ST. GEORGE — The Dixie Flyers have made a name for themselves with their high-flying offenses under head coach Blaine Monkres.
But times have changed.
In his previous tenure, Monkres led the Dixie Flyers to two state championships (2012 and 2014), but no one talked about the defense in those two title runs.
That’s because Dixie, which beat Spanish Fork 49-21 for the 3A title in 2012 and Hurricane 27-19 for the 3AA crown in 2014, was all about offense during those two runs.
In going 11-2 in 2012, Dixie and quarterback Blake Barney averaged 36.0 points a game. In 2014, the Flyers upped their offensive output even more, with Ammon Takau leading DHS to a 10-4 record by posting up 38.7 points a game.
But this year’s team is different. Dixie still scores over 30 a game (32.5, to be precise), but the Flyers have ruled their foes by shutting down the enemy’s offense.
Through 12 games in 2018, Dixie (11-1) has allowed just 12.2 points per contest, down six points from 2012 and more than 17 fewer per game than in 2014.
Defensive coordinator Wayne Alofipo is the mastermind.
“I hired him as defensive coordinator when I got the job and he was good then,” Monkres said. “But he just keeps getting better and better every time we go out there.”
Monkres, an offensive guru, said he takes great comfort in knowing that he doesn’t need to worry about the other side of the ball.
“Sometimes I have no idea how his defensive game plan is going to go, but that’s what I love about him,” Monkres said. “I know I don’t have to worry about that side of the ball. I know he has it taken care of and I can focus on the offense.”
Alofipo, a former star defensive lineman at Dixie State University, stayed on when Monkres left for other opportunities and was the defensive coordinator for Andy Stokes. When Stokes left to coach Timpview, Alofipo once again opted to stay at Dixie High, and the result is perhaps the best Flyer defense in a long time.
“We’ve got some good, hard-working kids,” Alofipo said. “The thing I like about them is they are teachable, and when we put a game plan in, they work hard at getting it down.”
Alofipo and the Dixie ‘D’ this year have consistently risen to big occasions.
Hosting a Pine View team on Sept. 28 that was averaging more than 50 points a game, the Flyers allowed the Panthers to march down the field with ease on the first drive of the game.
“We started a little rough, but the defense played great after that first drive,” head coach Blaine Monkres said.
Alofipo said his defense was ready to make adjustments on the fly.
“We had a Plan A and a Plan B and a Plan C,” he said. “As it turns out, we didn’t need to go to Plan B or C.”
Since that 20-14 win over Pine View, Dixie has won six straight games with an average winning score of 36-10.
In the final region game of the regular season, facing a Desert Hills team that was also unbeaten in Region 9 play and was averaging 40.2 points a game during its six-game win streak, Dixie allowed just seven points and 179 total yards.
The Flyers clinched the region title with that dominating 21-7 victory.
This defense isn’t as talented as the ones we’ve had before, but they are the most unified, the most unselfish. – Dixie defensive coordinator Wayne Alofipo
Monkres and Alofipo attribute part of their success to getting players some rest. Dixie uses very few players on both sides of the ball, opting instead to platoon guys, even if it means having the occasional spot filled by a less-talented player.
“We’ve always felt that was important, to try and have as few guys as possible going both ways,” Monkres said.
The two coaches said debate does arise occasionally over which side of the ball gets a topnotch player.
“We don’t fight over guys, but sometimes we have discussions over where we can best use a player,” Monkres said.
With playmakers like Jake Staheli, Jaxon Reyos and Tyler Walden flying around the field, plus linchpin defensive lineman Conner Walden, Alofipo wanted to make one thing very clear.
“It’s just a bunch of kids that want to do what they’re taught and believe in the system,” he said. “They’re so unselfish. No one needs to be the star. They all play for each other. This defense isn’t as talented as the ones we’ve had before, but they are the most unified, the most unselfish.”
Now Dixie stares down its biggest test of all, the Orem Tigers in Friday’s (11 a.m.) 4A championship game.
If that unselfish defense can come together one more time on the big stage of Rice-Eccles Stadium, it will be hoisting a gold trophy.