SALT LAKE CITY — With the UHSAA's region realignments now in place, the always competitive Region 6, now Region 5, has become even more daunting.
With Clearfield moving to 5A (Region 1) and Cyprus and Kearns staying put in Region 6, Box Elder and Bonneville have joined Woods Cross, Highland, East and Bountiful to create an ultra competitive regional powerhouse.
After placing second and third in region last year respectively, Bountiful and Highland are both looking to reload and shoot for the top spot this season while East and Woods Cross are looking to spoil their hopes.
After missing the majority of last year due to an injury, the Braves' starting quarterback, Austin Parkinson, is set to return this season and is expected to do big things.
"He does a lot of really good things for us and he’s a great athlete, so it’s going to be great having him back. He was injured almost all the way through last year, he was our starter in the beginning of the season and then got hurt, but we will have him back and we’re really excited about that,” Bountiful head coach Larry Wall said.
Along with playing in a highly competitive Region 5, the Braves also face a difficult preseason schedule.
Bountiful has always prided itself on a tough schedule and this year is no different, as it will take on two 5A teams in Lone Peak and Viewmont in the preseason to help prepare them for what promises to be a competitive regular season.
"I hope our season prepares us for the playoffs. We really pride ourselves on playing the toughest schedule we can. We like to play the toughest teams every year. In all my years coaching, this year’s schedule is probably the toughest we’ve ever had. Hopefully we can come out early on and build off that,” said Wall.
Meanwhile, after getting off to a hot start last year, the Rams suffered some late, nagging injuries that really shifted their momentum and ultimately ended their season in the final two games of the year.
With that in mind, Highland has created competition at nearly every position to help add to its depth — something head coach Brody Benson says will be key to its late success in this region.
"It’s going to come down to how healthy we can stay down the stretch. I feel very, very confident about our starters, but we have to have some guys behind them who are pushing themselves and can see themselves in that starting role. Last year, we some had bad injuries, especially in the playoffs, and it really hurt us,” he said.
With a total of 13 starters returning this season, seven on offense and six on defense, and several key newcomers stepping up early on, the Rams have a tremendous mix of experienced veteran leaders and younger players and should be one of the top teams in Region 5.
Meanwhile, East and Woods Cross finished fourth and first in region play last year, respectively, and both are looking to compete for a playoff spot out of Region 5.
The Leopards are expected to be one of the top three teams in region this season, but will desperately need a quarterback and game manager to step up and command the team in order to be successful.
“Our quarterback coach has done a phenomenal job with the kids this offseason. I feel really confident in four or five of them schematically. A couple of them are pretty young, but we’re feeling a lot better where we are now at quarterback than we were last year. We made that a point of emphasis this offseason that our quarterback position will be well managed and well coached,” East head coach Brandon Matich said.
The Wildcats are coming off a successful 11-2, first-place season in which they advanced to the 4A semifinals before falling to Timpview.
Despite losing roughly 20 starters from last year’s team, Woods Cross has a solid group of young talent that should develop into top contributors throughout the year and help them be somewhere in the middle of the pack in region play.
With the addition of both Box Elder and Bonneville along with the usual tough teams, Matich knows it's an upgraded region that will be even more difficult and competitive than it has been in recent years.
“People don’t realize how physical these teams are in our region and how much we beat up on each other. There’s no question our region is the toughest in 4A, top to bottom. Now, adding Box Elder to the mix, we have five teams for just four spots right now and Bonneville will make that push, too. There are no off weeks and our region is just a black-and-blue gauntlet,” he said.
The Lakers, meanwhile have fallen on tough times over the last decade and haven't qualified for the postseason since 2009, which was also their last winning season, and will look to compete alongside Box Elder.
Despite returning just six starters from last year's team, the Bees always seem to bring their best effort each week and will be a force this year in the brand new Region 5.
With all of the changes Box Elder has seen this year, there is one thing that will always remain the same, and head coach Robbie Gunter says that is his team's expectations.
"We line up and our goal is to win region every year. We plan and try to gear towards that as we go through the season. We feel good about our guys, we feel good about our team, and we’re competitive. I know that we’ll come out each week and be ready,” he said.
Deseret News projections for Region 5 football teams in 2015
(Preseason ranking are based on coaches’ votes)
1. Bountiful: After posting a successful 8-3 season and coming in second in region last year with its quarterback injured, Bountiful is poised to make a push for the top spot this season with its solid mix of returning starters and newcomers. The Braves return 11 total starters from last year’s squad led by QB Austin Parkinson, running back Kaden Simmonds and two wide receivers on offense. Defensively, Bountiful returns a solid core (seven) of its starters and will be anchored by linebackers Connor Lloyd and Brandon Bott along with DB/LB Max Tooley. If some younger newcomers can step up on both sides, especially on offense, and make some plays, head coach Larry Wall is confident his team will be extremely competitive again this year. 2014 RECORD: 8-3. PLAYOFFS: Lost to Springville 21-17 in 4A first round.
2. Highland: A year after suffering some key injuries late in the season, which led to a first-round loss, Highland returns an experienced and talented group this season. The Rams return a total of 13 starters and fill holes from last year’s team with some promising newcomers. One of those areas includes the quarterback position, where James Pembroke will be a much-needed dual threat which wasn’t there last season. Highland also returns running backs Jake Boren and Devin Seui and a strong O-line and should be very solid out of the backfield. Head coach Brody Benson also expects the defense to be extremely tough and demanding behind six returning starters and talented newcomers. 2014 RECORD: 7-4. PLAYOFFS: Lost to Salem Hills 14-7 in the 4A first round.
3. East: The Leopards return a plethora of starters (16) and should be extremely talented and explosive. However, they are very young and fairly inexperienced. With an impressive O-line and a solid run game, East should be poised to have another successful season on the ground and help set up its pass game. If it can get a young gunslinger to step up and lead this team, it should have success throughout the season and be a top contender. The Leopards should be strong again on defense as they return a total of seven starters, led by Tangaloa Kaufusi, Johnny Maea, Fusi Teisina and Cole Peterson, and have added some key newcomers to the mix as well. If East can stay healthy and keep that depth there, coach Matich feels his team can contend for both a region and state championship. 2014 RECORD: 5-6. PLAYOFFS: Lost to defending state champ Timpview 18-8 in the 4A first round.
4. Woods Cross: After claiming the top spot in region and making a solid run at a state title, it’s back to the drawing board for Woods Cross. The Wildcats took a big hit and lost roughly 20 starters from last year’s squad, including some key skill players, and return just nine starters. Quarterback Tanner Hammond will be very difficult to replace along with several defenders, receivers and backs. With several holes left behind and few veteran leaders, the ‘Cats will struggle to get back to last year’s dominant level — especially in such a cutthroat region. There’s no doubt Woods Cross has talent on the field, however, its youth and inexperience might overshadow their talent. Set to lead the way for the returning starters include Braxton Gunther, who led the team with 779 rushing yards last year, Brandon Wagstaff and Taylor Clark. 2014 RECORD: 11-2. PLAYOFFS: Lost to Timpview 41-13 in 4A semifinals.
5. Box Elder: With such quality and competitive teams now in its region and so few starters returning, Box Elder will have its work cut out for it this season. With just six starters returning, led by quarterback Jarom Mecham, running back Bryant Tingey and Darius MacFarland, and a plethora of fresh faces to rely on, the Bees will undoubtedly be tested early and frequently. Box Elder has always been solid on defense, but the transition of moving from a traditionally pass-first region to a region where teams like to pound the ball down your throat might present the Bees with some difficulty. If Box Elder can finish strong, continue to believe in themselves and never give up, coach Gunter believes it will compete week in and week out. 2014 SEASON: 5-7. PLAYOFFS: Lost to Corner Canyon 34-7 in 4A first round.
6. Bonneville: After seeing such great success in a 33-year span from 1970-2002, Bonneville has really struggled in the last 10 years. The Lakers haven’t been to the state playoffs since 2009, which was also their last winning season. They will have their work cut out for them again this year, too. However, they barely missed out on the postseason last season after losing out in a three-way playoff for the final spot out of Region 5. Now, in an extremely talented and competitive region, Bonneville faces its biggest test yet. The Lakers have three starters returning on offense, led by Noah Atagi, Cory Hauenstein and Christian Stofferahn and J.T. Wood, while newcomers Braxton Wright (QB), Drew Thorngreen (RB), Kobe Beatty (RB) and Tyrus Peck (WR) should be poised to have solid seasons.
Ryan Love is a full-time student and has been a part-time sportswriter for the Deseret News since Oct. 2012.
Follow him on Twitter @RLove7724
EMAIL: rlove@deseretnews.com