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Show orts A14 • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2009 Guardian of Your Community News Are vou SF ready for new region competition Chad Vest STAFF WRITER With school starting this week, many football fans may have a Hank Williams, Jr. song on the brain: "Are you ready for some football?" Ready or not, it's time to party with the Spanish Fork Dons. With the passing of each year, new names and numbers are worn by different players, which makes high school and even college football so intriguing. However, it's refreshing for a coach to have young men with experience. On the gridiron, the game of football is won or lost in the battle of the trenches. Up front the Dons return several players with varsity experience under their belt. Junior Isaac Asiata is a 300lb. beast to be reckoned with. Senior JR Brandon is another seasoned lineman ready to have a big impact. Both are returning starters and Coach Matt Christensen is confident in their abilities, along with Uili (Willy) Makai. "He can run," said Christensen, referring to Makai's 60-yard fumble return for a TD last season. "He's going to do really well for us and we're real excited about him." Other projected starters are Matt Graham and Blake Denning. With their combined weight, the SF line will average close to 260 Namon Bills / The Sentinel RETURNING: Look for Josh Adams to get some more time under center for the Skyhawks. SH looks to improve on last year's record Jeril Bills STAFF WRITER Namon Bills / The Sentinel BIG MAN: Tight End Jordunn Martinson will be a prime target for the Don QB — and for opposing defenses. lbs., an impressive number even for a Timpview T-bird line. Most of these men will play on the defensive end too, but Coach C is excited about sopho- mores Justin Afualo, Siua Vaitohi and Kyle Asiata to be in the mix. See SFHS • A10 Maple Mountain fields young football team Dave Boyack STAFF WRITER First-year Maple Mountain head football coach Brad Burtenshaw will open the season at Stansbury High School this Friday night with a young group of football players. With just over 90 uniforms handed out, 60 of the maroon and gold threads will be worn by sophomores. Being a new expansion school, Coach Burtenshaw and his staff are counting on a lot of those young kids to get ample playing time. Sophomores Skyler Porcoro and Jace Edmunds will battle with junior Jacob Watson for the signal caller du- ties. Running back duties could come from senior Brennan Hyatt along with juniors Hudson Sheranian and Logan Miner. Protecting the backfield will have candidates Zack Decker, a sophomore, along with Matt Pugh and Michael Loveless in the mix. Wide reciever slots looks like a battle between senior Chris Clark and sophomores Greg Waite, Devan Barker and Jake Varney. On the defensive side of the ball, Hudson Sheranian, Zack Decker, Michael Loveless and Chris Clark look to fill those trenches. Linebacking duties could come from sophomore Riley Flinders and junior Colby Jeffers. Brennan Hyatt, Devan Barker, Jace Kelly and Jace Edmunds could see significant playing time in the defensive backfield. With such a young group, Coach Burtenshaw expects the Golden Eagles to show great improvement throughout the season. This Friday night Coach Burtenshaw hopes to see a bunch of excited kids ready to play hard and gain some confidence. Maple Mountain's first home game will take place on the Aug. 28, 2009 against Westlake High School at 7 p.m. Last year, Salem Hills High School inagurated its football program with a 1-10 record. One thing that could make the difference between last year's season and hopes of a better one this year is experience. "The experience that these kids have is showing a little bit this year, and that makes a huge difference over where we were last year," said head coach Monte Morgan. Morgan said that nearly all of the team's players were underclassmen last year. In some cases, they even started freshmen. However, those same circumstances that contributed to a disappointing season last year, could help make this year much better. "We have everybody returning," said Coach Morgan. And that's not something many other coaches can say. Morgan also said his team has good senior leadership this year, something he feels is important. Coach Morgan also sees other signs of improvement in his team this year. "They're working hard. They're in better condition than they've been previously ... if those things are indicators of a successful year, well then, I think we'll have a successful year," he said. Coach Morgan said that his goal for the team is "to be more competitive than we were last year." He said his team's biggest challenge is learning to play consistently with a high level of intensity. He wants to see his team "play 48 minutes of solid football." After playing last year as a 3A team, Salem will compete in 4A this year for the first time. This will also be the first year its players See SHHS • A10 ALA ready for 3A action Riley Lewis STAFF WRITER Losing is one thing no one likes, especially the American Leadership Academy Eagle football team. As the Eagles prepare for their forth season they look to turn around a program that is 2-27 over the last three years and was 0-10 last season. Not to make matters worse, but the Eagles are moving from 2A to 3A and will be playing in Region 10. What makes the Eagles think that they can perform on the 3A level? They are wiping the slate clean with a new program under first year Head Coach Dave Lewis. Lewis has created a highly organized program with intense off-season weightlifting and conditioning, monthly movie nights and motivational speakers, and many other team activities such as hikes and dodge ball tournaments. He remains hopeful that these things can help build the struggling program. "1 would say we have made great progress over the summer and during camp. We have a steep mountain to climb and we are painfully aware of the Namon Bills / The Sentinel SIGNAL CALLER: Hunter Morley will lead the Eagles at quarterback this year. state of Eagle football. We are hopeful and we are putting plans in place to bring success," said Lewis. The players have bought into the plan of preparation and think it will pay off. There seems to be a new mindset under the new program — a mindset of continuing improvement. "This season we're prepared much better. We're not quite ready and where See EAGLES • A10 |