Note: Dixie finished with a 9-3 overall record in 2015 and tied for first in 3AA South with a 4-1 record. It lost to Logan 26-15 in the 3AA championship.
Dixie 2015 offensive and defensive stats
ST. GEORGE — A humble Andy Stokes said he got outcoached quite a bit in his first year as Dixie’s head football coach, particularly in the 3AA championship game against Logan.
“That one stung, I’m never going to forget it,” said Stokes.
There’s an inevitable learning curve for all first-year coaches, much of it administrative duties that distract them from simply coaching their kids.
Heading into his second season as head coach, Stokes is better prepared for not only the Xs and Os but all the extracurricular stuff associated with the job too. Ideally that will put more of the focus on football, and make things less hectic.
It’s a good thing, too, because the Flyers will need a lot of coaching.
“We’re really young,” said Stokes. “We’ll only probably start four or five seniors.”
Despite that youth, he believes if the players buy into what’s proven to be a winning formula then Dixie will be right in the hunt for region and state titles again. The team is getting thrown to the wolves early though.
Dixie’s first three preseason games are against Springville (4A), Lone Peak (5A) and Alta (4A). All three are ranked in the preseason Deseret News top 20 rankings, with Lone Peak checking in at No. 4 after coming agonizingly close to a perfect 14-0 season last season.
The Flyers could easily be 0-3 after those games, but if the players stay healthy the long-term benefits could be huge for the program.
Stokes said the coaching staff will try to keep things as simple as possible early, especially offensively, where Dixie is much less experienced.
“When you’re as young as we’re going to be, we’re just trying to make sure we’ve got the basics down before we go into that first game with Springville. We don’t want to go in there and have a whole bunch of complicated stuff going on and not really understanding how to play football,” said Stokes.
Defensively, there’s enough experience returning for the coaching staff to feel pretty good about that side of the football. The big question marks are offensively. The program is replacing a 2,700-yard passer, a 1,500-yard rusher and two receivers with double-digit touchdowns.
The likely replacements are mostly underclassmen.
Jacob Barben will likely be the starter at quarterback, a junior who’s the younger brother of Dixie all-state receiver Bret Barben, who graduated last year.
Sophomore Ammon Ahquin will likely emerge as the go-to running back, and he’s got huge shoes to fill after back-to-back dominant seasons by Utah State signee Tre Miller.
The receiving cupboard isn’t completely bare as Hobbs Nyberg returns after racking up 789 yards and eight touchdowns a year ago. He was part of a three-headed monster that gave opposing secondarys fits.
His new counterparts will be senior Josh Topham, junior Payden Harrah and sophomore Nate Mahi. The Flyers might also use more tight end sets this year, with Max Brown and Landon Adams getting involved in the passing game.
All of their success is predicated on how quickly Barben picks up the offense.
“He’s super smart, he’s one of the most intelligent kids you’re going to find,” said Stokes. “He’s really level-headed. He’s always going to have a smile on his face, he never gets too upset, he never gets too excited. He’s just one of those kids that goes out there and gets the job done. I have a lot of confidence in him and the future.”
Barben will have a couple of senior returning starters, Gavyn Begay and Tim Miles, protecting him on the offensive line.
A newcomer on that offensive line will be junior Parker Theobald. He exclusively started at long snapper the past two seasons, but this year he’s decided to branch out and play center full time. Stokes said he’s an athletic kid who will help the line.
With so many new faces in critical positions offensively, Stokes said the six returning starters defensively need to be sharp from the opening kickoff in Game 1.
“They definitely have to step up and lead that side of the ball. They have to play a little bit above themselves those first few weeks,” said Stokes.
The strength is in the linebacking core with three of four starters returning, Malakai Fakahua, Cutler Thomas and Magalei Stevenson. Fakahua led the team in tackles last season with 89, and Stokes said the three-year starter could have a very special season.
Sophomore Jake Staheli and juniors Marshall Smith and Stuart Seegmiller are all vying for playing time as the fourth linebacker, and all should get plenty of opportunities this season.
Payton Wilgar is a returning starter at free safety, and he’s an elite talent in the secondary who’s already getting some recruiting interest from the big three schools.
“He’s the No. 1 communicator back there. If he doesn’t make the calls right, we’re in trouble,” said Stokes.
Wilgar and all the linebackers benefited last year from a dynamite defensive line that occupied more than its fair share of blockers. Only one of those players is back, Tyson Fisher. Even he was kind of out of sight out of mind this summer. At 6-foot-5, he throws a baseball 90 mph and he spent the summer on the diamond.
Fisher led Region 9 in sacks last year with nine, and once he gets back in football shape he should anchor down one of Dixie’s defensive end positions. The other positions are “all the way up in the air,” said Stokes.
Nate Cox is moving from offensive line to defensive line to help shore up that spot, while Kaden Williams is back on the team after sitting out last year. They’re among five or six players vying for those starting spots, and Stokes said whoever locks down those spots will be the guys who keep it simple and free up the linebackers to flourish.
Dixie Flyers at a glance
Head coach: Andy Stokes is entering his second season as Dixie’s head coach after leading the program to a 9-3 record and a 3AA runner-up finish last year. He’s a graduate of Moapa Valley High School in Nevada.
Offense (3 returning starters; spread offense)
Offensive coordinator: Andy Stokes (2nd year as OC)
Returning offensive starters
Hobbs Nyberg (WR)
Gavyn Begay (RG)
Tim Miles (LT)
Offensive newcomers to watch
Jacob Barben (QB), Jr.
Ammon Ahquin (RB), So.
Josh Topham (WR), Sr.
Payden Harrah (WR), Jr.
Nate Mahi (WR), So.
Max Brown (TE)
Landon Adams (TE)
Parker Theobald (C)
Defense (6 returning starters, 3-4 defense)
Defensive coordinator: Wayne Alofipo (8 years as assistant)
Returning defensive starters
Tyson Fisher (DE)
Malakai Fakahua (LB)
Cutler Thomas (LB)
Magalei Stevenson (LB)
Payton Wilgar (FS)
Hobbs Nyberg (CB)
Defensive newcomers to watch
Connor Williams (DL)
Nate Cox (DL)
Jake Staheli (LB)
Marshall Smith (LB)
Stuart Seegmiller (LB)
Sam Westfall (CB)
Coaches' preseason 3AA South straw poll: Fourth
Deseret News 3AA South prediction: Second
Bottom line: Dixie is very young, and the coaches in the 3AA South region all know it and pegged it to finish fourth in league as a result. The talent is still there to make some noise in the classification. It starts defensively with six returning starters, including a couple of marquee players in Malakai Fakahua and Payton Wilgar. If the defense can keep the Flyers in games while the offensive newcomers settle into their new varsity roles, they should be right in the hunt for the league title in October.
2016 schedule
Aug. 19 — SPRINGVILLE, 7 p.m.
Aug. 26 — at Lone Peak, 7 p.m.
Sept. 2 — at Alta, 7 p.m.
Sept. 9 — at Canyon View, 7 p.m.
Sept. 16 — at Pine View, 7 p.m.
Sept. 23 — at Cedar, 7 p.m.
Sept. 30 — DESERT HILLS, 7 p.m.
Oct. 7 — at Snow Canyon, 7 p.m.
Oct. 21 — HURRICANE, 7 p.m.
Felts Facts for Dixie High School
All-time record: 415-242-6 (71 years)
Region championships: 24 (1949, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 co, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1991 co, 1994 co, 2009 co, 2013, 2015 co)
Playoff appearances: 42
Current playoff appearance streak: 5 (2011-2015)
All-time playoff record: 59-34
State championships: 8 (1957, 1967, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1998, 2012, 2014)
State championship record: 8-3
Most played rivalry: 86 meetings with Cedar dating back to 1949. Dixie leads 53-33.
Felt’s Factoid(s): Flyer Lukas Hildebrandt set the record for reception yards in a state-championship game with 203 in 2012. … Dixie’s Luke Carteris was one of just eight Utah prep gridders to return a fumble 99 yards (2004). … The 1998 Flyers were one of just two teams to win a Tuesday region-playoff game just to get into the tournament and go on to win a state championship. … The Flyers hold the record for most two-point conversions in a game with eight (seven rush, one passing) set in a 1972 quarterfinal bout.
Last 5
2015 — 9-3 (4-1 in 3AA South — 3A runner-up)
2014 — 10-4 (4-2 in 3AA South — 3AA champions)
2013 — 9-3 (6-0 in 3AA South — 3AA semifinals)
2012 — 11-2 (4-2 in Region 9 — 3A champions)
2011 — 7-3 (4-2 in Region 9 — 3A first round)
Dixie coaching history
2015-current — Andy Stokes (9-3)
2008-2014 — Blaine Monkres (54-27)
2002-2007 — Jake Nelson (35-31)
2000-2001 — Ray Odette (3-14)
1997-1999 — Mike Smith (16-18)
1993-1996 — Jerry Dyer (21-17)
1975-1992 — Ray Odette (104-69)
1949-1974 — Walter Brooks (168-56)
1935 — Lloyd "Gus" Shields (1-2)
Deseret News MVPs the past 10 years
2014 — Ammon Takau, QB
2012 — Blake Barney, QB
Deseret News First Team all-staters the past 10 years
2015 — Zak Harrah, QB
2015 — Tre Miller, RB
2015 — Jeff Martinez, DL
2014 — Bret Barben, WR
2014 — Jaxon Davis, OL
2014 — Jeff Martinez, DL
2014 — Jaden Harrison, DB
2014 — McLane Keenan, K
2013 — Drew Batchelor, WR
2013 — Gavin Graff, OL
2013 — Braxton Ipson, DL
2013 — Tanner Webster, DB
2012 — Drew Batchelor, WR
2012 — David Teaupa, OL
2012 — Jesse Lambert, DL
2012 — Tyson Graff, DB
2011 — Austin Barker, K
2009 — Dallen Reber, LB
2009 — Dalton Smith, DB
2009 — Mike Sharp, SPEC
2007 — Nate Carter, RB
2006 — Nate Carter, RB
2006 — Derek Owen, DL
2006 — Kacen Smith, DB
To view second team and honorable mention all-staters through the years, check out the Deseret News All-State Archives.
James Edward is the Deseret News prep editor and Real Salt Lake beat writer. EMAIL: jedward@deseretnews.com