This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
SAN JUAN BRONCOS
The Hurry-up — San Juan finished 7-4 in 2015, and 4-1 in league play. The Broncos lost to South Summit, 47-23, in the Class 2A semifinals.
San Juan coach Monty Lee knows that results in football aren't a matter of life or death. Instead, he preaches daily improvement. And rather than accepting that on paper his team looks poised to seize 2A South from the defending champ Beaver, he takes a much humbler approach. "You're never going to hear us talk about how great we are or how good we are," Lee said. "Our expectation is always the same: we want to be playing on the last day of the season. And if we're not, it's a disappointment. It's not a failure — it's a disappointment. Too many people, mostly parents, put the game of football in their son's life as if it's everything."
The Broncos have more than enough talent to not only win their league but also challenge for a state title.
Quarterbacks — Jordan Blake will run San Juan's spread offense in his final year of high school. He's shown glimpses of real ability at the junior-varsity level, but now comes his real test. Lee and his staff are open to adapting their tactical approach when needed, but Blake has the keys to the car. "We don't have the luxury to have four or five deep in positions," Lee said. "We have to move kids around. We have to make adjustments defensively and offensively to what best fits our kids. We can't mold our kids to fit a certain scheme or a certain philosophy."
Running backs — The Broncos will mix it up with several different ball-carriers, and their personnel allows them to implement a change of pace. Kavika Su'ese'e is a powerful, downhill runner. Jay McDonald isn't as big as Su'ese'e, but he's nimble and can shed tacklers. Meanwhile, Dylan Ivins and Nathan Nielson have shown real burst. Carver Black will also see more touches to round out a strong group.
Receivers — Baylr Eldredge will look to replace some of the production San Juan lost when his older borther, Bronz, graduated in May. Jaxon Lee led the Broncos in touchdown catches and should see even more targets. Jaden Torgerson didn't see the field much as a sophomore, but his tall, lanky frame should help him get more of a chance.
Offensive linemen — Connor Palmer, Peter Shumway and Lucas Giddings return after starting for most of, or all, last year. Another 2,000-yard rushing campaign seems to be in order for an often overpowering front. What's scary for the rest of the league is that they're nearly just as good in pass protection.
Defensive linemen — San Juan is thin and mostly untested along the defensive front. To be fair, that would be the case even among 4A and 5A schools if they lost two players with a combined 15 sacks between them like the Broncos did. Shumway is the only starter that returns, and he's a handful for any tackle to try and stop from getting into the backfield.
Linebackers — The forte of San Juan's 4-4 defense is the linebacker corps, and all but one starter returns. Su'esu'e's instincts are next-level worthy, McDonald reliably takes care of his assignments and Lee displayed some ball-hawk ability as a junior. Ivins and Black will likely see time at the remaining spot.
Defensive backs — Nielson's quickness allows him to cover large amounts of ground, and he led the Broncos last year with three interceptions. Bronz Eldredge is probably San Juan's best tackler in the secondary and is developing into a solid corner. While Blake is inexperienced as a signal-caller offensively, he's sound as a safety.
Key Players
Kavika Su'esu'e, RB/LB — Su'ese'e tallied 88 tackles and 3.5 sacks, while emerging as the go-to power back on his way to 544 total yards and 11 touchdowns, earning a place on the all-state first team as a junior.
Jaxon Lee, WR/LB — Lee's 346 receiving yards and five touchdown catches led the Broncos a year ago, and, combined with his defensive production, he's virtually a lock for one of the all-state teams.
Peter Shumway, OL/DL — Shumway is now the vocal point in the pass rush, and will look to follow up on an impressive seven-sack, 12 tackles-for-loss campaign.
Key Losses
Payton Palmer, QB/LB — Palmer did a bit of everything for the Broncos, totaling 1,661 yards of offense and 18 touchdowns.
Bronz Eldredge, RB — San Juan's top rusher and pass-catcher was also a star defensively, leading the team with 125 tackles.
Elliot Jones, OL/DE — Part of a pass rush that saw three players finish with at least seven sacks, Jones was consistently causing havoc in the opponent's backfield.
Name To Know: With excellent depth at running back and linebacker, it isn't easy to stand out, but Jay McDonald does. At times, he sheds would-be tacklers as if they're dummies set up on a practice field. And as a linebacker, he's seldom caught out of position.
2016 Schedule
Aug. 19 — at South Summit, 5:30 p.m. (Lost, 26-7, in 2015)
Aug. 26 — BAYFIELD, 7 p.m.
Sept. 2 — at Richfield, 6 p.m. (Won, 51-7)
Sept. 9 — SUMMIT ACADEMY, 7 p.m. (Won, 41-14)
Sept. 16 — at Beaver, 7 p.m. (Lost, 41-19)
Sept. 23 — ENTERPRISE, 7 p.m. (Won, 41-6)
Sept. 30 — at South Sevier, 7 p.m. (Won, 52-12)
Oct. 7 — NORTH SEVIER, 7 p.m. (Won, 69-0)
Oct. 14 — at Grand County, 7 p.m. (Won, 35-7)
Verdict: That Sept. 16 showdown with Beaver will go a long way in determining how the league turns out, and either way, San Juan should be right in the mix for the 2A state title.
Projected finish in region: First