Note: Gunnison finished with a 2-8 overall record in 2014 and was sixth in 2A North with a 1-5 record. It lost to Beaver 71-20 in the 2A first round.
GUNNISON — Following a disappointing two-win season last year, it was time for Gunnison to change things up and look forward.
Now, with first-year Gunnison head coach Jack Pay at the helm, he is doing everything he can to change the culture of the Bulldogs and steer them in the right direction.
“The kids know what to expect from me. There has been a lot of turnover in the last couple years and they’ve had four different coaches in three years, so I’m just trying to stabilize the program the best I can. They’re talented but they just need to get more reps in every day. We just started a new program and are making sure they overcome that culture and understand that we can win,” Pay said.
The Bulldogs return 10 starters, five on each side of the ball, to provide them with some much-needed experience.
Despite losing its top running back from last season in McKade Cox, starting quarterback Hunter Whitney returns along with wide receiver Conner Caldwell to lead the offense.
Last season, Whitney completed just 49 of his 135 pass attempts (36 percent completion) for a total of 932 yards, 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions and will look to continue to raise the bar again this year.
“He’s (Whitney) looking really good. When you throw the ball all the time, it’s extremely difficult to complete passes. We just need to be a lot more balanced and run the ball to help the quarterback. We need to the run the ball, keep the clock running and keep other team’s defenses on the field. But Hunter has been looking really good so far and he’s ready,” said Pay.
With Cox out of the picture after leading the team with 311 yards and two TDs, running backs Kyler White and Layne Jensen will receive the majority of the workload out of the backfield.
White failed to receive a single carry last season as he played wide receiver, but he earned the starting job and will try to take some of the pressure off Whitney.
“We lost some key people last year. Kyler White played wide receiver, so we converted him to running back this year. He’s just a great, great athlete. He runs about a 4.6 and is just a really fast kid. We should definitely have a lot more balance in our run game this year and I think Kyler will do a good job for us. We just need to fill some holes on the offensive line,” Pay said.
While the Bulldogs do return a good amount of skill players on both sides of the ball, they will need a number of younger players to step up and help balance out the field.
Returning linebacker Layne Jensen (20 tackles, one interception) and defensive back Caldwell should be the cornerstones of the defense. Caldwell had 15 tackles and two interceptions last season. Also returning in the trenches for the Bulldogs is defensive lineman Braydon Burrell.
The Gunnison defense gave up a staggering 40.8 points per game last season and with some significant players not returning, their work will be cut out for them again this year with several significant holes in desperate need of filling.
“The biggest thing we need to work on defensively is our communication. We just aren’t communicating quite like we need to. If we can make sure we are communicating and on the same page, we will take a big step forward,” Pay said. “If they can be solid and the rest of the team can be solid it will help us tremendously. We definitely have a lot of room to improve. We have good skill players returning, but we’re still trying to find some younger players to step up and help us out.”
Gunnison Valley Bulldogs at a glance
Head Coach: Jack Pay is entering his first season as Gunnison’s head coach. He’s also a graduate of Gunnison High School and Utah State University.
Offense (5 returning starters; Pro offense)
Offensive coordinator: Jack Pay
Returning offensive starters
Hunter Whitney (QB)
Conner Caldwell (WR)
Kyler White (RB)
Braydon Burrell (OL)
Layne Jensen (RB)
Defense (5 returning starters, 3-4 defense)
Defensive coordinator: Undecided
Returning defensive starters
Layne Jensen (LB)
Kyler White (LB)
Braydon Burrell (DL)
Conner Caldwell (DB)
Hunter Whitney (DB)
Coaches’ preseason 3A South straw poll: Fifth
Deseret News 3A South prediction: Fifth
Bottom line: With a new head coach and the departure of several key players, Gunnison will undoubtedly struggle to compete in a competitive region. Despite returning some key skill players on both sides of the ball, the Bulldogs don’t have enough depth or experience to take it to the next level quite yet. While they should definitely improve from last year’s disappointing season, thanks to the help of veteran skill players such as Hunter Whitney, Conner Caldwell and Kyler White, they are likely a couple years away from developing that new culture and turning it into success. The holes left behind by Cox and the rest of last year’s graduating class might be too much to overcome this season. However, the Bulldogs should be expected to build off last year, start building toward the future and perhaps qualify for the playoffs.
Last 5
2014 — 2-8 (1-5 in 2A North -- Missed playoffs)
2013 — 4-7 (2-4 in 2A North – 2A Quarterfinals)
2012 — 3-7 (3-4 in 2A North -- Missed playoffs)
2011 — 2-7 (1-6 in 2A North -- Missed playoffs)
2010 — 3-7 (1-4 in 2A East -- Missed playoffs)
Gunnison coaching history
2015 — Jack Pay (0-0)
2014 — Trent Halliday (2-8)
2010-2013 — Yori Ludvigson (12-28)
1994-2009 — Rhett Jackson (63-126)
1990-1993 — Ron Dalley (5-22)
Deseret News First Team all-staters the past 10 years
2013 — Tyson Moosman, QB
2013 — Jacob Hatch, WR/DB
2012 — Braden Harris, RB/LB
2011 — Braden Harris, RB/LB
2010 — Jantz Jensen, TE/LB
2007 — Heston Neal, RB/DB
2006 — Taylor Ashton, RB/LB
2006 — Chad Satterfield, RB/LB
2005 — Ben Dalley, RB/LB
2005 — Joey Crane, RB/LB
2004 — Jack Pay, OL
To view second team and honorable mention all-staters through the years, check out the Deseret News All-State Archives.
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