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EMERY SPARTANS

The Hurry-up — Emery finished 4-6 in 2015, and 2-2 in the 3A North. The Spartans lost to North Sanpete in the Class 3A first round.

For the first time in 25 seasons, coach Jim Jones will not be the main man on the sideline for the Emery High football team.

Instead, former Emery player and assistant coach Jon Faimalo has taken over the head coaching position. Faimalo is eager to begin his first season at the helm of his alma mater, but he is not interested in completely changing the program. For now, he is focused on keeping the successful portions of his squad the same, while making improvements in the areas the Spartans struggled in last season.

"With coach Jones, we've always been able to move the ball offensively," Faimalo said about his past three years as a coordinator. "It's a no-brainer for me — if [the offense] ain't broke, don't fix it. We'll change some formations offensively, but honestly a lot of the things you've seen from us the last three years will still be there. Defensively, we've made some changes here and there; we've always struggled a little bit defensively."

Faimalo admitted that the Emery program has taken its lumps over the past few years, but now the Spartans are a senior-heavy team at the skill positions and are ready to make a leap in quality in 3A.

"We're looking to have a winning record," Faimalo said. "We'd love to get into one of those top two spots in the region and secure a home playoff game, but we're in a tough region. We understand that we have to go on the road and win some very tough football games, but those are the expectations we've set for ourselves."

Quarterbacks — For a third straight season, Zach Jorgensen will start under center for the Spartans. With most of his offensive line returning, as well as his best receiver on the outside, expect Jorgensen to save his best performances for his senior season.

Running backs — After finishing 2015 as the team's third-leading rusher, senior Ashton Dieli returns as the featured back in the Emery offense. Senior Logan Cox, who coach Faimalo said has improved immensely this summer, will also see time at tailback. Junior Easton Gordon rounds out the backfield rotation.

Receivers — At 6-foot-4, senior Kolton Butler will be the go-to receiver for Jorgensen. Aside from being a tall body to throw to, Faimalo praised Butler for his physicality and his movement in the open field. Fellow senior Derek Justice will also be an option out wide.

Offensive linemen — The trenches are where Faimalo thinks his team really shines. The offensive line will feature three returning starters in seniors Ty Mecham, Logan Labrum and Koby Butler. Chase Jewks and Kyler Wakefield round out the starting front five.

Defensive linemen — Faimalo expects to use a lot of defensive linemen in his adjusted 4-2-5 defensive scheme. Mecham, Butler and Wakefield are expected to be two-way starters on the lines, with players like Kolton Butler and Oscar Reid rotating in and out.

Linebackers — Seniors Logan Labrum and Chase Jewks are both returning starters and will have to play like it in order to make up for the sacrificed third linebacker spot. Faimalo called both of his linebackers "solid" starters capable of covering ground and aiding in pass coverage.

Defensive backs — The Emery defense is loaded with talented defensive backs that can prove useful in the new nickel defense. Seniors Kobe Faimalo and Logan Cox are returning starters and will be supplemented by fellow seniors Ashton Dieli, Derek Justice and junior Jared Snow.

Key Players

Zach Jorgensen, QB — As a third-year starter, Jorgensen is expected to make the Emery offense more multidimensional than it has been in the past. For an offense designed to run the football most of the time, don't be surprised to see the pass attempts increase as Jorgensen finds his rhythm.

Ashton Dieli, RB/DB — The running back with the most varsity experience, Dieli will be an integral part of the Spartan offense. Unfortunately, he has already suffered a setback this summer with an injury sustained in Summer camp. Faimalo is hopeful that he will only miss one or two games.

Kolton Butler, WR/DE — Last season's receptions and receiving yards leader, Butler will be Jorgensen's favorite target through the air. With his size and physicality on the perimeter, the Spartans would do well to get this senior the ball much more often than last season.

Key Losses

Austin Allred, RB/DB — Last year's leading rusher and tackler, Allred was the featured player on a good offense and a suspect defense. His leadership and production on the offense will be sorely missed.

Bryce Dugmore, RB/DB — Second in rushing and tackling last season, Dugmore did an excellent job supplementing Allred on both sides of the ball. The Spartans will have a tough time replacing the one-two punch of Allred and Dugmore.

Name To Know: Faimalo lauded the performance from senior fullback Kacey Jones during Summer camp. "He's a player that really softens up the middle for us," Faimalo said about Jones. Expect the fullback role to become more prominent if Jones keeps improving. He could also see some time at tailback if any injuries should arise.

2016 Schedule

Aug. 19 — at Summit Academy, 7 p.m. (Won, 57-44)

Aug. 26 — at Payson, 7 p.m.

Sept. 2 — DELTA, 7 p.m. (Won, 35-14)

Sept. 9 — MANTI, 7 p.m. (Lost, 44-27)

Sept. 16 — at Carbon, 7 p.m. (Won, 41-7)

Sept. 23 — at Morgan, 7 p.m.

Sept. 30 — UNION, 7 p.m. (Lost, 19-6)

Oct. 7 — GRANTSVILLE, 7 p.m. (Won, 50-13)

Oct. 14 — JUAN DIEGO CATHOLIC, 7 p.m. (Won, 21-13)

Verdict: The Spartans have some valuable returning starters at the skill positions, but injuries have already begun to surface, with senior Ashton Dieli possibly missing extended time. While this team seems to have improved on paper compared to last year, so have several other teams competing at the top of the region. Expect Emery to compete with some of those top teams, but to ultimately remain in the middle of the pack.

Projected finish in region: 4th