OCR Text |
Show Page 1C Lakeside Review Wednesday, August 28, 1985 to lose their heads in the preseason hype, Darren Boyer from Roy, Craig Carter of Clearfield, Davis Chris NOT ABOUT Card and Rex Brimhall of Layton will need all their wits about them as the 1S85 football season kicks off. The four Staff Photo by Rodney Wright figure to play key roles as their teams vie for coveted gion championships and state playoff berths. Parity Expected As Season Kicks Off SCOn MONSEN Review Correspondent Region 1 It is hard to find any one that has been connected with Region 1 football for any length of time to make a prediction on the outcome of the season, and with good reason. The cliche anything can happen" surely had its begining in northern Utah. Perhaps the best illustration of the point occured about five years ago when the grapevine had it that Region 1 could no longer compete with the larger Salt Lake schools. The experts (from the north as well as the south) saw a dark future for the northern loop. Region 1 answered in 1980 when Bonneville defeated Roy for the state championship and finished second two years later. The Royals joined in the fun by claiming the state crown for themselves in 1981. Whether or not the region will produce another state champ remains to be seen, but the one thing that is sure is there will be plenty of thrills, spills and certainly a few surprises along the road to the playoffs. In 1984 the region was well represented in post season play, with the Box Elder Bees and the Lakers reaching the quarterfinals. The Weber Warriors made their first appearance in several years in the tournament along with champ Clear4-- A co-regi- field. From top to bottom the league appears to be stronger this year, and if the the football bounces the right way at the right time in SLC there could again be some surprised people when the final gun sounds. Here is a run down on the region teams and a guide as to what to expect from each. The order is alphabetical rather than a predicted place in the final standings. Bonneville - The Lakers have established a long and solid tradition of football. Last success in Region were supposed to be reyear they building and made it to the state quarterfinals. This year looks to be another good campaign with the return of a passing 1 game that has made them famous. The Lakers, like most high school teams, have some unknown quanities due to inexperience. But come the last couple of weeks of the league schedule Bonneville should figure prominently in the title chase. Box Elder - The line about the is Bees being too small to play in wearing a bit thin with the rest of the' region coaches, especially after BE has claimed a share of the crown the last two years. The element of surprise has dissipated and region teams will know exactly what to expect from the newest member of the league. Thats the good news. The bad news is (good news for BE fans) that the Bees still have a quality program. The personell appears to be smaller than average, but they are well coached and execute well. Speed and quickness will be a key ingredient in the Box Elder attack. A team that gives the Bees little respect will likely face a long, quiet ridehome. 4-- A Clearfield - The Falcons have a small core of returning starters from last year and excellent size on the lines. That, coupled with some impressive running backs, should give Clearfield a powerful ground game. Craig Carter looks to be one of the best ball carriers in the league. The quarterback is small but is handling the position well and developing leadership skills, according to head coach Brent Hancock. The problem spot for the Falcons may be depth. A few injuries to key people could be devasting. Layton - The Lancers are the mystery team this year. Joe Wood is the second head coach in as many seasons and has not exactly advertised what he plans to do. One would think that the state of flux in the coaching staff could be a setback, however, the attitude around Layton is reported to be high, with the returning players ready to put last years performance behind them. Roy - Any talk of last year will be 1- -8 fighting words at Roy. The Royals suffered through the worst season in their history, not winning a single game. However, keep in mind Roy won but a single game in 1979, then finished second and first in the state the next two years. The best players are back along with some new recruits ready to restore Roy to their more traditional position in the standings. With experienced runners, better size on the lines and two quarterbacks, who combined, can adequately handle all areas of the passing game, there should be more smiles in the Royals stadium. Weber - This could be the year faithful Warrior fans have been waiting for. Weber made their first appearance in the playoffs in several years last season, and the Warriors return more starters than most of the other teams. Weber should be a contender throughout the campaign. Region 4 Because Davis is the only Region 4 school covered by the Lakeside Review, only cursory mention will be given to any other schools in that region. Davis Dart fans have to count three coaches back in order to find a Davis team that didnt win the league, but rumors are flying throughout Region 4 that this might be the year to unseat the Darts. Dont bet on it. Year in and year out the Davis coaching staff bemoans their lack of size, speed or both, but also every year they grind down their opponents with masterful execution of their double wing and supreme effort from their tiny" line. This year the order is big, however, the Darts need to replace 21 of 22 starting positions left vacant from last years team. The running backs are all good, hard runners and you can bet that whatever the size of the line, theyll open holes big enough for the backs to squirt through. Highland returns several players from last years strong team and will challenge Davis for the title. re- |