High school football: Bountiful, Roy each get first-place votes in Region 5 preseason preview

At the end of the 2023 regular season, the Bountiful Redhawks finished tied for second in Region 5 and held a 6-4 season record. Once the playoffs came around, Bountiful pressed on the gas.

The Redhawks fought their way to the 5A championship game, where they narrowly missed out on a state championship with a 23-15 loss to Timpview.

With the 2024 football season starting in just a week, the Region 5 head coaches voted Bountiful to finish first in the region.

Bountiful head coach Jason Freckleton said last year’s success has helped fill this year’s Redhawks team with confidence.

“I think one of the main things that (the state runner-up finish) gives the kids is a little bit of confidence and belief in what we do,” Freckleton said. “They’ve seen the great leadership last year, they saw how the process played itself out, and they believe that if they put in the work, they’re going to have an opportunity to put themselves in a position to be successful.”

The Redhawks are returning a healthy number of starters, with seven offensive and six defensive starters returning from the 2023 season.

Freckleton’s decision on who will be the starting quarterback was easy with senior Emerson Geilman returning to the starting lineup. Geilman recorded a 0.598 passing percentage for 2,950 passing yards during the 2023 season.

“We’re excited,” said Freckleton. “It’s exciting when you have a returning quarterback who is hungry and has worked hard to prepare himself to have a successful season. He leads by words and example, and he’s ready to roll.”

Another aspect to this year’s Bountiful team that Freckleton is excited about is his defensive line. Freckleton said he believes this year’s defensive line could be up among the best in the state with the returning talent and the depth the Redhawks have.

The team voted to finish second right behind Bountiful is last year’s Region 5 champion Roy.

The Royals are coming off a strong 2023 season where they recorded a 6-1 region record and a 9-3 season record.

While Roy fell short in last year’s quarterfinal, it will have a strong reload with eight returning offensive starters and seven returning defensive starters.

This year, Roy has experience on its side.

“I’m excited about this group,” said Roy head coach Chris Solomona. “This group is pretty experienced. A lot majority of these players are going to be seniors and many of them played a big role for us last season.”

During the 2023 season, Roy scored an average of 35.08 points per game, which ranked as second best in 5A. The Royals hope to see even greater offensive improvement with quarterback Dru Gardner starting for the third straight season.

Solomona said the guys around Gardner will help unlock Roy’s offense even more.

“It starts with Dru,” said Solomona. “He’s a three-year starter but he’s surrounded by some solid weapons. These are guys that have lots of experience.”

Solomona mentioned Robert Young, Kahekili Eleneke and Isaiah Morris all as key returning pieces with Isaiah Morris and Hunter Webb as guys who have stood out this summer.

Roy was just as strong defensively as it was offensively last year, only giving up 16.5 points per game, which ranked third in 5A. With seven returning starters, Solomona said he is just as confident in his defense.

“I’m excited about our defense,” Solomona said. “I think our linebacker core is the strength of our defense. Coach (Jake) Gallegos, our defensive coordinator, has done a great job all offseason of finding ways to keep our defense really solid.”

After finishing fourth last season, Woods Cross was voted to slightly improve and finish third in the region.

Stepping into his fourth season, Woods Cross head coach Brody Benson said he anticipates a lot of guys to step into leadership roles this season.

“We have been working very hard this offseason and are excited for the season to start,” said Benson. “We will have a lot of players stepping into leadership and starting roles and are confident in what we are doing offensively and defensively.”

Woods Cross football has historically struggled, and it has not won a region title since 2014. However, with six returning offensive starters and four returning defensive starters, the Wildcats are hopeful to turn things around.

Finishing fourth in this year’s preseason votes is the Viewmont Vikings. The Vikings are looking to recover from a struggling 2-5 region finish last season.

Viewmont head coach Andru Jones noted leadership and experience as a driving force toward success for his team this season.

“We return a strong lineup of experienced starters,” said Jones. “Building on the solid foundation laid last year. With a majority of our players coming back, we expect their experience and leadership to help us get through the tough region we play in. We (are) emphasizing the mental part of the game this offseason, so we can play in the tough games this year.”

Among the returning Viking starters is Titan Longson, who will return at quarterback and will lead Viewmont’s offense.

Right after Viewmont is Box Elder, who was voted to finish fifth.

Box Elder will have a tall task in getting its youth ready to fill in on offense. The Bees are only returning three offensive starters from last season after scoring 34.25 points per game last season.

“The Box Elder Football team will be full of young talent,” said Box Elder head coach Carson Mund. “Our strength will be in the trenches as we return three starters on the O-line and three starters on the D-line. We are going to be a tough and gritty football team. We will try and control the time of possession, and win the battle upfront every game.”

Box Elder will have a bit more continuity from last season on its defensive side, with six starters returning for the Bees. However, after finishing in a second-place tie in Region 5 last year, Box Elder will have to overcome its lack of returning players to find its way to the top of the region again this season.

Last season, the Northridge Knights finished sixth in the region, and they were voted to finish sixth again this season.

Northridge has struggled since the turn of the century, with its last region title being in 2003. Head coach Andrew Fresques enters his fifth season at Northridge and will continue to help his team find improvement.

The Northridge offense, with only four returning starters and a new quarterback, will need to quickly find its footing. The Knights will return seven defensive starters.

Bonneville is next and was voted to finish seventh. The Lakers were a middle-of-the-pack team last season, finishing with a 6-6 record and losing to Roy 40-0 in the second round of the state tournament.

Bonneville will have eight returning starters from last season, four offensive and four defensive.

“We have several key spots with multiple years of varsity experience,” said Lakers’ head coach Jantz Afuvai. “We will rely on them as our newer guys gain experience with Friday night game speed. Our success will be determined by how quickly we can mesh into a cohesive unit.”

Few teams struggled as much last year as the Clearfield Falcons. The Falcons finished last in Region 5, ended the season without a win, and did not qualify for the postseason.

The Falcon’s offense scored only 8.2 points per game last season, which ranked second worst in 5A. Their defense was worse, giving up 46.8 points per game, which was the worst in 5A.

But Clearfield is looking forward, as Cody Caputo steps in as the Falcon’s head coach. Caputo spent the last six seasons as an assistant coach at Farmington.

“We are looking forward to growing as a program, and building something special this year,” said Caputo. “We will improve this season; we will improve a little bit every week. We have a ton of support and can’t wait to go out and give the community something to be excited about, and something to be proud of.”

Region 5 projections

(Preseason rankings are based on coaches’ votes)

1. Bountiful Redhawks

2024 Schedule

Head coach: Jason Freckleton

In four seasons as Bountiful’s head coach, he’s posted a 32-16 record, including region titles in 2021 and 2022 and a state runner-up finish last year. He previously was an assistant at Bountiful for 10 years. He’s a graduate of Bountiful and Weber State University.

Coach Jason Freckleton’s general outlook

“The team is excited and ready to get back on the field. We look to build off the momentum and success from last season, but understand this is a new year and everything will have to be earned. We bring back six plus returning players on both sides of the ball and have great leadership throughout our team. We have some exciting young talent to fill some of the roles that was vacated by our seniors from last year’s team.”

Offensive coordinator: Jason Freckleton

2023 offense: 30.2 ppg (No. 10 in 5A)

• Seven returning starters
• Spread offense

Returning offensive starters

• Emerson Geilman, Sr., QB
• Siaki Fekitoa, Jr., RB
• Brian Bushman, Sr., C
• Brian Socci, Sr., OG
• Paxton Gibson, Sr., OG
• Will Nixon, Sr., OT
• Britton Tidwell, Sr., WR

Key offensive newcomers

• Brock McSwain, Sr., WR
• Beau Burningham, Sr., WR
• Zeke Murdock, Jr., RB

Defensive coordinator: Jason Walker

2023 defense: 20.33 ppg (No. 7 in 5A)

• Six returning starters
• 3-4 defense

Returning defensive starters

• Justice Taufa, Sr., DE
• Josh Liljenquist, Sr., DE
• Caleb Norris, Sr., DT
• Ethan Higginson, Sr., DT
• Britton Tidwell, Sr., FS
• Brock McSwain, Sr., CB

Key defensive newcomers

• Parker Moore, Sr., CB
• Colton Krogue, Sr., SS
• Rex Walker, Sr., OLB
• Dawson Allsop, Jr., MLB
• Connor Mertz, Jr., MLB
• Aisake Willis, Jr., SS

2. Roy Royals

2024 Schedule

Head coach: Chris Solomona

A former Roy assistant for seven years, he’s heading into his third year as head coach after leading the program to a 16-7 record the past two years. He’s a graduate of San Pedro High School in California and the University of Oregon.

Coach Chris Solomona’s general outlook

“We are coming off an outright region championship and we are returning several key starters on both sides of the ball. We feel like we can be very competitive again this year. We are excited for the upcoming season.”

Offensive coordinator: Connor Mcguire

2023 offense: 35.08 ppg (No. 2 in 5A)

• Eight returning starters
• Spread offense

Returning offensive starters

• Dru Gardner, QB
• Robert Young, RB/WR
• Isaiah Morris, WR
• Kili Eleneke, WR
• Cade Draper, C
• Wesley Barker, RT
• Kasch Casero, LG
• Logan Cella, RB

Key offensive newcomers

• Hunter Webb, TE
• Rhett Slater, WR
• Ryker Cordero, TE
• Alfie Hurtado, OG
• Mason Boyer, OT
• Hank Mullen, OL

Defensive coordinator: Jake Gallegos

2023 defense : 16.5 ppg (No. 3 in 5A)

• Seven returning starters
• 3-4 defense

Returning defensive starters

• Logan Cella, LB
• Hunter Webb, LB
• Jaxton Scoffield, LB
• Ryan Foss, LB
• Justus Flores, DT
• Kili Eleneke, CB
• Isaiah Morris, CB

Key defensive newcomers

• Beau Brown, DE
• Ange Ahui, DE
• Colby Frokjer, FS
• Robert Young, SS
• Rhett Slater, CB

3. Woods Cross Wildcats

2024 Schedule

Head coach: Brody Benson

Entering his fourth season at Woods Cross after a 13-20 record in the first two seasons. Previously, he had a successful 15-year run as coach at Highland, where his teams went 116-50 with a state title in 2010. He’s a graduate of Granger High School and Southern Utah University.

Coach Brody Benson’s general outlook

“We have been working very hard this offseason and are excited for the season to start. We will have a lot of players stepping into leadership and starting roles and are confident in what we are doing offensively and defensively.”

Offensive coordinator: Brody Benson

2023 offense: 32.25 ppg (No. 5 in 5A)

• Six returning starters
• Triple Option offense

Returning offensive starters

• Braken Borders, Jr., C
• Hadden Rotz, Sr., OG
• Tino Sa, Sr., OT
• Ryker Martin, Sr., RB
• Krew Fornelius, Sr., RB
• Reece Hammond, Sr., WR

Key offensive newcomers

• Viliami Tapa’atautai, Jr., FB
• Nate Webb, Sr., RB
• Noah Godfrey, Sr., WR
• Kerry Brown, So., OG
• Logan Bailey, Sr., OT

Defensive coordinator: Chris Haning

2023 defense: 24.17 ppg (No. 14 in 5A)

• Four returning starters
• 4-3 defense

Returning defensive starters

• Ryker Martin, Sr., C
• Brayden Haas, Jr., MLB
• Nate Webb, Sr., OLB
• Tino Sa, Sr., DE

Key defensive newcomers

• Krew Fornelius
• Hayden Thorne
• Shaydon Gerratt
• Viliami Tapa’atautai
• Cannon Stevenson

4. Viewmont Vikings

2024 Schedule

Head coach: Andru Jones

Heading into his third season as head coach at Viewmont after previous stints at Tooele (2019-2021) and Layton Christian (2016-2018). He’s posted an 8-13 record in his first two years at Viewmont, and his career record in eight years is 37-47. He’s a graduate of Northridge High School and Grand Canyon University.

Coach Andru Jones’s general outlook

“We return a strong lineup of experienced starters. Building on the solid foundation laid last year. With majority of our players coming back, we expect their experience and leadership to help us get through the tough region we play in. We emphasizing the mental part of the game this offseason, so we can play in the tough games this year. We are excited to have six home games this year and with support from our school community in the stands it should be a fun year.”

Offensive coordinator: Joe Jessop

2023 offense: 25.91 ppg (No. 15 in 5A)

• Six returning starters
• Multiple offenses

Returning offensive starters

• Kingston Mickens, Sr., WR
• Cache Tuia, Sr., WR
• Jordan Jones, Sr., WR
• Drez Jensen, Sr., WR
• Ammon Erksson, Jr., OL
• Titan Longson, Sr., QB

Key offensive newcomers

• Mack Youngberg, Jr., OL
• Ryan Tillman, Sr., RB
• Blake Moore, Sr., RB
• Benji Tolman, Jr., RB
• Lewis Wright, So., OL
• Elijah Rivadeneria, Sr., OL
• Billy Schurtz, Sr., OL
• Jaxon Behunin, Sr.,OL
• Damon Manwill, Sr., RB
• Cooper Willoughby, Jr., TE
• Jayson Dunroe, Jr., WR
• Parker Rose, Jr., WR

Defensive coordinator: Logan Edmunds

2023 defense: 31 ppg (No. 21 in 5A)

• Five returning starters
• Multiple defenses

Returning defensive starters

• Kingston Mickens, Sr., CB
• Ezekiel Cook, Sr., DL
• Joey Walden, Sr., DL
• Kellen Wood, Jr., LB
• Zach Anderegg, Sr., FS

Key defensive newcomers

• Ryan Tillman, Sr., CB
• Cooper Willoughby, Jr., DL
• Carson Baird, Sr., LB
• Brock Toomey, Sr., DL
• Bill Schurtz, Sr., DL
• Hundson Holbrook, Sr., LB
• Blake Moore, Sr., LB
• Jayson Dunroe, Jr., DB
• Mike Sanchez, Sr., DB
• Benji Tolman, Jr., LB
• Ryder Taukiuvea, Jr., LB

5. Box Elder Bees

2024 Schedule

Head coach: Carson Mund

Heading into his first season at Box Elder after a combined three seasons at West Jordan and Logan. Last season at Logan, his team posted a 2-8 record, and then in 2019 and 2020 his West Jordan teams went 8-13. He’s a graduate of Box Elder at Utah State.

Coach Carson Mund’s general outlook

“The Box Elder Football team will be full of young talent. Our strength will be in the trenches as we return three starters on the O-Line and three starters on the D-Line. We are going to be tough and gritty football team. We will try and control time of possession, and win the battle upfront every game. We are excited to continue on the tradition at Box Elder and represent the coaches and players that came before us.”

Offensive coordinator: Carson Mund

2023 offense: 34.25 ppg (No. 3 in 5A)

• Three returning starters
• Multiple offenses

Returning offensive starters

• Cody Kaleikini
• Chance Richards
• Roman Torrey

Key offensive newcomers

• Jae Macias
• Tyeson Hansen
• Cammon Bushnell
• Cole Bushnell

Defensive coordinator: Travis Mumford

2023 defense: 23.67 ppg (No. 11 in 5A)

• Six returning starters
• 4-2-5 defense

Returning defensive starters

• Carter Buchanan
• Tyeson Hansen
• Caden Buchanan
• Jae Macias
• Body Burnham
• Cody Kaleikini

Key defensive newcomers

• Chance Richards
• Kaden Wheeler
• Korbin Jeppesen

6. Northridge Knights

2024 Schedule

Head coach: Andrew Fresques

Fresques is entering his fifth season as coach at his alma mater after posting a 13-29 record the previous four years. He spent the previous three seasons as coach at Woods Cross, where his teams posted a 17-16 record. His overall coaching record stands at 30-45. He’s a graduate of the University of Utah.

Coach Andrew Fresques’s general outlook

“Great group of young men who are ready to compete with the best.”

Offensive coordinator: Andrew Fresques

2023 offense: 23.18 ppg (No. 17 in 5A)

• Four returning starters
• Spread offense

Returning offensive starters

• Andruw Hadley, Sr., OL
• Kooper Salvador, Sr., OL
• Chase Harris, Sr., TE
• Jaxon Fresques, Sr., WR

Key offensive newcomers

• Andrew Ortiz, Jr., RB
• Dontae Dyson, WR
• Tre Nye, Sr., QB
• Braxton Featherstone, Jr., WR
• Rylen Rude, Jr., TE
• Ryan Fullmer, Sr., OL
• Semi Manila, Jr., OL
• Jonathan Sanchez, Sr., OL
• Makai So’o, Jr., WR
• Anthony Martinez, Sr., WR
• Tayven Norvang, Sr., WR
• ISr.ael Arocha, Jr., WR
• Jace Hansen, Sr., OL

Defensive coordinator: Kitt Rawlings

2023 defense: 28.36 ppg (No. 20 in 5A)

• Seven returning starters
• 4-3 defense

Returning defensive starters

• Dontae Dyson, Jr., DB
• Preston Haney, Sr., LB
• Andruw Hadley, Sr., DL
• Kooper Salvador, Sr., DL
• Rylen Rude, Jr., DL
• Diesel Daffer, Sr., LB
• Tayven Norvang, Sr., DB

Key defensive newcomers

• Israel Arocha, Jr., DB
• Makai So’o, Jr., DB
• Cooper Tubbs, Jr., LB
• Sefita Koloi, Jr., DL
• Quinn Bideaux, Sr., LB
• Anthony Martinez, Sr., DB
• Stanley Mafoa, So., LB
• Alex Alvarez, Jr., DL
• Zion Lavalouis, Jr., DL/LB

7. Bonneville Lakers

2024 Schedule

Head coach: Jantz Afuvai

The Bonneville alum is entering his 12th season as head coach, amassing a 49-66 record over the past 11 years. He’s a graduate of Weber State University.

Coach Jantz Afuvai’s general outlook

“We have several key spots with multiple years of varsity experience. We will rely on them as our newer guys gain experience with Friday Night game speed. Our success will be determined by how quickly we can mesh into a cohesive unit.”

Offensive coordinator: Lance Mimnaugh

2023 offense: 20.67 ppg (No. 20 in 5A)

• Four returning starters
• Spread offense

Returning offensive starters

• Isaac Mansaray, Sr., WR
• Tyson Pututau, Sr., OL
• Hunter Davis, Sr., WR
• Jayden Hansen, Sr., OL

Key offensive newcomers

• Gage Canfield, Jr., OL
• Xander Wichern, Jr., OL
• Hudson Smith, So., OL
• Urban Estes, Jr., OL
• Paden Toula, So., QB
• Cole Lueders, Sr., QB
• David Wolfinger, Jr., QB
• Jacob Smith, Jr., QB
• Reese Cantwell, So., WR
• Tyler Cole, Sr., WR
• Vaiga Havili, Sr., RB
• Noah Chavez, Jr., RB

Defensive coordinator: Jantz Afuvai

2023 defense: 24.08 ppg (No. 13 in 5A)

• Four returning starters
• 4-3 offense

Returning defensive starters

• Tavita Afuvai, Sr., MLB
• Keaton Fuit, Sr., WLB
• Mitch Thorngren, Sr., DL
• Isaac Mansaray, Sr., FS

Key defensive newcomers

• Christian Ivison, Jr., DE
• Ashton Nichols, Sr., OLB
• Diesel Citte, Sr., CB
• Jet Hirschi, Sr., CB
• Daniel Park, Jr., SS

8. Clearfield Falcons

2024 Schedule

Head coach: Cody Caputo

Taking over as head coach for the Falcons after spending the past six seasons as an assistant coach at Farmington. He’s a graduate of Northridge High and Weber State.

Coach Cody Caputo’s general outlook

“We are looking forward to growing as a program, and building something special this year. We will improve this season, we will improve a little bit every week. We have a ton of support, and can’t wait to go out and give the community something to be excited about, and something to be proud of.”

Offensive coordinator: Freddie Fernandes

2023 offense: 8.2 ppg (No. 26 in 5A)

• Five returning starters

Returning offensive starters

• Jordan Tovey, Sr., QB,
• Jonah Mandleco, Sr., LT
• Nate Eborn, Sr., RT
• Joe Cluff, Sr., OL
• Gage Miles, Sr., RB

Key offensive newcomers

• Landon Hittle, Jr., Slot/RB
• Boen Nielson, Sr., Guard
• Tino Rader, Jr., FB

Defensive coordinator: Cody Caputo

2023 defense : 46.8 ppg (No. 27 in 5A)

• Two returning starters

Returning defensive starters

• AJ Stark, Sr., LB
• Wyatt Williams, Sr., SS

Key defensive newcomers

• Cooper Kirkman, Jr., LB
• Zack Clow, Jr., FS
• Boen Nielson, Sr., DL