Note: Delta finished with an 8-3 overall record in 2017 and was second in 2A North with a 4-1 record. It lost to Beaver 35-16 in the 2A semifinals.

Delta 2017 Offensive and Defensive Stats

DELTA — For the past two seasons Delta’s football program benefitted greatly from back-to-back strong classes as it advanced to the 3A championship in 2016 and then the 2A semifinals in 2017.

Heading into the 2018 season it’s time for a new era of Delta football because virtually every key contributor from last year’s team graduated. The offense has one starter back, while the defense returns just three starters.

Those departures have left an obvious void, but one that coach Russ Fowles isn’t too worried about filling it.

“Our hopes are up, we have a great younger class coming in,” said Fowles. “Our sophomores and juniors they’ve been two pretty good classes all the way through, and the freshman class is pretty good too.”

Those younger classes will provide plenty of depth for a Delta team that lacks many seniors, and Fowles said they’ve come in with an obvious winning mindset.

For many of those players, they were on the sideline during Delta’s 35-16 loss to Beaver in the semifinals, not to mention a blowout loss to South Summit during the regular season. Fowles uses those losses as reminders for his younger players because Delta realistically expected more out of itself in 2017.

“As we talk about that, we say what’s it going to take to get that extra step because we’ve got to get that push to get above the Beavers and the South Summits and the San Juan’s and the Grand’s,” said Fowles. “Those teams are going to be good teams, and if we don’t take care of business now, and if we don’t take care of the little things now when we get to that game we’re going to be in that same situation.”

The biggest need for improvement is on the defensive side of the ball. Delta allowed 30-plus points in six different games last year, and that’s never a formula for success. It will have to do so with an undersized defensively line, but Fowles doesn’t necessarily view that as a disadvantage.

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Delta Rabbits at a glance

Coach: Russ Fowles is entering his sixth season as head coach at Delta High School at tallying a 26-29 record his first five seasons. He’s a graduate of Delta High.

Delta Offensive Snapshot

Offensive coordinator: Russ Fowles

2017 offensive production: 31.5 ppg (4th in 2A)

• 1 returning starter
• Option offense

Key offensive returning starters

• Jaymen Brough (RB): Finished second on the team last year with 92 carries and 606 yards, while he also added 211 receiving yards. He finished with three total touchdowns.

Returning offensive starters

• Jaymen Brough (RB)

Offensive newcomers to watch

• Austin Topham (QB)
• Jake Jackson (RB)
• Trey Brough (RB)
• Zac Styler (OL)
• Tresdan Crafts (OL)
• Brett Bundy (OL)

Coach Fowles comments on Jaymen Brough:

“He’s a good athlete, he plays hard, plays with a lot of emotion and has started since he was a sophomore. It’s contagious, especially in football, when you get someone flying around making those big plays and soon everyone else rises to the occasion. Just that part of his leadership is going to help our team quite a bit.”

Coach Fowles comments on inexperience offensive line:

“With the way we do things timing is everything for us and so those first three or four games with all that inexperience it’s going to be hard to get our timing down to where we’re hitting on everything, but I think once we get those things covered we have the personnel to do that.”

Coach Fowles comments on new QB Austin Topham:

“He’s tall, he’s a good athlete, he’s grown up in the program and he knows how Delta football works, it’s a good fit for us right now. If he keeps developing I think he’s going to be good.”

Keys for Offensive Success in 2018:

With so many new starters this season, Delta’s timing-based offense faces an obvious learning curve early in the season. Eventually everyone will figure things out, and then the question mark will fall on execution. Delta had a big offensive line last year and could muscle opposing defenses around at times. That won’t be the case with the smaller line this season, and success will depend on execution.

Delta Defensive Snapshot

Defensive coordinator: Jon Winters

2017 defensive production: 25.7 ppg (7th in 2A)

• 3 returning starters
• 4-4 defense

Key defensive returning starters

• Jake Jackson (LB): As a junior last season, Jackson finished third on the team with 69 tackles to go along with his three sacks and one interception.
• Jaymen Brough (S): Recorded 37 tackles and one interception from his safety position last year.

Returning defensive starters

• Jaymen Brough (S)
• Jake Jackson (LB)
• Jace Thomas (LB)

Defensive newcomers to watch

• Bowdy Sorenson (LB)
• Brett Bundy (DL)
• Jackson Johnson (DL)
• Cael Rowley (DB)
• Jameson Bishop (DB)

Coach Fowles comments on new defensive coordinator Jon Winters:

“He has a few different philosophies and a few different ways of looking at things, which is good. It’s got the kids excited, a little change is always good especially when you start out with all new goods. A little bit different terminology.”

Coach Fowles comments on defensive line:

“We do have some experience coming back but it’s more of a supporting role and so now they’re going to have to slide into more of an anchor role for us. Most of it is mental. They’ve got to realize there’s nobody else that’s going to come in and save the day for us, ‘we’re the ones that are going to be getting it done.’”

Keys for Defensive Success in 2018:

Delta’s defense ranked in the bottom half of 2A last year as it allowed 25.7 ppg. It’s got to get off the field with more regularity this season especially with a very young offense this season. Teams passed the ball on Delta far too easily a year ago, and every position group needs to do its job better to prevent that trend from repeating itself.

Coaches preseason 2A North straw poll: Second

Deseret News 2A North prediction: Second

Key Region Game: vs. Millard, Sept. 14 (Week 5)

Bottom line: With a smaller senior class and so few returning starters, there are ample question marks facing this team in 2018. The talent is there in the younger grades to be competitive, but the program might be a year away from being regarded as one of the favorites in 2A.

2018 Schedule

• Aug. 17 — JUAB, 7 p.m.
• Aug. 24 — at Manti, 7 p.m.
• Aug. 31 — BEAVER, 7 p.m.
• Sept. 7 — at San Juan, 7 p.m.
• Sept. 14 — MILLARD, 7 p.m.
• Sept. 21 — at North Summit, 7 p.m.
• Sept. 28 — SOUTH SUMMIT, 7 p.m.
• Oct. 5 — at Gunnison, 7 p.m.
• Oct. 12 — AMERICAN LEADERSHIP, 7 p.m.

Felt’s Facts

All-time record: 541-296-24 (94 years)

Region championships: 30 (1927, 1930 co, 1931, 1932 co, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1947 co, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1970 co, 1975, 1976 co, 1977, 1983 co, 1986, 1991 co, 1993, 1994, 2000, 2003 co, 2004 co, 2005 co, 2009 co, 2010, 2011)

Playoff appearances: 55

Current playoff appearance streak: 3 (2015-2017)

All-time playoff record: 66-46

State championships: 9 (1938, 1966, 1968, 1975, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1995, 2001)

State championship record: 9-4

Most played rivalry: 94 meetings with Millard dating back to 1926. Millard leads 50-40-4.

Felt’s Factoid(s): Delta’s state-record 38 straight playoff appearances came to an end in 2013 as the Rabbits missed the playoffs for the first time since 1974.

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Last 5

• 2017 — 8-3 (4-1 in 2A North – 2A Semifinals)
• 2016 — 9-4 (4-1 in 3A south – 3A Runner-up)
• 2015 — 4-8 (2-3 in 3A South – 3A Quarterfinals)
• 2014 — 1-8 (0-5 in 3A South -- Missed playoffs)
• 2013 — 4-6 (1-4 in 3A South -- Missed playoffs)

...

Delta coaching history

• 2013-current — Russ Fowles (26-29)
• 2005-2012 — Russ Henrie (59-35)
• 1982-2004 — Dean Fowles (161-78)
• 1979-1981 — Clark (21-12)
• 1971-1978 — Bill Brown (65-23)
• 1970 — Jim Porter (7-2)
• 1968-1969 — Brent Rock (20-6)
• 1967 — Myers (5-3)
• 1965-1966 — Jim Porter (24-1)
• 1957-1964 — Robert Horlacher (48-22)
• 1956 — Joe Martinez (3-4)
• 1954-1955 — Jim Durrant (7-9)
• 1950-1953 — Bruce Osborne (16-13)
• 1947-1949 — Nephi Schwab (9-12)
• 1946 — Reginald LeFevere (0-4)
• 1942-1945 — F.G. "Frosty" Richards (9-13)
• 1941 — Mr. Anderson (5-2)
• 1939-1940 — Howard Schaub (10-6)
• 1936-1938 — Jay Tolman (13-5)
• 1931-1935 — Unknown (12-8)
• 1928-1930 — Joe Snow (11-2)
• 1924-1927 — Unknown (9-7)

.....

Deseret News First Team all-staters the past 10 years

• 2017 — Dallin Draper, RB
• 2017 — Jake Day, DB
• 2017 —Brandon Atkinson, LB
• 2017 — Trevor Burton, DL
• 2017 — Chase Fowles, OL
• 2016 — Reygan Riding, FB
• 2016 — Jack Dutson, DE
• 2016 — Brett Walker, DT
• 2016 — Ryland Day, LB
• 2016 — Jason Hatch, S
• 2015 — Russell Styler, OL
• 2015 — Rhett Shamo, LB
• 2014 — David Schena, OL
• 2014 — Victor Almanza, LB
• 2013 — Hunter Fowles, OL
• 2013 — Riley Nielson, LB
• 2013 — Victor Almonza, DB
• 2011 — Gerry Banda, OL
• 2011 — Colin Christensen, DB
• 2010 — Dallin Henrie, OL
• 2010 — Hadley Myers, LB
• 2009 — Nick Nissen, OL/DL
• 2009 — Derek Peterson, RB
• 2008 — Dayton DeLoach, DB

To view second team and honorable mention all-staters through the years, check out the Deseret News All-State Archives.