Note: Weber finished with a 4-7 overall record in 2014 and was fourth in Region 1 with a 3-3 record. It lost to Bingham 30-0 in the 5A first round.
PLEASANT VIEW — Over the last couple of years, Weber High School's football program has taken great strides.
And the goal for this year's team is to keep making progress, keep pushing hard to improve and keep doing what it can to not fall backward.
Third-year head coach Matt Hammer has just a handful of returning starters from the Warriors' 2014 team which earned the program's first state playoff berth since 2009.
But he's got an infusion of talented young players who, when mixed with those more experienced performers who've already spent a year or two in the program, will be gunning to keep the Warriors' turnaround going this year.
"I think we're better than we were a year ago," Hammer said. "Our young kids are super talented, and things are building here.
"Now we need to turn it into a consistent winning program. Getting to the playoffs and finishing 4-7 (like they did last year) sucks. We need to get to the point where we're 7-4 or better and we're winning more games than we're losing and we're playing in November.
"Year in and year out, we've gotta be playing Halloween weekend and beyond," he said emphatically. "You get some teams you should win with, and you get some teams that have great chemistry and you're able to go knock off a better team so to speak, but to be a playoff-caliber team every year and to win more games than we lose — that's the goal."
In his first two years at the Weber High helm, comprised of 21 games in all, Hammer is proud of the fact that his kids have "showed up and competed" in all but one of those contests.
Even in last year's 30-0 opening-round playoff loss to eventual 5A state champion Bingham "our kids played hard against a very, very good football team," he said. "Of course, there're moments where we didn't play great, but we've almost always played hard since I've been here.
"I like this team better than the first two teams I had here; I like the chemistry of this team. There's a lot more care to this team compared to the previous two. Those previous two teams, they had to go through so much that anything was better than what it was before. So I don't think they've really seen and grasped the big picture of where we could go from there.
"And now I think our kids have bought into the fact that what we've done is that foundation, the bare minimum, and now we need to go the other direction," Hammer said. "It's a growing process, that's for sure."
At this juncture, either junior Christian Carter or senior Cameron Mortensen will be the Warriors' starting quarterback, and it's a close battle between the two. Mortensen transferred to Weber from neighboring Ogden High, where he played quarterback, and if Mortenson doesn't play QB, he'll play one of the receiver spots.
At running back, senior Garrett Hoyt has been a pleasant surprise. Hoyt, who started at linebacker last season and will start there again this year, "has had the best summer and he looks like he's the most prepared for what's coming," Hammer said. "He's done a really good job."
Hoyt will be backed up by sophomore Carter Green, junior Kaiden Ohlson and freshman Hunter Neilson.
At fullback, promising freshman Brand Opheikens will likely start, with junior Hunter Larsen backing him up.
At the receiver positions, senior Wyatt Berdinner and junior Brevin Dean are a solid one-two pair of returning starters. Berdinner had 31 catches for 342 yards and a touchdown last season, while Dean hauled in 33 receptions for 490 yards and five scores as a sophomore.
Berdinner, who is one of the team captains, also played cornerback last year and will be switched to safety this season and will also return punts.
"He's one of our better all-around athletes," Hammer said of the hard-working kid he calls "Berd."
As for Dean, the Warriors' coach says "he has a ton of potential, a ton of talent. He had great stats as a sophomore last year, and he had a couple of other big plays taken away from him with some penalties. I think the sky's the limit for that kid, I really do. He has a great demeanor about him, and I'm excited to see what happens with him."
Parker Gladwell, a junior, will also see plenty of playing time at receiver along with seniors Alijah Olson, Ty Decker and Mortenson, if he's not lining up behind center.
"I like our running back situation this year," Hammer said. "Our running backs and receivers are solid. Along with Berdinner and Dean, Olson and Gladwell will also provide us with solid playmakers in the receiving corps, and with Hoyt and Green at running back, those kids can make plays."
The receiving corps also includes sophomore Ali Carrillo, and seniors Cooper Barrett, Caleb Tanner and Jake Reed.
At tight end, sophomore Tysen Lewis is the probable starter, with Larsen and junior Tate Peterson backing him up.
"Our young kids in this program, if they want to work and they embrace that and they want to continue to compete with each other, they're gonna be great," Hammer said.
Levi Nye, a towering senior tackle who's a returning starter and a player that Hammer places high expectations upon, helps anchor the offensive line along with sophomore center Brady Briskey, senior guard Zac Woodhouse, junior guard Alex Bedwell and senior tackle Isaac Bell.
"Briskey is a tough kid who wrestled here as a freshman and is not afraid to compete," Hammer said. "Sure, there'll be some growing pains with that, but he's gonna give us the best chance of winning. And the kid behind him, (Jordan) Orton, is just a freshman and he might even be better than Briskey if he figures it out."
Depth on the O-line will be provided by junior tackle Jon Schael, senior tackles Kolten Nay, Aaron Dickson, Ammon Post and Colton Allen, senior guard Dax McCann, junior guard Landon Linford and freshman center Jordan Orton.
Over on defense, Berdinner and Hoyt are the returning starters, with Berdinner moving from corner to a safety spot — "He's excellent back there," Hammer said — and Hoyt moving from outside linebacker to middle linebacker, a position which he's "taking ownership of," the Warriors coach said.
But Hammer says "the biggest surprise out of everyone on defense" has been Opheikens, the freshman who plays outside linebacker.
"How he's adapted to the speed and physicality of the game has impressed me so much. It's not bigger than it is, and we're able to coach the kid very, very hard," Hammer said. "He's tough, he's smart, he's long, he's athletic, and it'll be interesting to see how he handles game situations. He has a real chance to be real good."
Another young player who has impressed Hammer is Green, a sophomore linebacker who's "super talented, very athletic and can run," the coach said. "He's very good at seeing it and being in the right spot and making plays at the right time."
The defensive line's likely starters are Bell and Nay at the end positions, with Larsen at tackle and Nye at nose guard. D-line depth will be provided by Schael, Lewis and senior Jared Crimm at defensive end, Woodhouse at tackle, with McCann, Post, Orton, Briskey and Allen also available.
Hoyt, Opheikens and Green will start at linebacker, with Decker, sophomore Jace Campbell, senior Wyatt Jenkins and Peterson providing depth.
The defensive backfield features Berdinner and Mortenson at the safety spots, with Gladwell and Dean at the corners. Seniors Tyson Treasure and Reed, and sophomore Cy Denney, will also aim to see playing time at safety, with Olson and Carrillo backing up the cornerback positions.
Coach Hammer has liked what he's seen from his defense.
"Those 11 kids we're putting out there right now, they're playing very good team defense," he said. "I know they'll fight and they'll claw. They might get pushed around a little bit, but I like our athleticism in our back end, and our linebackers can run and are physical."
Weber will face a realigned Region 1 schedule which features league newcomers Sky View, Mountain Crest, Roy and Clearfield along with Fremont and Northridge, while former region rivals Davis, Syracuse and Layton have moved into Region 2 this year.
Coach Hammer says Sky View's skill level looked strong during summer passing leagues, and the Bobcats will be favored to win the league title.
"It'll be interesting," he said. "With Northridge and Clearfield, and me being a Clearfield guy, to see that rivalry back as a region game, it's a great thing. It'll be fun to coach against Dre (Clearfield coach Andre Dyson). And with Roy, Sky View, Mountain Crest and Fremont, I have a ton of respect for those coaches and those programs, too."
After two years at Weber High, Hammer — who spent seven seasons as an assistant coach at Weber State — senses that the Warriors' opponents know that this program will no longer be a pushover like it was in 2011 and 2012, when they struggled through back-to-back winless seasons.
"Based on my interaction with other coaches, I can definitely say they know they have to show up against us because they know we're going to play very, very hard and our kids are gonna compete and they're gonna be squared away in what's going on," Hammer said.
"Now it's doing what it takes to really do what we want to do, which is win championships. That's why we're in coaching, that's why we play sports is because we want to win. ... I think the thing that our kids understand now is, hey, we can win football games here at Weber High. There's no doubt about it."
Indeed, the program has taken big steps forward over the past two years under Hammer's guidance. But he wants and expects more.
"This is the first group of seniors coming back that have been with us all three years of their high school careers, so it'll be fun to go through that whole process with them," he said. "The biggest thing is there's just so much better continuity now from our little league, from our junior mighty mite 8-year-olds up to our kids that are 18 and building the program.
"That process of them growing and doing some of our stuff, all the way up through little league and junior high, really helps us, and we have a bunch of good coaches who have bought into the program and the culture and what's going on here.
"We have much better weight-training facilities now, so that's going in the right direction. Everything when I got here was so neglected," said Hammer, noting that the school's stadium, scoreboard and weight room plainly showed "this is what 0-for-whatever looks like. It's that pride issue. That weight room is something you should take ownership and absolute pride in."
He knows it's a challenging process to turn a program into a consistent winner and contender, but it's something he's determined to do.
"Our kids are developing that mental toughness and learning how to grind and succeed when they're put in terrible situations where they're going to have to fight through it," he said. "Because if they don't fight through it, they're not going to win.
"We've gotta show up and compete on every down, compete in every game, and whatever happens, happens. There's not a lot of difference between winning and losing. One or two plays can determine the outcome of a game, and one or two plays can change your whole season.
"We've definitely got our hands full," Hammer said of Weber's fortunes this year. "But we've got good kids and good coaches here, and they care for one another. So we have a chance. We're gonna be competitive. Our overall skill level is better than it's been. And if we take care of the ball and don't give up big plays, we'll be fine."
Weber Warriors at a glance
Head coach: Matt Hammer enters his third season as Weber's head coach. He has compiled a 9-12 record at the school and guided the Warriors to a state playoff spot last season, their first since 2009. He's a graduate of Clearfield High School and Southern Utah University.
Offense (3 returning starters; multiple formations)
Offensive coordinator: Scott Hammer (3rd year as an assistant)
Returning offensive starters
Wyatt Berdinner (WR)
Brevin Dean (WR)
Levi Nye (OT)
Offensive newcomers to watch
Brandt Opheikens (FB)
Brady Briskey (C)
Tysen Lewis (TE)
Alijah Olson (WR)
Parker Gladwell (WR)
Carter Green (RB)
Garrett Hoyt (RB)
Christian Carter (QB)
Cameron Mortensen (QB/WR)
Defense (2 returning starters, 4-3-4 formation)
Defensive coordinator: Jayson Anderson (2nd year as an assistant)
Returning defensive starters
Wyatt Berdinner (DB)
Garrett Hoyt (LB)
Defensive newcomers to watch
Isaac Bell (DE)
Hunter Larsen (DT)
Dax McCann (NG)
Brandt Opheikens (LB)
Carter Green (LB)
Parker Gladwell (DB)
Cameron Mortenson (S)
Coaches preseason Region 1 straw poll: Sixth
Deseret News Region 1 prediction: Fifth
Bottom line: Over the last two seasons, the Warriors have steadily transformed themselves from a woeful program, which was stuck in a 23-game losing streak, to a highly competitive team that reached the state playoffs in 2014. Third-year head coach Matt Hammer's tough-minded, no-nonsense approach has turned things around in Pleasant View, but this year's squad has a total of just five returning starters and will be counting on a strong cast of promising young newcomers to help carry the load. Weber finds itself in a realigned Region 1 which includes former 4A schools Sky View, Mountain Crest, Roy and Clearfield. Sky View is the preseason favorite to take the league title, and Roy reached the 4A championship game last November. The schedule doesn't do Weber any favors, either, since the Warriors will face three of their final four region games on the road, so making a second straight postseason appearance could be difficult.
Last 5
2014 — 4-7 (3-3 in Region 1 – 5A First round)
2013 — 5-5 (2-4 in Region 1 -- Missed playoffs)
2012 — 0-10 (0-5 in Region 1 -- Missed playoffs)
2011 — 0-9 (0-5 in Region 1 -- Missed playoffs)
2010 — 3-6 (2-6 in Region 1 -- Missed playoffs)
Weber coaching history
2013-current — Matt Hammer (9-12)
2010-2012 — Rick Corbridge (3-25)
2005-2009 — Richard Murray (16-34)
2003-2004 — Aaron Tillett (5-15)
1994-2002 — Kory Bosgieter (49-41)
1990-1993 — Glenn Prisk (13-24)
1983-1989 — Rod Buckwoldt (26-38)
1978-1982 — Hal Lewis (15-31)
1976-1977 — Joe James (4-14)
1974-1975 — Jerry Coggins (13-6)
1970-1973 — Unknown (11-21-2)
1967-1969 — Lee Bunnell (6-20)
1965-1966 — Richard Conolly (4-13-1)
1953-1964 — Mel Wood (56-43-11)
1952 — Unknown (5-4-1)
1948-1951 — Mel Wood (10-26-2)
1945-1947 — Floyd "Slick" Slater (9-22-2)
1944 — Glenn Arnett (5-2)
1932-1943 — Unknown (25-55-2)
1931 — Mark Ballif (2-4-1)
1927-1930 — Unknown (7-19)
1926 — Fred Dixon (1-5)
Deseret News First Team all-staters the past 10 years
2014 — Stetson Clapp, DL
To view second team and honorable mention all-staters through the years, check out the Deseret News All-State Archives.
EMAIL: rhollis@desnews.com