High school football: Delta Rabbits 2020 preview

Note: Delta finished with a 3-8 overall record in 2019 and was fifth in Region 14 with a 1-4 record. It was RPI seed No. 9 in the 3A playoffs, and was eliminated by Juan Diego 42-7 in first round.

DELTA — Coming off back-to-back losing seasons that came on the heels of back-to-back semifinal appearances, there’s reason for optimism again in 2020 for Delta football.

Head coach: Russ Fowles

Is entering his seventh season as head coach for Delta, compiling a 33-43 record in his previous six years. That includes a 3A runner-up finish in 2016. He’s a graduate of Delta High School and Southern Utah University.

With a strong core of returning starters, another key player returning from injury and then solid underclassmen ready to take on larger roles, a bounce-back year is certainly possible.

“We have a pretty good, solid nucleus to build a football team around, and if we can get some buy-in from some other players and not have any injuries we have a chance to be a lot more competitive than we were the last two years. That’s our hope to get back to that 8, 9, maybe even 10 wins this year,” said Delta coach Russ Fowles.

Delta’s had fairly small senior classes the past couple years, but there’s more depth within this year’s senior class.

Austin Topham returns for his third year at starting quarterback, and should have a strong line blocking in front of him. Jake Nickle and Connor Osoro are full-time returning starters from last year, while Brandon Dutson was a part-time starter. Bridger Terril is another pseudo-returning starter. He started his sophomore season but missed all of his junior season last year with a torn ACL.

That experience in the trenches should help Delta improve upon ranking 13^th in 3A a year ago in scoring offense at just 17.3 ppg. Many of those same players will contribute on the defensive line, which Fowles also believes will help his team improve on last year’s 13^th-ranked scoring defense.

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Delta Rabbits at a glance

Coach Fowles’ thoughts on how COVID-19 adversity could impact his program:

“The thing that I was most concerned about was when we stopped going to school, of course we stopped lifting. We always seem to be a little undersized anyway, and so we’ve held onto that pretty tight and had pretty good buy-in until (school closed). I was concerned we would lose out on some of those kids. They tried to do what they could at home and I think they did a pretty good job for the most part, but it was sure nice to get them back in the weight room. That’s our concern, is that going to cost us. If I lose a kid, a lot of times I lose two positions.”

2020 Schedule

Aug. 14 — at San Juan, 7 p.m.

Aug. 21 — BEAVER, 7 p.m.

Aug. 28 — MILLARD, 7 p.m.

Sept. 4 — GRANTSVILLE, 7 p.m.

Sept. 11 — at South Sevier, 7 p.m.

Sept. 18 — at North Sanpete, 7 p.m.

Sept. 25 — AMERICAN LEADERSHIP, 7 p.m.

Oct. 2 — at Union, 7 p.m.

Oct. 9 — JUAB, 7 p.m.

Oct. 15 — at Manti, 7 p.m.

Delta Offensive Snapshot

Offensive coordinator: Russ Fowles

2019 offense: 17.3 ppg (13th in 3A)

2019 offensive statistics

• 6 returning starters
• Option offense

Returning offensive starters

• Austin Topham (QB)
• Will Finlinson (RB)
• Oran Finlinson (RB)
• Jake Nickle (OL)
• Connor Osoro (OL)
• Britton Smith (WR)

Offensive newcomers to watch

• Tate Willoughby (RB)
• Josh Jackson (RB)
• Brandon Dutson (OL)
• Bridger Terril (OL)

Coach Fowles’ keys for offensive success in 2020:

“When we’ve been more successful in the past we’ve have more success throwing the ball, and we hope to do that a little bit more this year with a little confidence up front and in the backfield and with the wideouts, too. Austin Topham he’s coming back from starting two years and he’s actually a pretty big kid, 6-foot-4ish and long, so he can see pretty well and he has good vision. It’s a little different of course for us being a run-heavy team, but being able to be competitive and spread the ball out does open things up for us.”

Delta Defensive Snapshot

Defensive coordinator: Jon Winters

2019 defense: 31.2 ppg (13th in 3A)

2019 defensive statistics

• 5 returning starters
• 4-4 defense

Returning defensive starters

• Oran Finlinson (DL)
• Jake Nickle (DL)
• Tate Willoughby (LB)
• Will Finlinson (LB)
• Britton Smith (DB)

Defensive newcomers to watch

• Bridger Terril (DL)
• Brandon Dutson (DL)
• Connor Osoro (DL)
• Josh Jackson (CB)
• Shayden Taylor (CB)

Coach Fowles’ keys for defensive success in 2020:

“The thing is we have to win the big plays, and that’s where we’ve had a little bit of trouble. A lot of times, and it’s not really a joke around here, we get really nervous on the third and 20 and fourth and 20. For some reasons those are the daggers that really hurt us. We need to get some kids making some big plays for us on those plays. We’ve got to get off the field on those. We do a pretty good job on three or four plays in a row and then we lose an assignment or somebody doesn’t get their job done and that really hurts us. Hopefully we’ve worked through some of those things and that won’t happen.”

Deseret News outlook for 2020

Delta only won three games a year ago, but was most telling is the way it was soundly beaten by the upper-echelon teams in 3A like Juab, North Sanpete, Grantsville and Juan Diego. Those games were realistically over at halftime. It’s a big jump to go from losing by four or five touchdowns to a team one year, and then suddenly beating that team a year later. It’s a jump Fowles hopes his seniors are ready to take.

Felt’s Facts for Delta

• All-time record: 548-308-24 (96 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: 57
• All-time playoff record: 66-48

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

• State championship record: 9-4

• Most played rivalry: 96 meetings with Millard dating back to 1926. Millard leads 51-41-4.


Last 5 Seasons

• 2019 — 3-8 (1-4 in Region 14 – 3A First round)
• 2018 — 4-6 (4-1 in 2A North – 2A Quarterfinals)
• 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)

Delta coaching history


• 2013-current — Russ Fowles (33-43)

• 2005-2012 — Russ Henrie (59-35)

• 1982-2004 — Dean Fowles (161-78) *5 State Titles
• 1979-1981 — Clark (21-12)

• 1971-1978 — Bill Brown (65-23) *1 State Title
• 1970 — Jim Porter (7-2)

• 1968-1969 — Brent Rock (20-6) *1 State Title
• 1967 — Myers (5-3)

• 1965-1966 — Jim Porter (24-1) *1 State Title
• 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) *1 State Title
• 1931-1935 — Unknown (12-8)

• 1928-1930 — Joe Snow (11-2)

• 1924-1927 — Unknown (9-7)


Deseret News All-State Archives

Check out our archives of Deseret News all-state teams from 1929 to 2019 at Deseret.com.

Delta All-State at-a-glance

Deseret News First Team all-staters the past 10 years

• 2019 — Jake Jackson, MLB
• 2018 — Jake Jackson, LB
• 2018 — Jaymen Brough, DB
• 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