For the past two years, the 3A North region was dominated by Judge Memorial.
It went undefeated in 10 region games with an average margin of victory of 27.7 ppg and won state championships both years.
Much to the delight of the rest of 3A, the dominance is over as Judge was bumped up to Class 3AA this season. Losing Judge, however, is a double-edged sword because it merely swapped places with Juan Diego.
The 3A schools have always disapproved of having a private school in their classification and that won’t change with Juan Diego. Only time will tell if Juan Diego deserves to be put on a pedestal ahead of the 2015 season.
Juan Diego’s participation numbers are nowhere near what they were when the school won three straight state championships from 2008 to 2010, or when it reached the semifinals in 2012 and 2013. Last year there was a drop in those numbers and Juan Diego tallied a 5-5 overall record. It still finished second in 3AA North with a 5-1 record, but was overmatched whenever it faced the better teams in 3AA.
“We just don’t have a lot of bodies," said Juan Diego coach John Colosimo. "If we do lose a kid or two, then we’re looking at a couple sophomores who hopefully can step up and play varsity ball.”
It’s a common problem among 3A teams, which means the new, smaller Juan Diego might fit right in. The coaches will believe it when they see it.
As one 3A coach said, “I think it’s a joke Juan Diego is in 3A.”
Regardless of who’s in the region, and what teams have high or low numbers, Emery coach Jim Jones tries to convey the same message to his players every year.
“We just try not to dwell on that, it is what it is. That’s the way it’s going to be for the next two years so let’s go compete,” Jones.
Not surprisingly, Juan Diego was tabbed as the team to beat in 3A North. With four returning starters on both sides of the ball, including Alex Hoffman, the Soaring Eagle are certainly capable of picking up the mantle left by Judge.
Juan Diego will lean heavily on Hoffman’s unique abilities.
“Alex has a rare combination — he’s a quarterback/defensive end," said Colosimo. "He has an opportunity, I think, to play both in college, so we’re going to play him a little bit at defensive end. I think that’s a real good position for him. He’s tall and athletic, and he’s a pretty good player."
During the past two seasons, Morgan and Union flip-flopped second and third place in 3A North. Morgan finished second in 2013 and Union in 2014. Even though both have concerns at quarterback, they’ve proven themselves to be two of the best programs in 3A recently and will battle for Juan Diego for the region title.
“We lost some really good kids, and they did some good things for us, but we have some great kids coming back and some new ones that will step in and do a good job for us,” said Union coach Matt Labrum.
Replacing four senior all-staters will be a tall task for the Cougars, but Labrum is optimistic Vil Lutui (QB) and Weston Horrocks (RB) can step up and fill some of those major voids.
For Morgan, defense will again be the strength a year after finishing as the second-ranked defense in 3A.
“I really like the way our defense is looking. We have athletes over there and we have speed on that side of the ball,” said Morgan coach Kovi Christiansen.
The last playoff berth from 3A North figures to be a fight between Grantsville and Emery — and possibly Carbon if new coach Josh Huntsman can get the program turned around quickly.
Grantsville and Emery shouldn’t be overlooked by anyone. Emery started almost all underclassmen last year, and even though it took its lumps with a 1-8 record, that experience should pay dividends this year.
Grantsville, meanwhile, has a new coach in Curtis Ware, and he believes a new offense and a new defensive philosophy will pay immediate dividends. Like Emery last year, his team is comprised of all almost all underclassmen and the Cowboys might be a year away.
Deseret News projections for 3A North football teams in 2015
(Preseason rankings are based on coaches’ votes)
1. JUAN DIEGO: Like most 3A coaches, coach John Colosimo is worried about the depth of his team as Juan Diego drops from 3AA to 3A. If his players stay healthy, though, he’s excited about the potential. Alex Hoffman will be the anchor of the offense and defense at QB and DL. The offense will lean heavily on running backs Danny Wilson, Ryan Baker and Kaden Hayward. Defensively, Blake Moore and Jorge Rico are both all-state caliber linebackers who opposing offenses will need to be mindful of every play. 2014 RECORD: 5-5. PLAYOFFS: Lost to Hurricane 32-15 in 3AA quarterfinals.
2. MORGAN: Wyatt Ekblad was an all-state defensive lineman last year, and this year his role is expanding to fullback too. Coach Kovi Christiansen said he could have a great year on both sides of the ball. Offensively, three of Morgan’s four returning starters are on the offensive line: Bridger Snyder, Carson Rupe and Hunter Beddoes. The other is running back Spencer Larsen, who is one of several players who hopes to get Morgan’s running game back on track after a down year in 2014. Defensively, Logan Cameron is the lone returning starter at linebacker, but newcomers Bridger Snyder, Austin Francis and Conley Breshears should make the LB core a strength. 2014 RECORD: 6-4. PLAYOFFS: Lost to Manti 12-7 in 3A quarterfinals.
3. UNION: After making a run to the 3A semifinals last year, Union is in great position to build on that momentum with six returning starters on offense and defense. Korbyn Bertoch and Braden Harding are returning starters on the offensive line, which could be a strength if newcomer Troy Tauaalo lives up to expectations. That experience in front of him should help Vil Lutui transition from WR to QB. Lutui is an athletic playmaker, who coach Matt Labrum wants to get as many touches as possible. Weston Horrocks will be the featured back and is poised for a big season after being in the shadow of Nic Smith last year. 2014 RECORD: 9-3. PLAYOFFS: Lost to Juab 21-14 in 3A semifinals.
4. GRANTSVILLE: Curtis Ware is returning to his alma mater with hopes that an offensive overhaul and a revamped weight program can get the Cowboys competing near the top of 3A instead of the middle of the pack. One player he’ll lean on heavily is Colton Adams, a four-year starter on the line. Ware was a defensive coordinator at Grantsville from 2011-2013 and Grantsville allowed about 15.0 ppg during those three years. He wasn’t with the team last year when Grantsville allowed 27.0 ppg. He believes an aggressive approach led by returning starters Adams, Gavin Eyre and Burke Boman can get the Cowboys back to being stout defensively. 2014 RECORD: 3-8. PLAYOFFS: Lost to Juab 44-14 in 3A quarterfinals.
5. EMERY: With 10 returning starters on offense and eight on defense, Emery is poised for a much more competitive season this year. It will be relatively young too with six junior starters and a few sophomores. Koby Butler, Ty Mecham and Logan Labrum all started on the offensive line last year as sophomores while Taigon Pulli and Kayden Avila started as juniors. QB Zac Jorgensen took his lumps last year as a sophomore, but he’s poised for a much better season. The Spartans have four capable running backs who should also capitalize on the OL experience. Defensively, the big question is at linebacker as Logan Labrum is the only player with much experience. 2014 RECORD: 1-8. PLAYOFFS: Did not qualify
6. CARBON: Josh Huntsman takes over a Carbon program that showed signs of life under coach Jan Jorgensen last season. He inherits a team with a decent amount of experience too. Leading the way is linebacker Dallyn Mower, who led the Dinos last season with 99 tackles. In fact, four of Carbon’s six leading tacklers from last year are back: Peyton Fausett (DE), Jacky Byrge (DB) and Logan Olsen (FS). There’s some experience back offensively with Kolton Anselmo and Reul Christensen on the line. Carbon’s QB, who was also the team’s leading rusher from last year, graduated, but Byrge, Mower and Olsen all had 50-plus carries last year and should help pick up the slack. 2014 RECORD: 3-7. PLAYOFFS: Did not qualify
Deseret News prep editor and Real Salt Lake beat writer.