow Canyon and 

Dixie for a berth in the 4A playoffs. 

In fact, leadership abounds. 

Consider: Toward the end of a 

practice last week, two seniors were 

observed refocusing teammates on 

the sideline who weren’t directly 

involved in the kickoff return drills 

going on in front of them. There 

wasn’t any yelling, yet the message 

sent was anything but vague. 

“(Last year’s) juniors know what 

last year felt like, and it’s what’s driving 

us now,” senior Bo Heaton said. 


Pine View quarterback Nick Marinko 

throws a pass during practice. 

Pine View Panthers 

■ COACH: Ray Hosner 


2-3 Region 9 

■ KEY RETURNEES: Nick 

Marinko (Sr., QB); Riley Dias 

(Sr., WR-CB); Bo Heaton (Sr., 

S); Travis Tait (Sr., RB) 

■ SCHEDULE: Aug. 17, vs. 

Mountain View; Aug. 24, 

vs. Las Vegas; Aug. 31, at 

Shadow Ridge (Nev.); Sept. 7, 

at Uintah; Sept. 14, at Lehi; 

Sept. 21, at Snow Canyon; 

Sept. 28, vs. Cedar; Oct. 5, vs. 

Dixie; Oct. 10, at Hurricane; 

Oct. 19, vs. Canyon View 

Pine View opened the 2006 season 

with three straight victories 


Snow Canyon senior quarterback Kurt Henderson throwS a pass. 

Pine View’s offensive and defensive lines work on a positioning drill. 

but only won two of its last seven. 

For a team that had gone 55-16 

in the last six seasons, failing to 

reach the postseason was a bitter 

pill to swallow. 

“I was really down for a couple 

of weeks after that,” Marinko said. 

“You work so hard (to get in the 

playoffs) and then it’s just kind of 

done.” 

The Panthers’ defense was a 

major culprit of the team’s letdown 

in Region 9 play, surrendering 31, 

36 and 31 points in losses to Snow 

Canyon, Cedar and Hurricane. 

“We had the speed, we had the 

talent, we had the players, but we 

just didn’t work together as a unit,” 

said Heaton, the team’s hybrid 

safety-linebacker. “We’re going to 

use our experience to make sure 

we don’t fall into the same thing.” 

By DAVID CORDERO 

dcordero@thespectrum.com 

ST. GEORGE — There is no disputing 

Snow Canyon’s talent. 

In Adam Timo, the Warriors have one of 

the state’s most explosive running backs. 

In Dalton Groskreutz, they have one of 

the state’s most talented wide receivers. 

In Kason Gubler and R.J. Best, they 

have some of the most skilled offensive 

linemen. 

But will Snow Canyon have enough at 

every position to go deep into the postseason 

again? 


Warriors stacked with 

talent, seeking depth 

● See WARRIORS on 13 

■ 

■ 

■ 

Heaton, a senior, leads a quick 

and talented group of defenders. 

The linebacking corps will consist 

of seniors Travis Tait and Jared 

Worthington, along with junior 

Adam Bangerter. 

Senior Riley Dias and junior 

Robert Evans will man the cornerback 

positions, while Justin Ence 

● See PANTHERS on 13 

snow Canyon warriors 

COACH: Rick Secrist (1st Year) 

200 RECORD: 10-3 (3-2 Region 9) 

KEY RETURNEES: Adam Timo (Jr., 

RB); Dalton Groskreutz (Sr., WR); Kason 

Gubler (Sr., OL); Sam Morgan (Sr., LB); 

Matt Condie (Sr., LB) 

■ 

SCHEDULE: Aug. 17, vs. Uintah; 

Aug. 24, vs. Orem; Aug. 31, at Canyon 

Spring; Sept. 7, vs. El Dorado; Sept. 

14, at Carbon; Sept. 21, vs. Pine View; 

Sept. 28, at Hurricane; Oct. 5, at Canyon 

View; Oct. 10, at Dixie; Oct. 19, 

vs. Cedar



New system won’t slow 

Wolves’ playoff plans 

By BOB HUDSON 


ENTERPRISE — Although 

Enterprise only has only a handful 

of starters back and a new 

coach, receiver Trevor Colf is 

optimistic the Wolves can return 

to the Class 1A playoffs. 

Last year’s team reached the 

semifinals. 

“We’ve got to readjust to a new 

offense and defense, but I think 

we should have a pretty good 

team,” Colf said. “It’s a pretty big 

change, but we had most of our 

coaches last year. Practice has 

been going good, learning all the 

new plays.” 

Colf ’s fellow returning 

starters include running back 

Chance Phelps, fullback Brayan 

Cervantes and Curtis Banks 

on the line. Justin Vanderhoef 

got experience at quarterback. 

Colf said last year taught them, 

“how to take charge of the 

team.” 

The Wolves open the season 

at Class 2A Beaver tonight. 

The Wolves play two more 2A 

teams in Juab and Richfield 

before opening their league 

schedule by entertaining North 

Sevier on Sept. 14. Their annual 

rivalry game against nearby 

Lincoln County, Nev., will be in 

Enterprise Sept. 7. 

“It’s a tough schedule. There 

are no weak sisters out there,” 

said Jones. 

Jones said the Wolves’ offense 

will feature play action from a 

pro set while their base defense 

will be a 4-3. The 20-year coaching 

veteran said his philosophy 

is, “raise the expectations 

and get the players to see their 

potential.” 

Like the other Class 1A schools 

which play football, the Wolves 

have a small squad. 

FALCONS 

l Continued from 3 

Dwain Hatch, a member of the 

Washington state high school hall 

of fame, coached the offense at 

powerhouse Bellevue High School, 

Hunter said. Hatch now lives in St. 

George. 

“He’s nationally know as one of 

the best,” Hunter said. ”He works 

kids and is strict and ‘old school.’ 

EntErprisE WolvEs 

■ COACH: Barry Jones 

■ 2006 RECORD: 6-6, Lost 

in Class 1A semifinals. 

■ KEY RETURNEES: 

Chance Phelps (Sr, RB); 

Brayan Cervantes (Sr, FB); 

Trevor Colf (Sr, WR); Curtis 

Banks (Sr, OL). 


Beaver; Aug. 24, at Juab; 

Aug. 31, Lincoln; Sept. 7, 

Richfield; Sept. 14, North 

Sevier; Sept. 21, at Altamont; 

Sept. 28, Rich; 

Oct. 5, at Milford; Oct. 12, 

Parowan; Oct. 19, at Kanab 

“We have 25 kids out,” Jones 

said. “We need a few numbers but 

the ones we’ve got are committed. 

“Our goal is state all the way. 

We made tremendous strides the 

first week.” 

Numerous athletes will be 

called upon to make contributions 

to the team’s success. 

Included are Jacen Hafen and 

Richard Leavitt on the line, tight 

end Austin Moyle, linebacker Ben 

George, defensive backs Kevin 

and Jonathan Cervantes and 

youngsters Ryan Jones (sophomore 

running back), receiver 

Travis Colf (receiver) and Slade 

Moyle ( freshman quarterback). 

During the course of the season 

others may add their names 

to the list of key contributors. 

Although Jones came out of 

northern Utah, he knows a little 

about the Class 1A favorites. “The 

big names I hear are Duchesne 

and Kanab,” he said of last year’s 

finalists and this year’s preseason 

favorites. 

That’s what we’re trying to teach 

these kids, is to be efficient.” 

For now, the Falcons are making 

strides. But Hunter said they are 

far from ready to play their first 

game, which is Aug. 24 at Emery. 

“It’s good to see some strides, 

but I feel we can do better,” 

Hunter said. “They can’t be satisfied 

with being mediocre. They 

have to step up and get to the 

next level.” 

Friendship, fun important for Cowboys 

By BOB HUDSON 


Although Kanab finished last 

season with an 11-2 record, coach 

Bucky Orton wasn’t happy. 

“We won 11 games but didn’t 

field a team that I was satisified 

with because of some internal 

problems,” Orton said. “So, this 

year our main focus is to play 

together and be the best friends 

you can be.” 

The Cowboys have several 

returning starters among their 

nine seniors. Included are lineman 

Rick Visser, running backs 

Thomas Quist, Levi Vincent and 

Logan Mazzettia and tight end 

Ty Bunting. T.J. Reidhead played 

linebacker last season, but will be 

quarterback this season. 

Other seniors who’ll play key 

roles in Kanab’s success include 

wide receiver Mark Vreeken, running 

back Mike Garcia and lineman 

John Ortiz. 

“I think we will have some better 

things than the chemistry issues 

last year,” said Bunting, who is 6foot-3 

and 230 pounds. “We can tell 

the chemistry is there. We’re all a lot 

better friends. I think we’ll have a lot 

of fun and have a good year.” 

Orton said that, while their 

numbers are down a bit (with 40 

out for the team), the Cowboys 

have the potential to return to the 

state Class 1A championship game. 

“We have talent. We just have to 

play as a team.” 

Orton said several underclassmen 

are part of the talent pool. 

Included are sophomore tackle 

Thomas Chamberlain, junior linebacker 

Bryce Hafen and junior 

defensive backs Justin Orton and 

Jordan Nielson. 

“We have a lot of talent coming 

up,” Bunting said. “I’m kind of 

excited to see where they go.” 

Kanab will open its season tonight 

at Class 2A San Juan. Duchesne, the 

defending Class 1A champion, and 

North Sevier, a Class 1A newcomer, 

are among the other teams on 

the schedule. 

Kanab CoWboys 

■ COACH: Bucky Orton 

■ 2006 RECORD: 11-2, Lost 

in Class 1A finals. 

■ KEY RETURNEES: Thomas 

Quist (Sr, RB); Levi Vincent 

(Sr, RB), Logan Mazzettia (Sr, 

FB), Rick Visser (Sr, OL/DL); Ty 

Bunting (Sr, TE). 


San Juan; Aug. 24, Beaver; 

Aug. 31, at Manti; Sept. 7, 

Moapa; Sept. 14, Duchesne; 

Sept. 21, at North Sevier; 

Sept. 28, at Parowan; Oct. 5, 

at Layton Christian; Oct. 12, 

Milford; Oct. 19, Enterprise 

“I think it’s a great thing for them 

and us,” Orton said of North Sevier’s 

drop into the Class 1A football 

ranks. “They’re going to be a decent 

team this year and that’s going to 

make the league a lot better.” 

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Langston looks to revive Tigers 

By BEAU EASTES 

beastes@thespectrum.com 

MILFORD — Dylan Carter is with 

Milford football for the long haul. 

Even though the senior running 

back will graduate this spring, Carter 

— along with new coach Robert 

Langston — hopes to lay the groundwork 

for the revival of Tiger football. 

“We want to win a couple games 

and at least compete,” said Carter, 

one of four seniors out for football 

in Milford. “But (the long-term) is 

really important. My dad’s helping 

coach and I’ve got a little brother 

coming up. For Milford to have a 

name (in football) when he plays 

would help a lot.” 

Carter and his teammates have their 

work cut out for them. The Tigers (4-7 

in 2006) have just 20 kids out, 15 of them 

freshmen and sophomores. 

“We’re a very young team, probably 

the youngest since I coached 

here the first time,” said Langston, 

who returns to lead Milford’s football 

program after serving as the 

head coach from 1995-99. “We 

have some pretty good speed but 

we’re not that big up front.” 

First and foremost the Tigers will 

have to find a way to replace four-year 

starter Blake Williams. The quarterback/running 

back ran for more than 

1,400 yards last year, helping Milford 

average 22.9 points a game. 

Sophomore Austin Theme could 

provide some spark as the Tiger’s 

signal caller while Carter and 

sophomore Nate Pectol, a member 

of Milford’s 1A 4x100 state championship 

team this spring, should 

get the bulk of the carries. 

“Carter’s playing every position 

in the backfield,” Langston said. 

“He’s a great kid and will be a leader. 

Pectol’s probably the fastest kid 

on the team. We expect big things 

milford Tigers 

■ COACH: Robert Langston 

(first year) 


3-3 1A South. 

■ KEY RETURNEES: Dylan 

Carter (sr., running back/linebacker), 

Austin Thieme (so., 

quarterback) 


White Pine, 7 p.m.; Aug. 31, 

at West Wendover, 7 p.m.; 

Sept. 7, Lincoln County (Nev.), 

7 p.m.; Sept. 14, at Parowan, 

7 p.m.; Sept. 21, Monticello 

(homecoming), 7 p.m.; Sept. 

28, at Duchesne, 7 p.m.; Oct. 

5, Enterprise, 7 p.m.; Oct. 12, 

at Kanab, 7 p.m.; Oct. 19, 

North Sevier, 7 p.m. 

out of him if he plays hard.” 

Carter looks to lead the Tigers’ 

defense, a unit that gave up 28 

points a game a year ago. 

“Our defense is centered around 

the blitz,” Carter said. “We’ve got a lot 

of different packages we’re putting in. 

... We need to spark the team.” 

The Tigers, who have an extra week 

of practice for their season opener 

at White Pine because of a bye during 

Endowment Week, face a brutal 

stretch in their schedule when 

they face defending state champions 

Duchesne, state semifinalist 

Enterprise and state runner-up Kanab 

in back-to-back-to-back weeks. 

“We’re going to give some 

younger kids experience and try 

and do some things,” Langston 

said. “We’d like to win as many 

games as possible, but now that 

( former 2A football-school) North 

Sevier has dropped down, we’ve 

got a really tough region.” 

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PAROWAN — Just call him 

Parowan’s “Mr. Versatile.” 

Starting his third stint as 

a coach of a different major 

boys sport, new football 

coach Matt Labrum continues 

to make a name for himself in 

the community. 

In 2004, Labrum coached the 

Rams to their only 2A boys basketball 

state championship. Since 

then, he has continued to lead 

the Rams’ baseball squad. 

“I loved all those sports when 

I was younger,” Labrum said. “I 

played them all in high school 

and whichever was in season was 

my favorite sport.” 

It looks like football is his new 

favorite, at least until next baseball 

season. 

Replacing Rod Murphy, who 

resigned as head football coach 

last winter, Labrum hopes to 

help the Rams build a program 

at a school that has never been 

known for football. 

“Obviously, for many years here 

in Parowan, there hasn’t been 

a huge football tradition,” said 

Labrum, who is ecstatic about a 

turnout of more than 60 players 

for the team this year. 

Labrum knows it’s possible. 

Enterprise, for example, has had 

football for less than 10 years. But 

the Wolves have become one of 

the marquee 1A programs, continually 

competing for the state 

championship. 

“I think Enterprise bought into 

it right away,” Labrum said. “I 

don’t think Parowan right now is 

a football community. I think we 

as a coaching staff have to earn 

their respect.” 

He has a team that could be a 

good start. 

The Rams return their entire 

starting offensive line, continuity 

that Labrum believes will help 

establish the running game. 

“(The new coaches) are changing 

everything, but it’s going 

good,” said senior offensive 

and defensive lineman Landon 

Abbott. “We’re working on tackling 

a lot more and special teams. 

We weren’t doing as well at them 

as we should have done.” 

Tackling, especially, has been 

the priority for the Rams so far. 


Parowan’s versatile new coach 

hopes to build grid tradition 


Parowan football coach Matt Labrum watches his players as they warm up for practice on Aug. 10. 

“We’re trying to learn instead 

of tackling people up top, make 

sure you hit low and bring your 

hips through,” said senior lineman 

Tagert Smith. 

The Rams open the season 

today at Monticello and will open 

their home slate Aug. 24 against 

Richfield. 

Parowan rams 

■ COACH: Matt Labrum 


1-3 1A South 

■ KEY RETURNEES: Tagert 

Smith (Sr., OL/DL), Nick 

Wood (Jr., QB), Landon Abbott 

(Sr., OL/DL), Clyde Shurtleff 

(Sr., OL/DL), Jake Barton 

(Sr., OL/DL), Ben Lister 

(Sr., OL/DL) 

■ SCHEDULE: Aug. 17, 

at Monticello; Aug. 24, vs. 

Richfield; Aug. 31, vs. South 

Sevier; Sept. 7, at Gunnison; 

Sept. 14, vs. Milford; Sept. 

28, vs. Kanab; Oct. 5, at 

North Sevier; Pct. 12, at 

Enterprise; Oct. 18, vs. 

Layton Christian



Beavers hope offensive, defensive 

lines can propel them to playoffs 

By BEAU EASTES 


BEAVER — In Steve Hutchings 

second year at Beaver, the Beavers 

improved from 3-7 to 5-5, taking 

third place in the 2A South region 

before advancing to the 2006 

postseason. 

And even though Hutchings’ 

club returns just four starters 

from last year’s team, the Beavers 

should still be in the playoff hunt 

come October thanks to his big 

bodies up front. 

“Since the start of camp our 

line has been the strength of the 

team,” said Hutchings, whose team 

opens the season Aug. 17, against 

Enterprise. “We took a step forward 

(in 2006) from the previous year, but 

we’re hoping that was just a stepping 

block for this year.” 

Senior Kade Blackner returns for 

his senior year after starting in the 

trenches the past two falls, as does 

junior Hayden Jessup. Both linemen 

will start on the Beavers’ offensive 

and defensive lines with senior 

Sam Spounias and Weston Roberts 

also seeing time on both sides of 

the ball. 

“We should take a lot off the linebackers,” 

said Blackner, one of four 

By KEVIN ALLEN 

USA TODAY 

When center Robbie Krutilla 

attended his first team meeting 

with newly hired Western 

Michigan coach Bill Cubit in 

2005, he came away with a keener 

understanding of what it means to 

have a commanding presence. 

He doesn’t recall what Cubit 

said, but he remembers the sense 

of resolve in Cubit’s voice and the 

mixture of awe and optimism that 

swept over players in the room. 

“I’ll never forget that day 

because when he came in everyone 

sat straight up,” Krutilla said. 

“He just made us believe that day 

we were going to win. I don’t know 

if I thought it was going to happen 

this quick, but I knew we were 

going to have success.” 

On that day two years ago, 

Cubit was talking to players who 

had endured a 1-10 season in 

2004. Since Cubit took over, the 

senior captains. “They don’t have to 

worry if we’ll do our jobs.” 

Having started last year as a sophomore, 

Jordan McMullin returns 

at linebacker to lead a unit that 

gave up 19.4 points a game in 2006. 

In addition to his defensive duties, 

McMullin looks to get his share of 

carries as the fullback in Hutchings’ 

Air Force-style offense. 

But while McMullin looks to 

take over where Garrett Eyre left off 

last year, Hutchings is still searching 

for a quarterback to replace 

Justin Moss. 

“The two kids that are front runners 

are (junior) Brandon Bradshaw 

and (sophomore) Jex Jones,” said 

Hutchings, who doesn’t want to use 

a platoon system. “We just don’t 

quite know yet, but we’ll have a 

definite starter.” 

In addition to McMullin, Jordan 

Hutchings (no relation), Levi Hobbs 

and Staton Littlefield all look to get 

carries in Beaver’s ground-based 

offense. 

“Even though we’re still not sure 

on a quarterback yet, we’ve got 

two good wingbacks and a big, 

good fullback,” Blackner said. “Our 

options are looking pretty good.” 

The Beavers, who compete in 

Broncos have gone 15-9 and made 

the school’s first bowl appearance 

in 18 years. Now, they are the Mid- 

American Conference media’s preseason 

pick to win the Western 

Division. 

“It’s just discipline,” said junior 

defensive tackle Nick Varcadipane. 

“We were undisciplined back then. 

Players were getting in trouble off 

the field, and Coach Cubit just 

came in and straightened us out.” 

Most college coaches talk about 

discipline as much as they talk 

about offense and defense, but 

Cubit has dramatically altered the 

team’s reputation. Krutilla said 

the Broncos used to be “jerks of 

the MAC and now we are as classy 

as they come.” 

“The number one thing is 

always discipline,” Cubit said. 

“And there is no discipline without 

enforcement.” 

Cubit (pronounced Q-bit) rid 

the Western program of so many 

players when he arrived he had to 

the same region as defending state 

champion San Juan and state runner-up 

Millard, opens their season 

with an Endowment Game against 

1A Enterprise. 

“We’ve got to go out and want it 

more this year,” Blackner said. “This 

is our third year (with Hutchings), 

kids are a little more smarter and 

know what they’re doing.” 

Beaver Beavers 

■ COACH: Steve Hutchings 


3-2 Region 9. 

■ KEY RETURNEES: Kade 

Blackner (sr., offensive/defensive 

lineman), Jordan McMullin 

(jr., linebacker), Hayden 

Jessup (jr., offensive/defensive 

lineman) 

■ SCHEDULE: Aug. 17, 

Enterprise, 7 p.m.; Aug. 24, 

at Kanab, 7 p.m.; Aug. 31, 

Juab, 7 p.m.; Sept. 7, at North 

Summit, 7 p.m.; Sept. 14, at 

Grand, 7 p.m.; Sept. 21, San 

Juan, 7 p.m.; Sept. 28, South 

Sevier, 7 p.m.; Oct. 5, at Richfield, 

7 p.m.; Oct. 12, Millard, 

7 p.m. 

Cubit’s fatherly ways help raise W. Michigan football team 

use 34 freshmen in 2006. There is 

no three-strike program. If players 

violate the rules once, they are 

penalized. 

“If you aren’t wearing the right 

shirt or right shoes, you are going 

to run,” Cubit said. “If you don’t go 

to class, you are going to run and 

if your shoes are on the floor after 

practice and I pick them up you 

aren’t going to get them for two 

days. I don’t care how much those 

shoes cost you. I don’t care if they 

are $300 shoes.” 

Veterans applaud Cubit’s structured 

program because they can 

see how it translates into success. 

“He’s not really a speechmaker 

— he’s more of a parenting style,” 

Varcadipane said. “You don’t want 

to disappoint him.” 

No one understands Cubit’s 

style better than Western assistant 

coach Jake Moreland. He played 

at Western Michigan under Cubit 

when Cubit when he was an assistant 

coach there in the 1990s. 


Beaver head coach Steve Hutchings yells at his players from the 

sideline during his team’s game against Enterprise, Aug. 18, 2006. 

419657•A45 


Exp 9/15/07 Exp 9/15/07 

Exp 9/15/07

10 — Friday, August 17, 2007 — The Spectrum & Daily News 

By BOB HUDSON 


ST. GEORGE — Last season 

Dixie State’s Skyler Ence played eight 

games as a receiver. He caught 17 

passes for 222 yards. He also had one 

rush for 82 yards. 

Before the Dixie Rotary Bowl, however, 

coach Ron Haun moved Ence 

to quarterback, the position he had 

played at Pine View High School. 

Ence showed his mettle by passing 

the Rebels to an early 14-0 lead over 

Fort Lewis College. But, after he suffered 

an injury in the third quarter, 

Fort Lewis capitalized and claimed a 

24-14 victory. 

Ence was the starting quarterback 

throughout spring drills and 

has secured that position for the fall. 

He said he believes the Rebels will 

improve upon their 1-10 record in 

their first year of NCAA Division II 

competition. 

“Coming in our expectations are 

a lot higher just because of the work 

we put in during the off-season,” Ence 

said. He noted that 10 to 15 team 

members spent three days a week 

working out with one another during 

the month of July. 

Defensive back Jason Malufua said 

that summer work helped. 

“A lot of guys stayed back and worked 

hard with each other,” he said. “Now our 

practices are 10 times better (than they 

were last season). They’re a lot more 

intense. 

“The coaches put us on a good program 

of lifting and running,” Malufua 

said. “Now everybody is headed in the 

same direction.” 

Last season the team faced numerous 

challenges. Among them was an 

unfamiliarity with the caliber of competition 

in Division II. And, because 

their coaches had been hired in March, 

there was an unfamiliarity with them. 

A shortened spring practice season 

and lack of a summer program also 

played a role in the team’s struggles. 

“We have a better idea of the competition 

we’ll face,” Malufua said. 

Haun said the team’s chemistry 

seems much better although the 

players have only been practicing 

together for a couple of weeks. 

“The players coming back have 

a relationship with their position 

coaches,” Haun said. “The kids’ confidence 

is better; their knowledge is 

better. They’ve invested so now they 

want a return on their investment.” 

Support from athletic director 

Dexter Irvin and President Lee Caldwell 

has given the Rebels some of the tools 

they need to be successful, Haun said. 

“They have worked hard to get some 

equipment we didn’t have a year ago. 

They made major contributions to our 

program. Now we look and feel like a 

bonafide NCAA program.” 

Haun said that while the Rebels 

have more experience this season, 

they will still have relatively few 

seniors. That means the younger players 

must contribute heavily toward 

the team’s success. 

“I think right now for our team 

there’s a lot of potential to make a 

turnaround,” Ence said. “The biggest 

thing that has impressed me is the 

humility of the new guys.” 

Haun said the willingness of the 

older players to teach their younger 

teammates is also a key to developing 

a winning tradition. 

“We’ve got to continue to recruit 

the right kind of kid for this program,” 

Haun said. 

Approximately 100 players reported 

for the start of drills. 

Ence is the leading rusher, the 

top receiver and the leading passer 

returning. That means that people 

such as Dallas Irvin, Alex Richards, 

Zack Burke, Jace Allen and others will 

have plenty of opportunity to demonstrate 

their abilities. 

Linemen like Dillon Flint, Shane 

FOOTBALL 2007 


Dixie State’s Jerome Bady runs through a drill at practice Monday at 

Hansen Stadium in St. George. 

Elliott, Braden Gates, Ryan Delrosal 

and Will Liebert will have lots of 

teammates to work for. 

“The offensive line guys have 

worked real hard for coach (Scott) 

Brumfield,” Ence said. “I feel really 

comfortable back there behind 

those guys.” 

Defensively Andrew Hicks, 

Ross Doman, Levi Manutai, Gene 

Fakatoumafi, Cole Hall, Malufua, 

Steven Cook, Micah Harward, 

Keandree Magee, Dan Sumko, Chase 

Norton, John Fanene and Wayne 

Alofipo will try to build upon last 

year’s experience. 

“They’re excited. They want to get 

better,” defensive coordinator Ken 

Schmidt said. “They’re listening and 

they’re trying to get better. We’ll be 

a lot more competitive because of 

game experience.” 


Rebels optimistic about improvement 

Christopher Onstott / The Spectrum & Daily News 

Dixie State wide receiver Jesse Sylvester brings down the ball during a sideline passing drill at a recent practice. 

Dixie State RebelS 

■ COACH: Ron Haun (2nd 

year) 

■ RECORD: 1-10, First year 

NCAA Division II 

■ KEY RETURNEES: Skyler 

Ence (So, QB); Levi Manutai 

(Sr, DL); Steven Cook (So, 

LB), Jason Malufau (Jr, DB), 

Andrew Hicks (Jr, LB); Will 

Liebert (Jr, OL); Ryan Delrosal 

(Jr, OL); Scott Stevenson 

(Jr, WR). 

■ 

SCHEDULE: Aug. 25, 

at Mesa State; Sept. 1, 

Adams State; Sept. 8, at 

West New Mexico; Sept. 

15, at Montana State; 

Sept. 20, Carson-Newman; 

Sept. 29, at Humboldt 

State; Oct. 6, Mesa State; 

Oct. 20, Humboldt State; 

Oct. 27, Azusa Pacific; 

Nov. 3, Western Oregon; 

Nov. 10, at S. Oregon. 

Dixie State will open the season at 

Mesa State in Grand Junction, Colo., 

on Aug. 25. The Mavericks will come 

to Hansen Stadium later in the season. 

The Rebels’ first home game will 

be against Adams State on Sept. 1.

www.thespectrum.com FOOTBALL 2007 Friday, August 17, 2007 — The Spectrum & Daily News — 11 

Rushing attack a 

priority for T-Birds 

by bEAU EASTES 


CEDAR CITY — It was just 

the first day in pads, only their 

fifth day of practice overall, but 

Southern Utah coach Wes Meier 

let off some steam last Saturday 

during his team’s post-practice 

wrap-up session. 

“The temperature’s going up!” 

Meier — who enters the season in 

the final year of his contract with a 

10-22 record — told his team. “The 

heat’s rising!” 

With arguably the toughest 

Football Championship 

Subdivision — the classification 

formerly known as I-AA — schedule 

in the country, Meier and the 

Thunderbirds will rely heavily on 

a ground game that returns its 

top-five leading rushers. With running 

backs Johnny Sanchez (589 

yards) and Kyle Coop (378) and 

quarterback Wes Marshall (366) 

all back in 2007, SUU could realistically 

have three all-Great West 

Football Conference selections in 

its backfield. 

“Coming into any football game, 

the No. 1 priority is establishing 

the ground game,” said all-conference 

center Matt Roan, one of 

four starters back for the T-Birds 

on the offensive line. “With those 

two running backs returning, we 

couldn’t be more excited.” 

After starting the first two games 

of the year in 2006 — scoring three 

touchdowns and earning Great 

West Player of the Week honors in 

the process — Coop went down 

with an ankle injury early in Week 

3 against Weber State, opening the 

door for more playing for Sanchez. 

The Glendale (Ariz.) Community 

College transfer seized the opportunity, 

finishing the season with four 

touchdowns and 718 yards of total 

offense before being named to the 

all-Great West second team. 

“Johnny’s more of an inside, 

off-tackle runner,” Marshall said 

about his 5-foot-9, 205-pound tailback. 

“Kyle’s more of an outside, 

open-field guy. But they’re both 

fast and they really complement 

each other.” 

Adding to the T-Birds’ ground 

attack is Marshall, who originally 

came to SUU as a running back. 

SOUTHERN UTAH 

THUNDERBIRDS 

■ COACH: Wes Meier (4th 

season) 


0-4 Great West Football 

Conference 

■ KEY RETURNEES: Wes 

Marshall (sr., quarterback), 

Matt Roan (sr., center), 

La’Var Porter (sr., linebacker), 

D.J. Senter (jr., strong 

safety), Johnny Sanchez (sr., 

running back), Kyle Coop (jr., 

running back), Rob Takeno 

(so., linebacker), Jimmy Judd 

(sr., defensive end) 

■ SCHEDULE: Sept. 1, at 

Montana; Sept. 8, North 

Dakota; Sept. 15, Southern 

Illinois; Sept. 22, 

McNeese State; Oct. 6, at 

Montana State; Oct. 13, 

at Youngstown State; Oct. 

20, UC Davis; Oct. 27, at 

North Dakota State; Nov. 3, 

Cal Poly; Nov. 10, at South 

Dakota State; Nov. 17, at 

Northern Iowa. 

The Minersville native ran for 531 

yards before sacks were added to 

his rushing total, giving him 366 

yards on the ground in 2006. 

“I think we averaged about 12 

yards a carry on our “QB Power” 

play,” said offensive coordinator 

Jared Martin. “Wes is a tough guy.” 

Twice Marshall led the T-Birds 

in rushing last season even though 

his 163 completions and 323 pass 

attempts both were good enough 

for the No. 2 spot on SUU’s singleseason 

record book. 

“When he takes off everyone 

kind of holds their breath,” 

Roan said about Marshall’s Earl 

Campbell-like mentality when 

running with the football. “But a 

lot can happen outside the pocket 

and Wes can really play inside or 

outside of there.” 

Throw in 2005’s leading rusher 

Jamar Lee — he spent the majority 

of 2006 in Meier’s doghouse, 

getting just 16 carries last year, 

● See T-birdS on 14 


Southern Utah head coach Wes Meier gives instruction to his players during practice. 

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12 — Friday, August 17, 2007 — The Spectrum & Daily News FOOTBALL 2007 

redmen 


“Nobody thought we would 

do anything,” said senior 

defensive tackle Spencer 

Montgomery. “We knew we 

had heart and talent.” 

And they’re not finished yet. 

Not content with making the 

pundits who picked them to finish 

sixth look silly by claiming 

the region crown, the Redmen 

have loftier goals in 2007. 

They weren’t content with 

last season’s quarterfinal 

appearance, in which they lost 

to Delta. No, the Redmen want 

the bigger prize this season. 

“We could easily do it,” Obering 

said. “People jus t have to fill the 

spots of the people we lost.” 

Filling those gaps could be easier 

said than done. 

The Redmen do have a host 

of returning players that makes 

them one of the most dangerous 

teams in the new split-level 

Region 9. Obering will lead the 

offense, while the Redmen’s top 

defensive stars return in linebacker 

Dylan Fox and tackle Spencer 

Montgomery. 

But they still lost fullbacks 

Cory Brown and Steven Warby, 

as well as offensive lineman 

Bronson Weaver and running 

back Cabe Jensen. 

“We’ve just got to be leaders 

out there,” Fox said. “People have 

just got to step up and fill the 

shoes. (We seniors have) just got 

to get everyone pumped up.” 

Fullback is a vital part of 

Peacock’s option offense, and 

the Redmen have two choices 

to replace Brown and Warby. 

Sams was Warby’s backup at the 

beginning of the 2006 season 

but suffered an injury early in 

the year. 

Junior Trent Grover, meanwhile, 

is the strongest player on 

the team and was only beaten in 

the 40 by Obering. 

Dustin Forsyth, meanwhile, 

will slide into the rotation as a 

two-way starter on the line. 

One thing is evident: The 

Redmen are not going to sneak 

up on anybody this year. 

“We’ve already told the kids 

that,” Peacock said. “Last year I 

think we didn’t get everybody’s 

best game. ... I don’t think there 

are any guarantees. The key to 

us is how we replace those 

guys (we lost).” 


Cedar quarterback Logan Obering warms up before practice on Aug. 8. 

FLYerS 



Snow Canyon will be battling 

for berths in the Class 4A 

tournament. 

“We’ve just got to work harder 

and be more focused,” Sharp said 

of the step up a classification. 

Nelson noted that, while the 

three St. George schools are in 

the 4A classification, they will 

continue to play in Region 

9 with Cedar, Canyon View 

and Hurricane. 

“All the games are as important 

as they ever were,” Nelson 

said. “It’s the same old Region 

9. As anyone who’s been around 

here knows, on any Friday night 

anybody can beat anybody. Top 

to bottom it’s as tough as it’s 

ever been.” 

In the past the top four teams 

in the region have advanced to 

the Class 3A playoffs. This year 

the top two 4A teams and the 

top two 3A teams will advance to 

their respective tournaments. 

Dixie will play Class 4A 

Springville and three Las 

Vegas schools — Cimmaron 

Memorial, Coronado and Bishop 

Gorman — in the preseason. 

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Pine View head coach Ray Hosner goes over a drill with his team at practice. The Panthers have several skill-position players returning, including quarterback Nick Marinko. 

pAnThers 


is the starting free safety. 

The Panthers eagerly await to 

see the production they’ll get out 

of Marinko, who put on 22 pounds 

of muscle in the off-season and has 

WArrIOrs 


“We have great players in starting 

positions, but we’re looking for 

some depth,” said first-year coach 

Rick Secrist. “We need to get some 

guys to spell our starters.” 

Youth appeared to be the primary 

concern for the Warriors heading 

into last season, but an unlikely playoff 

run — Snow Canyon was seeded 

fourth out of Region 9 but reached the 

3A championship game and finished 

with a 10-3 record — put their vast 

potential on display. Now they return 

with a wealth of experience, which 

will come in handy should they reach 

the playoffs in what is generally considered 

a tougher 4A classification. 

“It’ll be a challenge, but one 

we’re ready for,” said senior Jamie 

Panganiban, the team’s start- 

a full year of the offensive system 

under his belt. Early returns are in 

his favor — he led the Panthers 

to a victory over vaunted Orange 

Lutheran (Calif.) in a 7-on-7 tournament 

in Las Vegas over the summer. 

Max Preps had Orange Lutheran 

tabbed as the eighth-ranked team 

in the country. 

ing free safety. “We’ve been working 

real hard in the offseason to 

make the step up. We have a lot 

of great three-sport athletes who 

are always doing something to stay 

in shape.” 

Several of those three-sport players 

will see ample time in the offensive 

backfield. Senior Kurt Henderson 

(baseball, basketball) has battled 

Chris Oviatt for the starting quarterback 

job. At press time, no starter had 

been confirmed, although Henderson 

appears to have an edge. He started 

last year’s season opener, a victory 

over Lehi in which he threw five 

touchdown passes. 

Henderson or Oviatt be joined in 

the backfield by Timo (basketball, 

track) and perhaps Panganiban 

(basketball, soccer). 

Timo, a junior, saw limited action 

in the first half of the season but 

Marinko will have several 

quality targets to throw to, most 

notably receivers Dias, an integral 

part of the school’s championship 

soccer team, and Evans. 

Junior Taylor Orr will start at 

wide receiver. 

“Our receivers are out here making 

catches that are unbelievable,” 

came on like gangbusters late in 

region play and the playoffs. In the 

first three rounds of the postseason, 

Timo rushed for a combined 624 

yards and seven touchdowns 

“He was an unknown quantity 

as a sophomore, but I’m sure teams 

will be gunning for him now,” Secrist 

said. “We’re looking for him to get 

better and better each game.” 

Groskreutz had more than 1,000 

yards receiving a year ago and 

returns as one of the most accomplished 

receivers in the state. 

“He’s our go-to guy,” Secrist said. “He 

has a chance to play at the next level, so 

we want to coach him to be the best we 

can be. He runs routes well and is a nice 

tall target for quarterbacks.” 

Senior Chris Brooks and sophomore 

Andrew Johnston should 

also see time at wideout in Snow 

Canyon’s new spread offense. Secrist 

Marinko said. “Being with these 

guys so long has got us all on the 

same page.” 

Travis Tait returns at running back 

and will run behind a beefy offensive 

line that averages in the neighborhood 

of 285 pounds. Junior Kevin 

Moss anchors the front five at center, 

with James Lytle and Austin Fackler 

said he has about 16 players who 

could play receiver. Six-foot-9 Seth 

Weinheimer is the tight end. 

The Warriors have four offensive 

linemen returning. Left tackle 

Kason Gubler and right guard R.J. 

Best are college prospects, offensive 

line coach James Brown said. 

They’ll be joined by right tackle 

Craig Goodwin and center Blake 

Sandberg. Sophomore Chad Goff 

will likely play left guard. 

“They’re not overly big, but they’re 

quick and smart and know their 

assignments,” Secrist said. “It’s nice 

to have that experience up front.” 

As for the defensive line, those 

guys will just “turn around,” Secrist 

said. Seniors Chris Jevsevar and 

Sam Packer will likely work their 

way into the mix. 

Three starters return in the linebacking 

corps. Sam Morgan and 

at the guard spots and bookends 

Jake Pederson and Tyler Warhurst 

at tackle. 

“This is the biggest team we’ve 

ever had,” said Hosner, who had 

two sub-200-pound linemen last 

season. “We’ll be able to run the 

ball this year and wear people 

down a little bit.” 

Brennan Schiller will man the 

inside, while Matt Condie will be 

on the outside in the hybrid linebacker-safety 

position. 

Bryson Smith and Alex Hafen will 

play cornerback, while Panganiban 

is the last line of defense. 

“We’re catching on pretty quick 

to the new defense,” Panganiban 

said. “It’s not too much different, 

but it’s more (precise).” 

Although the Warriors will 

compete in the tougher 4A classification, 

the players — with a 

nod to last year’s postseason run 

when they knocked off Park City, 

Logan and Delta in succession 

— feel they are in good shape to 

have success. 

“There are a lot of really tough 

teams, so it’s going to be a tough 

jump,” Timo said. “But I think we’ll 

do well.”

14 — Friday, August 17, 2007 — The Spectrum & Daily News COLLEGE FOOTBALL 


Can Scarlet Knights remain a BCS power? 

By RALPH D. RUSSO 

AP College Football Writer 

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The tents 

are up, and the grills are smoking. 

The first game is still a month 

away, but the tailgating has 

already begun at Rutgers on a hot 

day in early August. Thousands 

of fired-up fans have filled campus 

parking lots and descended 

on the football stadium just to 

get glimpse of the Scarlet Knights, 

who are bigger than Bon Jovi in 

the Garden State these days. 

From the attitude to the logo, 

everything at Rutgers is new and 

improved. 

After years of futility, the state university 

of New Jersey had a big-time 

college football team in 2006. The 

Scarlet Knights won a school-record 

11 games, including their first bowl 

victory, and even found themselves 

in the middle of the national title race 

for a few days in November. 

Coach Greg Schiano, who 

started his tenure at Rutgers with 

four losing seasons, has steadily 

remade a program that didn’t 

have a winning season in the eight 

years before he took over in 2001. 

But in many ways, the toughest 

part of the Scarlet Knights’ turnaround 

lies ahead. 

“We were the 12th ranked team 

in the country, but when you do it 

for the first time you can’t really say 

you’re a top-15 program,” Schiano 

said. “If we can do it over some 

period of time, then you become 

one of those programs that people 

TIGERS 


“Thank goodness we have five preseason 

games to look at and evaluate our 

kids,” said Homer. 

Homer attributes the success of a lot 

of the other teams in the state to a strong 

weight training program, something that 

he has been working hard to improve at 

Hurricane. He said he’s proud of his players 

work and commitment to the teams’ weight 

training program. More than 90% of the 127 

kids that play for Hurricane completed the 

program this year, a percentage that could 

have been higher if not for some players’ 

previous commitment to summer baseball 

and basketball leagues. 

“It bodes well for our program that 

David J. Phillip / AP 

Rutgers coach Greg Schiano reacts after Rutgers beat Kansas State in the Texas Bowl in this Dec. 28, 2006 

file photo, in Houston. Rutgers won 37-10. 

talk about traditionally. That’s the 

next step for this program.” 

For a while, there was some 

doubt whether Schiano would stick 

around to take that next step. 

Courted by Miami, his former 

employer, the New Jersey native 

used the Hurricanes’ interest as 

an opportunity to test Rutgers’ 

commitment to building a championship 

football program. 

we’ve been able to build our weight training 

program to this level,” said Homer. 

He noted that a lot of the credit goes to 

the parents of the athletes. “We have 40 

freshmen who don’t drive that completed 

the program, and we have the parents to 

thank for that,” he said. 

Homer pointed out that football is 

growing in Utah and people are excited 

about the sport and want to be involved. 

He appreciates the citizens of Hurricane 

for making an effort to come to games 

and support their kids and grandkids. 

“I feel good about this season,” Homer 

said. “We have good kids; good coaches 

and we should win lots of games this season. 

I’m proud of our team, our players 

and their parents as well as the town for 

supporting us.” 

“It’s good periodically to make 

sure that everybody’s vision is still 

the same,” Schiano said. “It served 

as a great opportunity to talk to all 

the leadership, starting with the 

governor to our president to our 

board of governors. Does everybody 

still want to be the best in 

the country? Because as long as 

we do this is where I want to be.” 

Rutgers showed its commitment 

T-BIRDS 


by extending Schiano’s contract 

through 2016, upping his total compensation 

to $1.5 million per year. 

Although it’s hard to compare 

programs, other recent turnarounds 

have shown continuity is 

key to maintaining success. 

“I think being constant and 

consistent is the issue, and to me 

that starts with the coaching staff,” 

said Virginia Tech coach Frank 

but appears to be a viable option in 2007 

— the T-Birds’ backfield seems poised for a 

breakout year. 

“We expect a lot out of them,” said Martin, 

who brought in fullbacks Johan Rauge (6- 

1, 250), Garrett Blake (6-1, 240) and Josh 

Fitisemanu (5-11, 215) to help plow wholes 

for his tailbacks. “We wanted to get some 

true fullbacks in there to provide more lead 

blocking for Coop, Johnny and Jamar.” 

The key to the whole operation, though, 

could prove to be Roan and his offensive 

linemen. With everyone but left tackle Mike 

Knight back in 2007, SUU’s line should 

improve on their 5.9 yards a play average 


Beamer, who took a program with 

little winning in its history and 

turned it into one of the most 

consistent winners in the country 

over the last 15 years. 

Virginia Tech had played in 

just six bowl games, winning one, 

before Frank Beamer became 

coach in 1987. It took Beamer, 

like Schiano, a few years to get the 

Hokies rolling. After six lackluster 

seasons, Virginia Tech went 9-3 

in 1993 and hasn’t won less than 

seven games since. 

Maybe the greatest turnaround 

in college football history was 

dubbed the Miracle in Manhattan. 

Kansas State was a mess when Bill 

Snyder took over in 1989. Snyder, 

like Schiano, methodically changed 

every aspect of the only major college 

football program to have lost 

more than 500 games — right down 

to designing a new logo. 

The Wildcats steadily improved 

and in 1993 began a string of 11 

straight seasons in which they 

earned a bowl bid. 

For Rutgers, the goal is to be 

what Virginia Tech still is — a 

program that wins seven games in 

a down year and can contend for a 

national title in its best years. 

“When I was being recruited, 

Coach Schiano told me two 

things,” quarterback Mike Teel 

said. “First thing, you’re coming to 

Rutgers University to walk out of 

here with a degree. Second thing 

is you’re going to be a champion 

playing football.” 

from a year ago. 

“You can’t manufacture experience,” Roan 

said about the 43 starts he (11), right tackle 

Tim Husselbee (11), right guard Brandon 

Guzman (11) and left guard Stephen Boyer 

(10) had last season. “Losing Mike Knight 

hurts, but having four guys that have been 

there definitely helps.” 

The T-Birds will be immediately tested in 

their season-opener against No. 2 Montana in 

Missoula. The Grizzlies, who reached the FCS 

semifinals last year, return eight starters on 

defense after posting the nation’s ninth-best 

run unit in 2006, allowing just 106.8 yards a 

game on the ground. 

“For us, it’s a major pride thing,” Roan 

said about run blocking. “You just see 

who’s better between the offensive and 

defensive lines.”


Conferences creating own networks: a tough proposition 

By RACHEL COHEN 

AP Sports Writer 

Not wanting to call the Big Ten 

a “guinea pig,” the Big 12’s Tim 

Allen chose his words carefully 

when describing how he’ll closely 

observe the other conference’s 

attempt to form its own television 

network. 

“We’re willing to let them be 

the people that test the marketplace,” 

said Allen, an associate 

commissioner. 

So are other conferences. 

The Big Ten Network debuts 

Aug. 30, a year after the Mountain 

West launched its own channel, 

The Mtn. But other conferences 

aren’t likely to follow their lead 

— at least not right away. 

The simple reason is that for 

a conference to do so, it must 

wait for current TV contracts 

to end. While the Southeastern 

Conference is beginning to look 

into the possibility, officials from 

the other major football leagues 

said they don’t believe starting 

their own network is the right 

move at the moment. 

Each conference features a 

unique combination of culture, 

fan base and marketplace. How 

many fans live in the region? What 

other sports are the games competing 

with? 

Those factors make a TV network 

a better fit for some than 

others, according to several conference 

administrators. 

“Very few can do it,” Big East 

“ 

It would seem 

that the Big Ten has 

a better chance of 

making this work 

than any other 

conference when 

you consider their 

alumni numbers, 

demographics 

and geographic 

footprint.” 

John Swofford 

ACC commissioner 

commissioner Mike Tranghese 

said. 

The Big Ten’s commissioner, 

Jim Delany, believes his conference 

boasts the right mix of components. 

“A lot of other places don’t have 

the history, don’t have the involvement 

in the region,” he said. 

His colleagues at other conferences 

agree — which is why they 

may be less likely to make the 

same decision. 

“It would seem that the Big Ten 

has a better chance of making this 

work than any other conference 

when you consider their alumni 

numbers, demographics and geographic 

footprint,” Atlantic Coast 

Conference commissioner John 

Swofford said through a spokeswoman. 

“The Big Ten is the biggest 

story in those states,” Tranghese 

said. “I’ve got to compete with the 

Yankees.” 

The Mountain West faced different 

circumstances. Conference 

officials were frustrated with 

their arrangement with ESPN 

and the network’s proposal for 

an extension, commissioner 

Craig Thompson said. Some football 

games were being played on 

Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Others 

were starting before 10 a.m. or 

after 8 p.m. 

Three years ago, officials began 

to explore launching their own 

network. The channel has allowed 

the conference to reclaim control 

over games’ dates and times. 

If there’s a conference that 

enjoys the kind of passionate following 

that would be conducive to 

a network’s success, it’s the SEC. 

“The reaction of the marketplace 

to hearing that we’re thinking 

about it has been extremely 

positive in every way,” commissioner 

Mike Slive said. 

Among the considerations 

the conference must take into 

account are its favorable current 

contract with CBS and the role 

of new media in any distribution 

plan, Slive said. 

As broadband video becomes 

more accessible and popular, conferences 

may use it as a method of 

showing some games, said Steve 

Solomon, a former executive at the 

NHL and ABC Sports. Solomon is 

now the president of SJS Sports, a 

media and marketing company. 

The new networks won’t make 

a huge impact on how fans watch 

the conferences’ most popular 

events: marquee football and 

men’s basketball games. Creating 

their own channels allows conferences 

to provide greater exposure 

for Olympic sports and for nonathletic 

programming from their 

universities as well as highlight 

and preview shows. 

The model used by the Big 

Ten and Mountain West does not 

involve every conference game 

being aired on their channels. 

Both maintain agreements with 

outside networks, on which most 

of the best football and men’s basketball 

games are still televised. 

Up to 41 Big Ten football games 

will be broadcast on ABC or ESPN 

this season. Versus or CSTV will 

air 23 Mountain West games. 

It’s those games not covered 

by traditional TV contracts that 

conferences must decide how to 

handle when they weigh whether 

to start their own network. 

Conferences have given each 

school the option of forging 

agreements to broadcast those 

games locally. The Big 12’s Allen 

and Pacific-10 associate commissioner 

Duane Lindberg said 

their conferences decided that 

approach remained the best fit 

for their members. 

The greatest challenge for the 

two new networks has been distribution 

— ensuring that fans get 

the channel. Each has yet to reach 

an agreement with a major provider, 

the MWC with satellite systems 

and the Big Ten with cable 

giant Comcast. 

Comcast and other cable providers 

have balked at the fee the 

Big Ten Network is requesting and 

its desire to be included on the 

basic tier. The key could be how 

strongly fans pressure their cable 

companies to add the channel, 

said Derek Baine, a senior analyst 

for SNL Kagan, a financial 

research firm. 

Growing pains are normal for 

a new network. A quarter century 

ago, Allen recalled, the Big Eight 

started airing basketball games on 

a fledgling sports channel. 

“We had people in western 

Kansas and parts of Missouri 

going nuts because they couldn’t 

get games,” he said. 

That network was ESPN. 

An SNL Kagan analysis predicts 

that the Big Ten Network will be 

making a profit by 2008 and earning 

an annual profit of $105.7 million 

by 2012. 

Other conferences will have 

much more precedent to study as 

they consider launching their own 

networks. 

Said Solomon, “How the Big 

Ten plays out in time will have a 

major impact on what others do.”



Pac-10 eager to flex muscles 

By ANDREW BAGNATO 


LOS ANGELES — Move over, 

New Orleans. In the eyes of 

Louisiana State coach Les Miles, 

the Pac-10 is the real Big Easy. 

Miles recently told a gathering of 

LSU fans that Southern California 

has a “much easier road to travel” 

than LSU to the BCS title game in 

the Superdome next January. 

When Pac-10 coaches, players 

and officials gathered for the conference’s 

annual pep rally — otherwise 

known as football media 

day — the reaction was a mix of 

disbelief and dismay. 

“I believe you should be very, 

very careful about talking about 

other people in everything you 

do, and particularly comparing 

teams,” commissioner Tom 

Hansen said. 

The episode underscored a 

reality of life in the Pac-10. No 

matter how much the conference 

achieves on the field, it still battles 

for national recognition, especially 

in places where root-hog-or-die 

football is a way of life. 

“If anything, it just draws attention 

to the fact that this conference 

needs to continue to keep a mindset 

of improving our reputation,” 

UCLA coach Karl Dorrell said. 

Hansen said he would like to see a 

Southeastern Conference team visit 

Pullman, Wash., in late November. 

That’s unlikely. But many in the Pac- 

10 would be happy to see USC play 

LSU for the national title in New 

Orleans in January. 

Miles seemed to project that 

matchup in his remarks to LSU 

fans. 

“They’re going to play real 

knockdown, drag-outs with UCLA 

and Washington, Cal-Berkeley, 

Stanford — some real juggernauts,” 

Miles said of the Trojans. “And 

they’re going to end up, it would 

be my guess, in some position so if 

they win a game or two, that they’ll 

end up in the title (game). I would 

like that path for us.” 

It’s fair to wonder if the Trojans’ 

road would be much tougher if 

they played in, say, the SEC West, 

home to Miles’ Tigers. 

Last September, the Trojans 

blitzed SEC West champion 

Arkansas 50-14. 

A year earlier, it was USC 70, 

Hogs 17. 

And in 2003, the Trojans went 

into Auburn and crushed the 

Tigers 23-0 in quarterback Matt 

Reed Saxon / AP 

USC quarterback John David Booty throws a pass during a recent practice. Four of the Trojans’ last five losses have come to Pac-10 opponents. 

Leinart’s first college start. 

But to some critics — including 

Miles, perhaps — those results 

only support the perception that 

the Pac-10 has become USC and 

the Little Nine. The Trojans have 

won or shared four straight conference 

titles. 

The perception is, so to speak, 

miles away from reality. Most of 

USC’s recent trouble has come in 

its own backyard. 

Four of USC’s last five losses, 

dating to October 2002, have come 

against Pac-10 rivals. 

“If you look at our score 

spreads, in-conference versus outof-conference, 

it’s obvious that 

our toughest games are in the 

conference,” Trojans coach Pete 

Carroll said. 

The rest of the Pac-10 has fared 

well at the game’s elite level. The 

Pac-10’s .636 winning percentage 

(7-4) in BCS games is second only 

to the .692 winning percentage (9-4) 

posted by the SEC among conferences 

with more than one appearance. 

And the Trojans aren’t the only 

ones doing the damage; Oregon, 

Oregon State and Washington also 

have BCS victories. 

“We certainly don’t have to 

apologize for the teams we’ve put 

in the BCS, and I think we probably 

should have had a couple 

more,” Hansen said. 

It takes talent to win BCS games, 

and the Pac-10 is usually loaded at 

the offensive skill positions. This 

season, eight of the top nine passers 

from a year ago are back. 

After Sam Keller lost the starting 

job at Pac-10 also-ran Arizona 

State a year ago, he transferred to 

Nebraska and was immediately 

named the starter for the defending 

Big 12 North champions. 

The Pac-10 will have plenty of 

chances to improve on its reputation 

this season, beginning on 

Sept. 1, when California plays host 

to Tennessee in a game that has 

suddenly become very important 

in West Coast football circles. 

Tennessee, of course, plays in 

the SEC along with LSU. And the 

Volunteers smoked Cal 35-18 in 

Knoxville last year. 

“You can’t control what other 

people say,” California coach Jeff 

Tedford said. “We’re not going to 

be motivated by something coach 

Miles said. He has an opinion, and 

he’s entitled to that opinion.” 

Pac-10 schools will play a number 

of other critical intersectional 

matchups, including Washington 

State at Wisconsin, Oregon at 

Michigan, Notre Dame at UCLA 

and Ohio State at Washington. 

USC visits both Nebraska and 

Notre Dame. 

“It’s very, very important that 

we win games like that all up and 

down the conference,” Hansen 

said. “Every time you play, you’re 

gauged.” 

Pac-10 coaches are confident 

the conference will hold its own. 

“I’d take the Pac-10 on a onegame 

basis against any team from 

any conference,” Oregon coach 

Mike Bellotti said. 

It’s not unusual for Pac-10 teams 

to challenge tough opponents. 

A year ago, nine of the nation’s 

toughest 11 schedules belonged to 

Pac-10 schools, according to Jeff 

Sagarin’s final 2006 college football 

ratings. For the record, LSU’s 

schedule ranked 20th.

www.thespectrum.com COLLEGE FOOTBALL Friday, August 17, 2007 — The Spectrum & Daily News — 17 

McFadden among many top-flight running backs 

By NOAH TRISTER 

AP Sports Writer 

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — In 1994, 

Colorado’s Rashaan Salaam beat 

out Penn State’s Ki-Jana Carter 

for the Heisman Trophy. Neither 

running back went on to do much 

in the NFL, but that race remains 

notable for an interesting bit of 

trivia. 

It’s the only time since 1981 that 

no quarterback finished in the top 

two in the Heisman voting. 

Fast forward to 2007, and it just 

might happen again. Last season’s 

best running backs — including 

Heisman runner-up Darren 

McFadden of Arkansas — are all 

returning for another shot at the 

hardware. 

“You see Darren McFadden has 

been on every magazine and you 

see how he practices. That is what 

excites you,” said Razorbacks 

coach Houston Nutt, who expects 

defenses to gang up on his star 

tailback. “Everyone knows who 

By RALPH D. RUSSO 


The BCS national championship 

game moves to New Orleans this 

season. Here’s who’ll be there and 

at the other Bowl Championship 

Series games — maybe. 

BCS national 

championship game, 

Jan. 7 in New Orleans 

Southern California vS. 

texaS: A rematch of the classic 

Rose Bowl title game from two 

seasons ago, but with no Vince 

Young to keep the Trojans for winning 

it all. 

Orange Bowl, 

Jan. 3 in Miami 

virginia teCh vS. WeSt 

virginia: The Hokies will have 

the nation’s best defense east of 

Los Angeles, and the Mountaineers 

will have the best offense with Pat 

White and Steve Slaton. 

Fiesta Bowl, Jan. 2 

in Glendale, Ariz. 

florida vS. WiSConSin: 

After going 12-1 and no BCS last 

year, Badgers get there this time. 

This is how defending champion 

Gators rebuild. 

number five is. When he gets off 

the bus, somebody’s going to be 

watching him.” 

Last year, hardly anyone could 

contain McFadden. He rushed for 

1,647 yards and finished second to 

Troy Smith in the voting for college 

football’s top honor. Just behind, 

though, was West Virginia running 

back Steve Slaton, fourth in 

the Heisman race as a sophomore 

and a first team All-American with 

McFadden. 

The second team All-Americans 

are back too — Ray Rice of Rutgers 

and Mike Hart of Michigan. Rice 

was a workhorse last season, leading 

the nation in carries as the 

Scarlet Knights went 11-2. 

“I don’t think about workload,” 

Rice said. “I didn’t really feel it. 

I just go out there and play my 

game. You’re going to do what it 

takes to help your team win.” 

The most memorable moment 

of last season might have belonged 

to another running back. Ian 

Crystal ball says USC vs. 

Texas for championship 

Branimir Kvartuc / AP 

Pete Carroll’s USC Trojans are 

loaded with talent — as usual. 

Sugar Bowl, Jan. 1 

in New Orleans 

lSu vS. tCu: The Tigers might 

be a little disappointed with a second 

straight trip down state. The 

Horned Frogs are this year’s BCS 

buster — they get there with one 

loss, falling to Texas. 

Rose Bowl, Jan. 1 

in Pasadena, Calif. 

California vS. MiChigan: 

The Bears get to the Rose Bowl 

for the first time since 1959. The 

Wolverines get there for fourth 

time in five years, but this time 

they win it. 

Johnson of Boise State scored the 

winning 2-point conversion in the 

Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma 

on a Statue of Liberty play, then 

proposed to his girlfriend on the 

field. They are now married, and 

Johnson is back after rushing for 

over 1,700 yards last season. 

From 1972-83, every Heisman 

winner was a running back. Times 

have changed, of course. Spread 

offenses have become more popular, 

and passing games are increasingly 

complex. 

So can all these great runners 

steal back the spotlight from the 

nation’s signal-callers? McFadden 

got off to a good start last year 

— by lining up at quarterback 

himself a bit. Arkansas featured 

a formation in which McFadden 

would take direct snaps from the 

shotgun. He could run, hand off or 

even pass — he went 7-of-9 for 69 

yards with three touchdowns and 

an interception. 

“I’ve always been a versatile 

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player that plays different positions,” 

McFadden said. “I’ve never 

just been in one position.” 

One reason McFadden is so 

effective is Felix Jones, another 

1,000-yard rusher for the Hogs 

last season. Jones might be the 

Southeastern Conference’s second-best 

running back. 

“He could go and start anywhere 

in the country if he wanted,” 

McFadden said. 

McFadden and Jones might be 

the nation’s top running back pair. 

Or maybe it’s Clemson’s James 

Davis and C.J. Spiller, who combined 

for over 2,100 yards rushing 

last season. 

Davis and Spiller actually finished 

third and fourth in the 

Atlantic Coast Conference in rushing. 

Ahead of them were Georgia 

Tech’s Tashard Choice (105.2 yards 

per game) and Virginia Tech’s 

Branden Ore (94.8). Those two are 

back as well. 

Choice, whose name alone 

makes him a marketable Heisman 

candidate, might become more of 

a focus as the Yellow Jackets try to 

replace receiver Calvin Johnson, a 

first-round NFL draft pick. 

“I am ecstatic about the opportunity 

to try and carry the load,” 

Choice said. 

Even the Pac-10 — land of sunshine 

and prolific passers — has 

a few running backs with All- 

American ability. 

Oregon State’s Yvenson Bernard 

(1,307 yards rushing last season) 

returns along with Arizona State’s 

Ryan Torain (1,229) and Oregon’s 

Jonathan Stewart (981). 

“He’s physical,” Arizona State 

coach Dennis Erickson said of 

Torain. “He has a chance to break 

tackles and take it to the house. He 

also gets the tough yard. ... The thing 

about Ryan is that he’s a pleasure 

because he does a lot and doesn’t 

say much. There’s a lot of those guys 

that say a lot and don’t do much, 

but he’s just the opposite of that.” 

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Colts’ Harrison still has all the tools 

By MIKE CHAPPELL 

Hayden on the practice field or 

The Indianapolis Star 

Chicago Bears cornerback Charles 

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — 

Watching No. 88 trot out onto the 

Tillman in Super Bowl XLI. 

“I just play,” Harrison said. “I 

field on a clear August morning don’t get driven by records and all 

during his 12th training camp, it’s 

human nature to wonder how far 

he can go, how long he can stretch 

out this record-breaking, age-defying 

career. 

As far as Marvin Harrison is concerned, 

the end is nowhere in sight. 

“I don’t look forward to it ending,” 

the Indianapolis Colts receiver 

said Monday as he hid from 

the searing mid-day sun in the 

shade at Rose-Hulman Institute of 

that. I just play.” 

If he continues to play at his 

Jerry Rice-like level — annual 

averages of 93 receptions, 1,245 

yards and 11 touchdowns for his 

170-game career — Harrison will 

finish the 2007 season No. 2 in 

NFL history in all three categories, 

behind only the legendary Rice. 

And if Harrison can continue 

avoid injury — he’s missed only six 

Technology. “That would be fool- games in 11 seasons — he could 

ish. I have no reason to not play. challenge the stratospheric statis- 

“(There’s) nothing saying you’ve 

got one year or you’ve got two 

years (left). There’s nothing that 

tells me that.” 

Not his body. It’s as taut and 

lean as he prepares for another 

season and nears his 35th birthday 

— Aug. 25 — as it was in July 

of 1996 when he went through his 

first training camp. 

Not his inner drive. He remains a 

perfectionist whether he’s running 

routes against teammate Kelvin 

tics compiled by Rice during his 

20-year career that will put him in 

the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

“That’s for you guys to tell the 

world,” Harrison said. “For me personally, 

I’ve just got to go out and 

play the best I can play.” 

That’s been his approach since he 

joined the Colts as the 19th overall pick 

in the 1996 draft, the fourth receiver 

taken after Keyshawn Johnson, Terry 

Glenn and Eddie Kennison. 

Tony Gutierrez / AP 

Marvin Harrison’s career numbers project he’ll end the season as the second-leading receiver in NFL history. 

Denis Poroy / AP 

Expectations are high for San Diego Chargers coach Norv Turner. 

Turner handed keys to a winner 

By JARRETT BELL 

USA TODAY 

SAN DIEGO — Next year is here 

for the San Diego Chargers, and it is 

barreling in with quite the twist for 

a team that posted an NFL-best 14- 

2 regular-season record in 2006. 

Now it’s Norv Turner’s team 

to coach. Yeah, that Norv Turner. 

Seven years as Washington Redskins 

coach, one playoff appearance. 

Two seasons at the helm with the 

Oakland Raiders, two last-place finishes. 

A career record of 58-82-1. 

Now he is trusted with the keys to 

an NFL Ferrari. 

The Chargers fired Marty 

Schottenheimer despite his 200 regular-season 

victories plus two division 

titles in the past three years. An 

ongoing feud with general manager 

A.J. Smith and yet another postseason 

meltdown — the Chargers blew 

an eight-point, fourth-quarter lead 

in their playoff-opening loss to the 

New England Patriots in January 

— cost Schottenheimer his job. 

“What great results?” Smith says. 

“You talking about regular season? 

Let me just say that my views and 

Marty Schottenheimer’s views on 

how to win a championship were 

galaxies apart.” 

Schottenheimer, told of the comments, 

laughs but doesn’t say much: 

“I think very simply about this: My 

record speaks for itself.” 

Smith knows his hire of Turner, 

who was the Chargers’ offensive 

coordinator in 2001, raises eyebrows. 

Yet Schottenheimer was 0-2 

in the playoffs with the Chargers 

and 5-13 for his postseason career. 

“People say, ’Why Norv Turner? 

He’s a loser. Look at the record,’ ” 

Smith says. “Well, you never judge 

a book by its cover. Always read the 

book first. On this other one, with 

the nice cover, I read the book. This 

one I know how he thinks.” 

Turner, offensive coordinator 

under Jimmy Johnson for a Dallas 

Cowboys Super Bowl winner, can 

call plays with the NFL’s MVP in the 

backfield, running back LaDainian 

Tomlinson, and up-and-coming 

quarterback Philip Rivers looking 

for All-Pro tight end Antonio Gates. 

The Chargers’ defense, meanwhile, 

is built on arguably the league’s best 

front seven, Pro Bowl linebacker 

Shawne Merriman and nose tackle 

Jamal Williams among them. 

When Turner started in 

Washington and Oakland, both 

franchises were coming off 4-12 finishes. 

This time, his team is trying 

to grow with an offense that led 

the NFL in scoring (30.8 points a 

game) and a defense that led with 

61 sacks. 

“I understand the responsibility,” 

says Turner, who coordinated the 

San Francisco 49ers’ offense last 

season. “They’re obviously a great 

football team. They had a great 

year last year. But everybody knows 

it really doesn’t mean much when 

you’re starting a new year. I’m not 

taking anything for granted.” 

Schottenheimer’s coordinators 

from last year are gone, too, 

after landing head coaching jobs. 

Offensive strategist Cam Cameron 

has taken over the Miami Dolphins 

while defensive counterpart Wade 

Phillips is with Dallas. 

Yet Smith believes Turner and 

defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell 

minimize playbook shock because 

they are embedded with the philosophies 

the Chargers have grown 

with in recent years.

www.thespectrum.com Friday, August 17, 2007 — The Spectrum & Daily News — 19 

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