Note: Roy finished with a 7-4 overall record in 2019 and was tied for second in Region 1 with a 5-2 record. It was RPI seed No. 10 in the 6A playoffs and was eliminated by American Fork 66-45 in second round.
ROY — At first glance, the Roy Royals appear to be firmly headed toward a rebuilding year.
That is what happens when you lose as many capable and important starters from one season to another. The Royals return only four starters on the offensive side of the ball this season and are even less well off on defense with only one starter back. Many key contributors from the Royals’ second round playoff team graduated, others transferred out, but the end result is the same.
“Realistically we have to replace a lot of folks and are almost in a rebuilding mode,” said head coach Fred Fernandes.
Rebuilding at Roy isn’t the same as many other places, though. The Royals haven’t had a losing record since the 2011 season, and since Fernandes returned to his alma mater the team has won 65% of its games.
Thus, rebuilding in Roy’s case might just mean reloading.
“We’ve got some good kids at a lot of key positions,” said Fernandes. “I am really excited to see what we’ve got.”
A lot of his excitement stems from changes in scheme, a “new wrinkle,” as Fernandes likes to call it. With quarterback Jaxon Dart now the starting quarterback at Corner Canyon High, gone are the days of throwing the ball down the field 30 times a game. Now, the Royals will be run heavy and maybe even better off for it, or so Fernandes believes.
“We lost arguably the best quarterback in the state in a transfer, but I think the transfer was good for him and with our new wrinkle, our change in offensive scheme, I think it was good for us too,” he said. “I think we have a couple of the best running backs in the state and I think that is going to benefit us. We are going to be more of a run-based offense. It is going to be a different style for us, but a style that I think we can be really successful with.”
Defensively, the Royals have many positions to fill — defensive back Cade Harris is the only returning starter — but there is optimism there too.
“We have a bunch of guys who got a little bit of experience last year, guys who are now stepping into new roles,” said Fernandes. “We need to find out who will embrace the opportunity.”
Ultimately, even during this “rebuild” there is a belief that the Royals can continue to compete with the best.
“I’m excited,” said Fernandes. “Almost like a kid at Christmastime. We’ll take a look at this new wrinkle and see if we can’t compete at a pretty high level.”
Roy Royals at a glance
Fernandes’ thoughts on how his players dealt with the COVID-19 adversity in the spring and summer:
“It is an ongoing issue, and yeah it has been kind of tough. Everybody really has the big questions of, ‘Are we going forward, and how long are we going to go?’ — all that kind of stuff. My kids have been as good as could be. We haven’t ever been shut down or anything like that, so that is a positive. All the protocols and screenings you go through when you get together are kind of a pain, but I guess a necessity.
“Everybody is just happy to be out, working football and weight room because everything got shut down for a while. It was nice to get back and make some progress towards what everyone hopes will be a football season. Everybody is happy to be out of their house, not playing video games and back to work so to speak.”
Roy offensive snapshot
Offensive coordinator: Luke Hobbs
2019 offense: 35.6 ppg (fourth in 6A)
2019 offensive statistics
- Four returning starters
- Spread/Wing-T offense
Returning offensive starters
- Cade Harris (WR)
- Abe Awadh (OL)
- Parker Kingston (QB)
- Mason Thueson (WR)
Offensive newcomers to watch
- Izzy Gordon (RB)
- Tyke Hepner (LT)
- Rhett Dixon (C)
- Preston Anderson (H-back)
- Tytan Fernandes (WR)
Fernandes’ keys for offensive success in 2020:
“We are going to be more of a run-based offense. It is going to be a different style for us, but a style that I think we can be real successful with. I think we are going to be able to move the football. Our offensive line is revamped, after we lost three really good kids to college ball last year. The kids we’ve got are not as big, but they are pretty quick and really good for our scheme and run blocking.
“Our running backs, I think we have two of the top 5 running backs in the state, and our quarterback (Kingston) is a dual-threat. He has always been a quarterback, but started at wide receiver for us last year. He’s been looking really good. With Cade Harris and Izzy Gordon, we have two guys who might be as good as any out there. I’m excited to see. It think we are going to be very explosive on offense, while at the same time, be able to dictate the flow of the game.”
Roy defensive snapshot
Defensive coordinator: Eric Jones
2019 defense: 29.5 ppg (18th in 6A)
2019 defensive statistics
- One returning starter
- 4-3 defense
Returning defensive starter
- Cade Harris (DB)
Defensive newcomers to watch
- Tytan Fernandes (LB)
- Preston Anderson (LB)
- Cooper Valencia (LB)
- Hayden Dean (DL)
- Chris Marroquin (DL)
- Mason Thueson (CB)
- Colby Dickon (S)
- Ethan Ecker (S)
Fernandes’ keys for defensive success in 2020:
“We have a bunch of guys who got a little bit of experience last year, guys who are now stepping into new roles. We need to find out who will embrace the opportunity. There are a lot of jobs open. We need to see who is varsity ready right now and that is pretty much across the board, with the exception of Cade Harris. Everything else has been wide open and there has been great competition. I think we have a lot of good bodies to fill in. We are just waiting to see who is ready for the opportunity.”
Deseret News outlook for 2020
The Royals will be an intriguing team to watch in 2020. After losing so many contributors from last year, a step back would be understandable. Expectations within the program, however, are high, as in compete among the top tier of Region 1 teams. If the Royals can pull off their offensive scheme change — and find some consistent production on defense — a region title is a real possibility. More likely, though, is a third- or fourth-place finish in the region, as Roy deals with some growing pains.
Felt’s Facts for Roy
- All-time record: 261-286-2 (55 years)
- Region championships: 10 (1975, 1976, 1980 co, 1983 co, 1989 co, 1990 co, 1991 co, 2014, 2016 co, 2018)
- Playoff appearances: 27
- All-time playoff record: 18-26
- State championships: 1 (1981)
- State championship record: 1-2
- Most played rivalry: 53 meetings with Bonneville dating back to 1965. Bonneville leads 34-19.
Last five seasons
- 2019 — 7-4 (5-2 in region 1 — 6A second round)
- 2018 — 9-3 (4-1 in Region 5 — 5A semifinals)
- 2017 — 5-5 (2-2 in Region 5 — 5A first round)
- 2016 — 7-3 (5-1 in Region 1 — 5A first round)
- 2015 — 6-4 (4-2 in Region 1 — 5A quarterfinals)
Roy coaching history
- 2011-current — Fred Fernandes (62-33)
- 2010 — Ron Koford (1-9)
- 2008-2009 — Roger Horne (2-18)
- 2006-2007 — Rod Bockwoldt (9-13)
- 2003-2005 — Brian Berrong (8-22)
- 2000-2002 — Guy Andersen (7-23)
- 1997-1999 — Shane Quilling (3-25)
- 1994-1996 — Mark Smith (6-23)
- 1982-1993 — Fred Thompson (56-60)
- 1970-1981 — Ernest Jacklin (79-44-1) *one state title
- 1965-1969 — DelRay “Ted” Campbell (32-16-1)
Roy All-State at-a-glance
Deseret News First Team all-staters the past 10 years
- 2019 — Britton Watts, PK
- 2018 — Kyrese Rowan, ATH
- 2016 — Joe Joe Tufele, OG
- 2015 — Brayden Montalvo, OL
- 2014 — Tyler Skidmore, QB
- 2014 — Cody Hobbs, TE
- 2014 — Damian Trujillo, OL
- 2014 — James Martinez, DL