Note: Juan Diego finished with a 5-5 overall record in 2014 and was second in 3AA North with a 5-1 record. It lost to Hurricane 32-15 in the 3AA quarterfinals.
DRAPER — Right in the middle of summer workouts, the starting center for the Juan Diego football team broke his foot. It’s an injury that will sideline the senior for the entire upcoming season, and it puts head coach John Colosimo in a tough spot.
"He was a kid I was really counting on to be a linchpin of that offensive line," Colosimo said. "With him going down, we’re looking at a junior named Connor Dumont to step up."
Such is the story for much of the approximately 50-player Juan Diego roster. Colosimo has a lineup of seniors ready to play, but the reserves are young — or nonexistent.
"We just don’t have a lot of bodies," Colosimo said. "If we do lose a kid or two, then we’re looking at a couple of sophomores who hopefully can step up and play varsity ball."
Albeit a junior, Dumont is one of those bodies. Colosimo said Dumont has big shoes to fill, but he's confident the junior can do it.
"Connor doesn’t have the size that I would like at that position, but he’s pretty athletic and quick," Colosimo said. "I know he can fill that role. What I am excited for is to watch him realize it. To watch all of the kids realize they can do it."
Another player Colosimo is particularly excited to watch develop as a leader is quarterback Alex Hoffman. A senior, Hoffman is entering the season with a year of experience under his belt after stepping into the spotlight after the previous quarterback was injured last fall.
"Alex is a rare combination — he’s a quarterback/defensive end," Colosimo said. "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."
Also returning with experience are two linebackers — seniors Blake Moore and Jorge Rico — who have each made great strides in the last calendar year.
"Blake Moore is a kid that did play a lot for us at linebacker and probably by the end of the year was our best linebacker," the head coach said. At 6-foot-2 and approximately 210 pounds, Colosimo said Moore "moves pretty well and he’s got a good instinct for the football."
Rico, meanwhile, used the offseason to change his body and, ultimately, his position.
"Jorge played more as a defensive lineman for us but he’s really transformed his body and his athleticism," Colosimo said, "so we’re going to stand him up and play him at the linebacker spot."
The coach added that the Juan Diego staff would also like to play both Moore and Rico at tight end but, due to roster size, don't have that luxury. Instead, one will take on a role on the offensive line, joining Brian Kelly up front.
Kelly, a senior lineman on both sides of the ball, is another player who returns with varsity experience. When the Soaring Eagle suffered injuries last season, Kelly stepped in and found his spot.
Junior running back Ryan Baker returns to the starting lineup after playing a significant role last season, and senior rusher Kaden Hayward will don a Juan Diego uniform for the first time after transferring.
The coaching staff is now working to determine which group of players will start on the offensive line. "Alex Lopez, Christian Hernandez and then some sophomore kids, Kyle Abundo, Matt Cobbs, Quinn Brown — those kids are going to have to fit into the mix."
Meanwhile, Colosimo is excited about senior defensive backs Cullen Woodley and Danny Wilson. The former is a talented kid who played on the JV squad last season while the latter returns with significant varsity experience.
Overall, Colosimo is anticipating what typically happens with teams that work as hard in the offseason as this group has: A season of watching his boys grow into the players and teammates he knows they can be.
"Seniors step up. They know it’s their last year, their last opportunity, and they've been able to understand what it means to play on the varsity level – the speed and the quick reactions you have to have," he said. "I think a lot of our seniors will step up and be able to play lots of spots for us."
Juan Diego at a glance
Head coach: John Colosimo is entering his 16th season as the Juan Diego head coach. He has amassed a 145-35 record and led Juan Diego to state titles in 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2010. Colosimo is a graduate of Judge Memorial and the University of Utah.
Offense (4 returning starters; Split-back veer)
Offensive coordinator: Greg Williams (16 years as assistant)
Returning offensive starters
Alex Hoffman (QB)
Brian Kelly (OL)
Cullen Woodley (WR)
Danny Wilson (RB)
Offensive newcomers to watch
Connor Dumont (OL)
Ryan Baker (RB)
Kaden Hayward (RB)
Defense (4 returning starters, 3-4 defense)
Defensive coordinator: Joe Colosimo (16 years as assistant)
Returning defensive starters
Blake Moore (LB)
Jorge Rico (LB)
Brian Kelly (DL)
Cullen Woodley (DB)
Danny Wilson (DB)
Defensive newcomers to watch
Connor Dumont (OL)
Ryan Baker (RB)
Kaden Hayward (RB)
Coaches preseason 3A South straw poll: First
Deseret News 3A South prediction: First
Bottom line: Head coach John Colosimo said the key for success at Juan Diego this season will depend on the health of his players. It's a common response offered by most football coaches at the start of every season. For Colosimo, however, it comes after a season of putting underclassmen on the field to fill holes left by injured seniors. As a result, the Soaring Eagle have a sizeable number of kids returning with significant varsity experience. Still, with approximately 50 players, Colosimo's team remains in a similar position to that of last year's squad. Which means if Juan Diego is hit with too many injuries, its reserves could be depleted quickly.
Last 5
2014 — 5-5 (5-1 in 3AA North – 3AA Quarterfinals)
2013 — 11-1 (6-0 in 3AA North – 3AA Semifinals)
2012 — 12-1 (5-0 in Region 10 – 3A Semifinals)
2011 — 10-2 (5-0 in Region 10 – 3A Quarterfinals)
2010 — 12-1 (5-0 in Region 11 – 3A Champions)
Juan Diego coaching history
2000-current — John Colosimo (145-35)
Deseret News MVPs the past 10 years
2010 — Taylor Cassita, LB
2008 — Jamie Markosian, RB/DT
Deseret News First Team all-staters the past 10 years
2014 — Andrew Markosian, DL
2013 — Cole Nelson, QB
2013 — Semisi Bloomfield, DL
2013 — Harry Jones, LB
2013 — Andrew Montoya, K
2012 — Zach Schekel, OL
2012 — Dakota Cox, LB
2012 — Walter Kauhaahaa, LB
2011 — Jared McCauley, OL
2011 — Ryan McCauley, DL
2011 — Dakota Cox, LB
2010 — Oliver Weight, DB
2010 — Eric Heinz, TE
2010 — Jalin Ames, OL
2009 — Cody Stevenson, QB
2009 — Christian Ika, OL/DL
2009 — Tana Vea, RB/DB
2009 — Keegan Andersen, WR/DB
2009 — Frank Sutera, DB
2009 — Junior Latu, DL
2009 — Trevor McFalls, TE/DL
2008 — Brian May, QB
2008 — Tyler Morales, RB
2008 — Tyler Bauman, TE
2008 — Jacob Doughty, LB
2007 — Vince Romero, LB
2006 — Tom Schweiger, DL
2006 — Mychal Robinson, DB
To view second team and honorable mention all-staters through the years, check out the Deseret News All-State Archives.
Sarah Thomas earned a degree in Mathematics from the University of Utah and is currently pursuing an MBA at Westminster College. She has been covering sports for the Deseret News since 2008.