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GUNNISON VALLEY BULLDOGS
The Hurry-up — Gunnison Valley finished 1-9 overall in 2015, 0-5 in 2A North league play, and lost to Grand County in the opening round of the 2A playoffs.
When talking about his region, Gunnison second-year coach Jack Pay notes that almost every team in '15 was senior-heavy — a condition that usually leads to hope for everyone the next season. But Pay puts North Summit and South Summit at the top of this year's race because those teams have what the Bulldogs want.
"They already have their culture established," Pay said. "We're up-and-coming, trying to establish a culture."
After winning their season opener against Wayne a year ago, Gunnison Valley crashed and burned its way through the rest of the slate.
"All the scores weren't representative, but the big thing is that we just didn't have any depth," said Pay, who now has 47 players in the program as opposed to 32 at last season's end. "For the most part, at the end of games, we were just mentally exhausted or physically exhausted and just broke down."
Quarterbacks — Junior Kris Edwards (5-foot-11, 160 pounds) won't be the biggest guy on the field, but Pay feels like he's the right choice to guide Gunnison's varied offensive sets, which can range from two-tight end formations to multiple receiver looks. Edwards mostly played defense as a sophomore, but did get into one game as a quarterback.
Running backs — With Kyler White taking on more receiver responsibilities for the 'Dogs, expect junior Chad Ellett to get the majority of hand-offs as Gunnison plans on using him as the primary running weapon in a one-back set. "Toward the end of last year, Chad was getting a lot of playing time," Pay said. "We started phasing to that last year. We'll make it more prevalent this year."
Receivers — White caught nine passes for 212 yards in 2015, but look for those numbers to increase substantially as he moves from running back to a slot receiver for his junior season. On the outside, Gunnison will look to deliver passes to the likes of senior Canyon Caldwell, who caught the most balls (17) for the Bulldogs last season, as well as junior Mike Hansen.
Offensive linemen — The 'Dogs seem set at the tackle positions, with junior Isaiah O'Neal anchoring the right end spot and senior Traeson Hatch protecting the pocket from the left. Ty Hill (6-2, 270) was only a ninth-grader last year, but he started both ways and the promising sophomore will man one of the guard spots. Look for sophomore Kolton Peterson to be the other guard and big junior Dallin Jackson (6-3, 260) to snap the ball from center.
Defensive linemen — Gunnison Valley runs a 4-3 defense and Peterson is already being slotted as one of the interior tackle positions, while Juan Duran, who didn't play last season, will get a chance at the other. Duran is also a standout wrestler who Pay characterizes as "good, aggressive, strong, physical." At one end, sophomore Kade Sanderson (6-4, 285) should also provide a physical presence, while Hill and junior Justin Overall might get a chance at the other end.
Linebackers — O'Neal will anchor the linebacking corps in the middle, while White will also go both ways and attack from an outside spot. In fact, the success of the defense might depend on the longevity and energy of the linebackers, as the entire unit is likely to be made up of two-way players. The other outside spot is slated to go to Hatch, who will hustle over from his OL position to play defense.
Defensive backs — Senior twins Shane and Tyler Larrow figure to be mainstays in the secondary for their last go-round with the Bulldogs. Shane Larrow will start at cornerback along with Caldwell, while Tyler Larrow is expected to be Gunnison's strong safety. They'll be accompanied by Hansen, who Pay says is extremely talented at going up and getting a pass — offensively or defensively. "He's got good hands," Pay said. "And he can come down with a jump ball."
Key Players
Kyler White, WR/LB — It seemed like White (6-1, 175) did everything a year ago, rushing for 779 yards on offense and leading the team defensively with 65 tackles and three interceptions.
Kris Edwards, QB — Edwards started one game as the Bulldogs' signal-caller, throwing for 208 yards, but he'll have multiple chances this time.
Isaiah O'Neal, OT/LB — Also a basketball and soccer player at Gunnison, O'Neal (6-2, 210) is a "true two-way player," according to Pay, in football.
Key Losses
Hunter Whitney, QB — Whitney was the mainstay behind center last year for the Bulldogs, throwing for 956 yards on the season.
Braydon Burrell, OL/DL — Burrell accounted for 46 tackles and, along with fellow graduate Jesus Santiago, will be missed along the line.
Layne Jenson, TE — Jenson caught 11 balls for 142 yards in 2015 and was versatile enough to get an occasional handoff on rushing plays.
Name To Know: There's a simple reason why Kyler White is expected to move from running back to slot receiver: Opportunities. "He's really good in space and always has the potential to go the distance," Pay said.
Name To Know:
Aug. 19 — at Wayne, 4 p.m. (Won, 43-8, in 2015)
Aug. 26 — North Sevier, 7 p.m. (Lost 24-21)
Sept. 2 — Kanab, 7 p.m. (Lost 42-12)
Sept. 9 — at Grand County, 7 p.m. (Lost 49-35)
Sept. 16 — North Summit, 7 p.m. (Lost 34-7)
Sept. 23 — at South Summit, 7 p.m. (Lost 55-7)
Sept. 30 — American Leadership, 7 p.m. (Lost 28-14)
Oct. 7 — Summit Academy, 7 p.m. (Lost 70-7)
Oct. 14 — at Millard, 7 p.m. (Lost 42-7)
Verdict: If depth problems are mitigated, Gunnison Valley might be good for one or two wins more in 2A North. If not, the end of the campaign might go sour for the Bulldogs a la 2015 fashion.
Projected finish in region: Sixth