1A North football preview: Rich Rebels

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

RICH REBELS

The Hurry-up — Rich finished 5-6 in 2015, and 3-1 in the 1A North. The Rebels lost to Diamond Ranch Academy 34-0 in the Class 1A semifinals.

Rich was unable to repeat the success of its state championship run in 2014 thanks to some injuries at crucial points in the season. Now, coach Ashley Brown and his Rebels must replace some talented players in order to keep up with 1A's elite teams.

"We know it's not going to be easy, we know there's some dang good teams that you have to beat in 1A, and they're good year in and year out," Brown said about his team's mindset coming into this season. "In 1A, if you can run and pass the football, that's a big advantage. It's key. So we are trying to make sure that we can do that consistently."

Quarterbacks — Junior Nick Jarman will be taking over the reins for the Rebels this season. While inexperienced at quarterback, Brown said that Jarman is intelligent and runs the read-option very well. At 6-foot-5, Jarman could look like a mini Travis Wilson when running in the open field.

Running backs — Brown and the rest of his staff have been given the unenviable task of breaking in three new running backs to make their offense go. Expect seniors Riley Osler and Wyatt Downing to split reps at halfback in the early going while junior Kinnen Clark takes over at fullback.

Receivers — Senior Nik Wallentine will be the go-to receiver for the Rebels in 2016, but not much else is certain for the rest of the receiving corps. Brown did say that he expects junior Kamren Calder to make some plays as an underclassman.

Offensive linemen — The boys up front will be the strength of the Rebels this season, with four returning starters making things easier on the new players in the offensive backfield. The line is led by seniors Jaden Larsen and Payson Willis, and will be joined by the junior duo of Wyatt and Porter Weston.

Defensive linemen — Willis and the Westons will be pulling double duty as starters on the defensive line, with other linemen rotating in and out depending on situations. Look for senior Tyler Perelli to also make an impact on the defensive front.

Linebackers — Clark will take his bad intentions as a fullback and move them to the middle linebacker spot on defense, while Wallentine occupies one of the outside spots. Brown is still determining who will start at the other outside linebacker position.

Defensive backs — Not much is certain in the defensive backfield for the Rebels. Osler and Downing are expected to start Week 1, but a lot of playing time is up for grabs with two more starters and some rotation guys still left to be determined by Brown.

Key Players

Riley Osler/Wyatt Downing, RB/DB — Osler and Downing play the same positions and are both relatively unproven. They are expected to split time at halfback and will both be contributing in the defensive backfield. Can they be the one-two punch the Rebels need?

Nik Wallentine, WR/LB — Wallentine is the only known commodity for the Rebels at receiver right now. His versatility and leadership will make him one of the most valuable players early on and possibly throughout the season.

Jaden Larsen, OL/DL — Larsen is the key to the strength of the Rebels which lies in their offensive line. As a senior captain, he will be relied upon heavily to make sure the underclassman are protected on the field and learned on the sideline.

Key Losses

Kyler Clark, FB/LB

Name To Know: Jared Anderson will most likely be Nick Jarman's backup at quarterback, but don't expect the junior to just sit and wait for a chance to play. "He's smart and he's a good athlete," Brown said about Anderson. "When you have that in 1A, you have to use that somewhere." Look for Anderson to be a utility player at quarterback, wide receiver and possibly as a defensive back.

2016 Schedule

Aug. 26 — BEAR LAKE, 7 p.m.

Sept. 2 — at WEST SIDE (ID), 7 p.m. (Lost, 30-16 in 2015)

Sept. 9 — at MONTICELLO, 7 p.m. (Won, 24-0 and 23-14)

Sept. 16 — KANAB, 4 p.m. (Lost 49-0)

Sept. 23 — at DIAMOND RANCH ACADEMY, 7 p.m. (Lost 35-2 and 34-0)

Sept. 30 — at WAYNE, 7 p.m. (Won 34-6)

Oct. 7 — DUCHESNE, 4 p.m. (Lost 27-7)

Oct. 14 — at ALTAMONT, 7 p.m. (Won 54-6)

Oct. 19 — LAYTON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, 4 p.m. (Won 46-14)

Verdict: Rich has a lot of holes to fill this season and will need to fill them fast in order to stay on top of improved teams like Altamont and Layton Christian. They are still one of the top teams in 1A and can make some noise in the state tournament if their young core plays well and stays healthy, but middle-of-the-pack teams will surely be gunning for the Rebels during 2016.

Projected finish in region: 3rd