High school football: 2024 Region 11 preseason projections
By James Edward,
1 day ago
Following five very successful seasons as Stansbury’s head football coach, Eric Alder is returning to his roots for the 2024 season as he’s taken over as head coach at alma mater Sky View.
He’s immediately stepping into a community and school where expectations on the football field are sky high.
Over the past seven years, Sky View has won five outright region titles, one shared region title and one second-place finish. During that stretch, it also won state titles in 2019 and 2020.
A year ago, Sky View was undefeated until it lost to region foe Green Canyon in the 4A quarterfinals.
That standard of excellence was obvious immediately when Alder took over as head coach, and he loves it.
“The expectation creates a culture already of excellence and hard work. Having kids practice to my style and tempo was not really an adjustment, they were very well coached, they have great practice habits already and good habits in the weight room,” said Alder.
There will inevitably be a learning curve for the Sky View program in 2024, especially with just three starters back on offense and four on defense.
It’s at the other end of the valley where the expectations are their loftiest.
Ridgeline is loaded with returning experience both offensively and defensively, and it’s hungrier than ever after experiencing the sour taste of losing in the semifinals each of the past two years. A year prior, in 2021, the program enjoyed a 13-0 state championship season, and the quality is there to get it done again.
“Losing two straight semifinal games has definitely left them very motivated and the level focus has been unreal and the kids have been very fun to coach this summer,” said Ridgeline coach Travis Cox, whose team returns eight offensive starters and six defensive starters.
Among those starters is junior quarterback Nate Dahle, who already has two years of starting experience under his belt at the varsity level. That experience could be the game changer that gets the Riverhawks over the 4A hump in 2024.
“His knowledge of our offense is above and beyond, but not only that, it’s the experience of playing in big games. The game has slowed down for him, which will allow him to make better decisions with the ball. Whenever you can go through a game and not turn the ball over is always a huge plus,” said Cox.
For Alder at Sky View, despite coming into a new region, he’s very familiar with the challenges that Dahle and that experienced offense present.
His Stanbury team lost to Ridgeline twice last year, a 28-27 setback in a Week 3 nonregion game and then a 52-21 shellacking in the 4A second round. Dahle passed for three touchdowns in that playoff win.
Ridgeline and Sky View don’t square off until Week 8 this season, a game that may ultimately determine the region title.
“The challenge in facing Ridgeline is just going to be the talent and the speed that’s going to be on the field and the skill level that’s going to be on the field,” said Alder.
While Sky View and Ridgeline have finished either first or second in Region 11 in four straight years, Green Canyon’s playoff upset of Sky View in the quarterfinals last year was further evidence that the Wolves are close to cracking that top two themselves.
“Green Canyon is looking to build off of a historic 2023 season. The players raised the bar for what should be expected of the football program. There will be many new faces playing pivotal roles and we are excited to see the young players try to prove themselves,” said coach JT Tauiliili, whose team returns four offensive starters and three defensive starters from that semifinal team.
Mountain Crest could just as easily make the jump this year in Ryan Visser’s third season as head coach. The Mustangs finished third in Region 11 ahead of Green Canyon last season, and they were competitive against both Ridgeline and Sky View.
There isn’t a ton of experience returning from that team, but the program is trending in the right direction.
Along with Alder at Sky View, there’s another new coach in Region 11 as Nate Butts takes over as head coach at Logan. He spent the past two seasons coaching in Texas, but has previous coaching experience in Cache Valley, when he was an assistant at Ridgeline in 2020.
“We are going to be very young across the board, so a key for us will be adjusting to the intensity and speed of a varsity game. We have a lot of new faces, especially on the defensive side, that are learning to grow up quickly and adapt to the higher level,” said Butts.
Region 11 is expanding this season from its traditional six teams to seven as new school West Field in Taylor is joining the league. Expectations are typically muted for first-year schools with the lack of upperclassmen, but West Field has plenty of experience in the coaching staff with Eric Jones taking over. He spent the past two seasons as Bingham’s head coach and prior to that he was an assistant at Roy for 11 seasons.
Region 11 projections
(Preseason rankings are based on coaches’ votes)
1. Ridgeline RiverHawks
Head coach: Travis Cox
Entering his fifth season as head coach at Ridgeline High School after an impressive 40-10 record the past four years, including a state title in 2021. He’s a graduate of Mountain Crest and Utah State.
Coach Travis Cox’s general outlook
“We are excited about the upcoming year. We’ve come up short the last two years and that has motivated our team and I really like how they approached the off season. We do have a lot of experience coming back, but the key in my opinion is going to be replacing 4 starters on the offensive line.”
Offensive coordinator: Travis Cox
2023 offense: 34.23 ppg (No. 4 in 4A)
- Eight returning starters
- Spread/Multiple Sets offenses
Returning offensive starters
- JT White, Sr., RB
- Jackson Lindsey, Sr., RB
- Nate Dahle, Jr., QB
- Graham Livingston, Jr., WR
- Hunter Knighton, Jr., WR
- Easton Hammond, Jr., LG
- Crosby West, Jr., RB
- Krew Jones, So., TE
Key offensive newcomers
- Tjay Tulimasealii, Sr., OT
- Noah Fiefia, So., RB, Slot
- Brady Cook, Jr., WR
- Cade Barret, So., OT
- Kyler May, Jr., RG
- Chris Lopez, Sr., OL
- Jake Hill, So., OL
Defensive coordinator: Jake Pitcher
2023 defense: 22.54 ppg (No. 10 in 4A)
- Six returning starters
- 3-4 defense
Returning defensive starters
- Charlie Booth, Sr., OLB
- JT White, Sr., SS
- Hunter Knighton, Jr., MLB
- Cooper Clark, Jr., OLB
- Braxton Perry, Jr., DB
- Krew Jones, So., DE
Key defensive newcomers
- John Taylor, Sr., NG
- Dane May, Sr., DB
- Landon Perkins, Jr., MLB
- Coen Richards, Jr., DE
- Jeff Woodland, Jr., FS
2. Sky View Bobcats
Head coach: Eric Alder
After five years at Ben Lomond from from 2014 to 2018, in which his teams posted a 10-41 record, and then the past five years at Stansbury (45-16), he’s returning to his alma mater as head coach for the 2024 season. He’s a graduate of Utah State.
Coach Eric Alder’s general outlook
“This will be my first year taking over as head coach at Sky View High School. I am honored and excited to lead a program that already had a great culture and tradition of success. It has been great working with the kids on a daily basis over the past few months. I have been very impressed with their work ethic and their ability to learn our offensive and defensive schemes. Our players have been very well coached over the last few years and have great practice habits. I feel great about the coaching staff we have put together and I feel really good about the talent we will have on the team. I know for sure we will put in tremendous effort to be our best and create a culture in the program that the school and community will be proud of.”
Offensive coordinator: Eric Alder
2023 offense: 40.27 ppg (No. 2 in 4A)
- Three returning starters
- Spread, no huddle offense
Returning offensive starters
- Liam Guthrie, Sr., WR
- Sitili Palmer, Jr., OT
- Preston Smith, Sr., OT
Key offensive newcomers
- Jack Clark, Jr., QB
- Xander Stokes, Jr., RB
- Zack Oxborrow, WR
Defensive coordinator: Cam Johnson
2023 defense : 22 ppg (No. 9 in 4A)
- Four returning starters
- 3-3 defense
Returning defensive starters
- Preston Smith, Sr., DT
- Alex Dickey, Sr., CB
- Cash Howell, Sr., S
- Tyson Bradley, Sr., OLB
Key defensive newcomers
- Sitili Palmer, Jr., DL
- Mikey Stuart, Jr., DL
- Mason Marchant, Jr., LB
- Jace Lilywhite, Sr., LB
- Andrew Oxborrow, Jr., S
- Skyler Murdock, Sr., S
- Max Castillo, Sr., CB
- Andre Hernandez, Sr., LB
3. Green Canyon Wolves
Head coach: JT Tauiliili
In his first season at Green Canyon last year, he led Green Canyon to a 10-4 record and a state championship game appearance. He’s a graduate of Hunter High and Utah State.
Coach JT Tauiliili’s general outlook
“Green Canyon is looking to build off of a historic 2023 season. The players raised the bar for what should be expected of the football program. There will be many new faces playing pivotal roles and we are excited to see the young players try to prove themselves. We expect there to be a lot of competition at multiple positions throughout the summer as all players try to prove themselves ready to take on varsity reps to begin the season.”
Offensive coordinator: JT Tauiliili
2023 offense: 19.21 ppg (No. 21 in 4A)
- Four returning starters
- Spread offense
Returning offensive starters
- Payton Wilson, Sr., QB
- Ty Jensen, Sr., Center
- Luke Baker, Jr., Tackle
- Hayden Schramm, Jr., WR
Key offensive newcomers
- Shandon Thain, Sr., WR
- Carter Stoddard, Sr., WR
- Will Poulsen, Sr., Tackle
Defensive coordinator: Ammon Samia
2023 defense: 13.14 ppg (No. 2 in 4A)
- Three returning starters
- 3-3 defense
Returning defensive starters
- Baxter Martin, Sr., DE
- Eli Wheatley, Jr., DE/OLB
- Bryson Pabst, Jr., DB
Key defensive newcomers
- Ben Wallis, Sr., LB
4. Bear River Bears
Head coach: Trampis Waite
A native of Oregon, he’s heading into his third season as head coach with a combined 7-16 record the first two seasons. He’s a graduate of Ontario High School in Oregon and attended Eastern Oregon University.
Coach Trampis Waite’s general outlook
“We made great strides in 2023, advancing to the second round of the playoffs. We are heading in the right direction and are looking to continue to build our program into a consistent winner.”
Offensive coordinator: Donald Hawes
2023 offense: 30.42 ppg (No. 10 in 4A)
- Five returning starters
- Spread, Run and Shoot offense
Returning offensive starters
- Kash Avery, Sr., WR
- Kevin Ponce-Bravo, Sr., OL
- Brendan May, Sr., OL
- Max Anderson, Sr., OL
- Tydon Jones, Sr., RB
Key offensive newcomers
- Alexander Holmes, Sr., OL
- Jaxson Theurer, Jr., QB
- Tatum Stephens, Sr., WR
- Glaiden Behrens, So., RB/WR
- Eli Braegger, So., WR
Defensive coordinator: Dave Putnam
2023 defense: 30.5 ppg (No. 17 in 4A)
- Three returning starters
- 3-3 defense
Returning defensive starters
- Tydon Jones, Sr., LB
- Gunner Christensen, Sr., DB
- Quaid Murray, Jr., DB
Key defensive newcomers
- Brecken Haynes-Garn, Jr., LB
- Dallen Rice, Jr., LB
- Daxton Chairez, So., Nose
- Dalton Williams, Jr., DB
5. Mountain Crest Mustangs
Head coach: Ryan Visser
In his first two years as a head coach in Utah, he’s led Mountain Crest to a 14-11 record. He previously was the head coach at Big Piney, Wyoming, the two years prior. He’s a graduate of Preston High School in Idaho and Idaho State.
Coach Ryan Visser’s general outlook
“Graduated a lot of great players and starters from last year’s team. Have a lot of good, talented young and inexperienced players eager to compete and prove themselves. There are a lot of players fighting for starting positions right now still. This group of guys has worked extremely hard this off-season. This team will be a physically strong, tough group that will look to compete and contend in another very strong year in 4A Utah football.”
Offensive coordinator: Ryan Visser
2023 offense: 28.5 ppg (No. 11 in 4A)
- Two returning starters
- Multiple Spread offense
Returning offensive starters
- Seth Burbank, Sr., C
- Siaosi Tupuola, Jr., G/T
Key offensive newcomers
- Brayden Larsen, Jr., QB
- Preston Arambel, Sr., RB
- Santiago Huerta, Jr., RB
- Kekoa Tupuola, Jr., G
- Neal Dewey, Jr., G
- Noah Estey, Jr., G
- Emilio Reyes, Sr., T
- Dylan Buist, Sr., WR
- Jerell Jobe, Sr., WR
- Kai Passey, Jr., TE
- Mikah Clements, Jr., WR
- Owen Isom, Jr., WR
- Kael Olsen, So., WR
Defensive coordinator: Preston Schwab
2023 defense: 19.83 ppg (No. 6 in 4A)
- Four returning starters
- Multiple defenses
Returning defensive starters
- Zyan Foulger, Sr., OLB/ Edge
- Thompson Flippence, Sr., DB
- Carter Egbert, Jr., LB
- Santiago Huerta, Jr., OLB/Edge
Key defensive newcomers
- Grayson Voth, Sr., DB
- Zane Pickup, Sr., DB
- Adrian Garfias, Jr., DB
- Peter Nelson, Jr., DB
- Branson Brown, Jr., DB
- Brock Hunter, So., DB
- Jake Constantineau, Sr., DB/LB
- Justin Constantineau, Sr., LB
- Roman Funk, Jr., LB
- Camden Atkinson, Jr., LB
- Andrew Langsdorf, Sr., DL
- Anthony Langsdorf, Sr., DL
- Kia Kaha Jr., DL
6. West Field Longhorns
New school in 2024
Head coach: Eric Jones
After spending the past two seasons at Bingham, where his teams posted a 16-9 record, the Roy High graduate was hired as the first head coach in West Field school history. Prior to taking over at Bingham, he spent 11 seasons as an assistant coach at Roy. He’s a graduate of Weber State.
Coach Eric Jones’ general outlook
“We’re young and inexperienced so we’re working hard to install new schemes while trying to develop a culture that prioritizes growth throughout the season.”
Offensive coordinator: Clifton Buckway
- Zero returning starters
- Multiple offenses
Key offensive newcomers
- Hinckley Keele, Jr., QB
- Mason Peterson, Sr., C
- Trey Bridge, Sr., RB
Defensive coordinator: Eric Jones
- Zero returning starters
- 4-2-5 defense
Key defensive newcomers
- Cash Colohan, Sr., LB
- Jaxon Paystrup, Sr., DE
- Kamden Murphy, Jr., CB
7. Logan Grizzlies
Head coach: Nate Butts
Taking over as head coach at Logan after serving the past two seasons as an assistant coach in Texas. He previously was an assistant coach at Ridgeline in 2020. He’s a graduate of Bluffton High School in South Carolina and Utah State.
Coach Nate Butts’ general outlook
“We are going to be very young across the board, so a key for us will be adjusting to the intensity & speed of a varsity game. We have a lot of new faces, especially on the defensive side, that are learning to grow up quickly and adapt to the higher level. Sophomore Easton Favero is going to run the show for us on offense. His command of the team and leadership at such a young age is impressive. We are excited about the depth we have in the trenches on both sides. Reed Olsen and Jak Strubhar will be major two way guys for us, as will Nate McAllister and Trey Covington at DB/WR. I believe we have one of the top offensive minds in the state with our OC Latu Pauni, and I am looking forward to the product we will put out in the field on that side of the ball. With us being a new staff, we have come in and made some major changes. The players have completely bought in to the vision that we have set in place, and that’s a testament to their strong character and desire to win. We have a tight knit group that is chomping at the bit to get out and compete this fall.”
Offensive coordinator: Latu Pauni
2023 offense: 16.7 ppg (No. 24 in 4A)
- Six returning starters
- Spread offense
Returning offensive starters
- Jak Strubhar, Sr., OL
- Cruz Ramos, Jr., OL
- Jase Pingree, So., WR
- Nate McAllister, Sr., WR
Key offensive newcomers
- Easton Favero, So., QB
- Treyson Covington, So., WR
- Kennedy Taukeiaho, So., OL
- Mason Birch, So., RB
- Quinn Pingree, Fr., WR
Defensive coordinator: Nate Butts
2023 defense: 42 ppg (No. 25 in 4A)
- Three returning starters
- 3-4 defense
Returning defensive starters
- Connor Peters, Sr., DB
- Brock Brown, Sr., DB
- Reed Olsen, Sr., DL
Key defensive newcomers
- Treyson Covington, So., DB
- Kolt Redd, So., DB
- Grayden Olsen, So., DL
- Eli Perez, Jr., LB
- Raiden Nielson, Jr., LB
- Kammron Alvarado, Sr., LB
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