Note: Wasatch finished with a 4-7 overall record in 2014 and tied for fourth in Region 8 with a 2-4 record. It did not qualify for the playoffs.
HEBER CITY — Injuries are an unfortunate reality in football, and playing the what-if game when they happen is a waste of breath.
Wasatch coach Steve Coburn truly believes if two key injuries hadn’t happened last year, the Wasps would’ve been a playoff team. He also knows there's no sense wondering what might’ve been.
His hope is that this year’s team learns from those injuries.
For the players who filled in, he’s hopeful their experience gained last year pays off with strong starts to the 2015 season. As for the backups, he hopes they realize: Always be ready.
Nobody expected senior running back Spencer Heywood to go down with a knee injury in Week 6 last year. Prior to the injury, he’d had a strong campaign with 602 yards and seven TDs. Nobody was zoned in mentally and ready to fill Heywood’s shoes after his injury, and in the four and a half games afterward, Wasatch’s running backs combined for just 283 yards and four scores.
That reality, of having backups who are ready to compete at the varsity level, is one of the last steps Wasatch’s football program needs to take now that it’s in year three of the jump to 4A.
“That’s where we’re still making that transition to 4A, with depth in the program,” said Coburn.
“We’ve just got to be more consistent in what we do throughout the season. We play pretty good in preseason, and then we run into a pretty tough region schedule, but we’ve got to be more consistent.”
Coburn is optimistic this is the year it happens. This is his fourth year with the program, and third as defensive coordinator, so the defensive personnel knows what’s expected of them. Offensively, Tyler Baird is in his second year as offensive coordinator, and he’s coaching a quarterback, Garrett Davis, who's entering his third year as a starter.
Those various levels of experience should give Wasatch confidence. Ultimately, though, consistency at quarterback is what Wasatch needs.
As a junior last year, Davis completed 43 percent of his passes for 1,243 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Losing his best receiver, Carson Law, to injury in Week 4 didn’t help, but those obviously aren’t the stats for a quarterback who leads his team to the playoffs.
Davis isn’t making excuses about last year, and Coburn said Davis must be better for Wasatch to be successful.
“A lot of our success rides on his shoulders. As a quarterback, that comes with the territory, but as a three-year starter it’s time for him to lead the team out. He’s got to be more consistent and make the plays he needs to have,” said Coburn.
That’s not just with his arm either. Wasatch expects to use Davis much more in the running game, which should make for a fun sibling rivalry in the Davis household. Davis’ older brother Peyton guided Wasatch to the 3A semifinals in 2009, and as quarterback rushed for 670 yards. Garrett Davis’ goal is to surpass that this year.
“We’re gonna hopefully utilize his legs a lot more this year,” said Coburn.
How successful he ultimately is will depend on an offensive line that returns just one starter (Ben Bos), and two running backs with a lot to prove.
Jake Davis and Kaden Trowbridge combined for 209 rushing yards and one touchdown last year, and with the graduation of Heywood the load falls on their shoulders in 2015.
Wasatch’s top three receiving threats all graduated last year, and it’s up to Nick Piscitelli, Carson Mahoney, Spencer Pennington and tight end Kaser McPhie to embrace their opportunity of being offensive threats for the Wasps.
Defensively, with four returning starters Coburn is cautiously optimistic about his team’s potential. Wasatch seemed to play better defensively in the second half of last season, which Coburn credits to the coaching staff figuring out personnel and making necessary adjustments throughout the year.
With some of that personnel back, Coburn hopes the defense will be sharper earlier.
Trowbridge is a run-stopping strong safety poised for a big season, while Jake Davis will anchor the linebacking core.
Wasatch Wasps at a glance
Head Coach: Steve Coburn is entering his fourth season as Wasatch’s head coach and has a 16-16 record. Coburn has five years of head coaching experience at Snow College (2006-2010) and 13 years head coaching experience at the high school level. He was 13-6 at Morgan (1988-89), 11-29 at Ogden (1994-1997), 2-17 at Cottonwood (1998-99) and 4-7 at North Sanpete (2011). He’s a graduate of Bonneville High School.
Offense (3 returning starters; Pistol, Pro Style)
Offensive coordinator: Tyler Baird (5 years as assistant)
Returning offensive starters
Garrett Davis (QB)
Ben Bos (OL)
Kade Trowbridge (RB)
Offensive newcomers to watch
Jake Davis (RB)
Kaser McPhie (TE)
Caden Badger (TE)
Nick Piscitelli (WR)
Carson Mahoney (WR)
Spencer Pennington (WR)
Kaden Butler (OL)
Defense (4 returning starters, 4-3 defense)
Defensive coordinator: Steve Coburn
Returning defensive starters
Kade Trowbridge (SS)
Jake Davis (LB)
Nick Piscitelli (DB)
Ben Bos (DL)
Defensive newcomers to watch
Mitch Nelson (DT)
Col Johnson (DE)
Kaser McPhie (DE)
Coaches preseason Region 8 straw poll: Fifth
Deseret News Region 8 prediction: Fifth
Bottom line: Last year in region games against Salem Hills, Springville, Maple Mountain and Spanish Fork, Wasatch went a combined 1-3. To make the playoffs in the evenly-matched Region 8, it probably needs to beat at least two of those teams. Whether that happens falls largely on the shoulders of QB Garrett Davis. He’s a three-sport athlete at Wasatch who also plays basketball and baseball, and someone who may get off to a slow start. If he develops the necessary rapport with his receiving core by region play, Davis’ experience could finally push Wasatch into the 4A playoff picture in year three of making the jump from 3A.
Last 5
2014 — 4-7 (2-4 in Region 8 -- Missed playoffs)
2013 — 4-6 (2-4 in Region 8 -- Missed playoffs)
2012 — 8-3 (4-1 in Region 10 – 3A First round)
2011 — 5-6 (2-3 in Region 10 – 3A First round)
2010 — 7-4 (3-1 in Region 10 – 3A Quarterfinals)
Wasatch coaching history
2012-current — Steve Coburn (16-16)
2011 — Craig Davis (5-6)
2005-2010 — Steve North (43-28)
1999-2004 — Ron Tree (38-31)
1997-1998 — Tim Stanley (3-15)
1992-1996 — Monte Morgan (28-25)
1987-1991 — Ron Tree (21-28)
1959-1986 — Dan Wright (174-104-8)
1956-1958 — Eldon Wright (9-11-3)
1949-1955 — Marion Tree (38-20-1)
1945-1948 — Unknown (8-22-1)
1942-1944 — Floyd "Slick" Slater (20-6)
1940-1941 — Unknown (8-3-1)
1939 — Lou Neeley (3-2-1)
1932-1938 — Unknown (5-28)
1928-1931 — F. G. "Frosty" Richards (5-13-2)
1924-1927 — Unknown (10-8-1)
Deseret News First Team all-staters the past 10 years
2010 — Keefer Babbitt WR
2009 — Payton Davis, QB
2009 — Kaleb Moritz, LB/OL
2009 — Cory Nielson, DB/WR
2009 — Mike Davis, WR/FS
2008 — Jake Hardcastle, OL
2007 — Jake Salazar, RB
2007 — Jeff Tukuafu, TE
2007 — Ethan Smith, LB
2007 — Matt Wheatley, K
2005 — David Hendricksen, OL
To view second team and honorable mention all-staters through the years, check out the Deseret News All-State Archives.
Deseret News prep editor and Real Salt Lake beat writer.