This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.

BEAR RIVER BEARS

The Hurry-up — Bear River finished 3-8 overall, 2-4 in 3AA North, and lost to Pine View in the first round of the playoffs.

The Bears have four starters from 2015 coming back on both sides of the ball, and veteran coach Chris Wise, now in his 15th season, is looking for accelerated development from the new guys.

"One of the things with young players is they need to know that they are part of it," Wise said. "They need to know that the time to step up and lead is now, rather than later."

The way Wise puts it, Bear River's entry into the postseason a year ago was because, "We won the right games against the right teams, so we got into the playoffs."

Another push past the regular season slate might be dependent on how well the offensive line rounds into shape.

But overall, Wise is pleased with his team's returning skill players as well as the defensive units.

"I'm happy with the way the defense is progressing, as well," he said. "We'll be able to compete."

Quarterbacks — Junior Kaygen Canfield saw some action at signal-caller last year, completing 27 passes, and the 5-foot-9, 155-pounder is likely to be option No. 1 this season. "He's a strong all-around athlete," Wise said. "A good rollout type of passer." Ethan Villafuerte (5-5, 160) is a similar type of QB who the coach says will be needed somewhere on the field.

Running backs — Easton Payne (6-2, 240) and Drake Marsh (5-9, 170), both juniors, got some time in the backfield a year ago. With his size, Payne is a likely candidate at fullback along with senior Zack Showell, although Showell may be needed elsewhere. A wild card is junior Moises Tapia (5-9, 185), who has the potential to be an impact player.

Receivers — Wise has as many options at receiver as any place, and the coach might be inclined to move senior Riley Summers to a slot receiver if fellow senior Gunner Sorensen successfully transitions from tight end to outside receiver. Versatile senior Zack Showell, if not utilized at quarterback, also might be the Bears' tight end, while junior Jacob Olsen and senior Bracken Stokes return will plenty of experience from 2015.

Offensive linemen — Senior center Dalton Marsh (5-11, 200) figures to be a prime rebuilding block for Bear River in the trenches and will line up next to fellow seniors Jordan Watson (6-2, 210) and Josh Madsen (6-1, 240). The tackle positions are more unsettled, as senior Lorenzo Chairez (6-0, 188), junior Walker Wise (6-1, 215) and junior Mckayden Kent (5-11, 230) figure to be the top candidates.

Defensive linemen — According to Wise, "We need to have our absolute best athletes" on the defensive line, and he'll start with Payne at nose guard. He'll be flanked by Watson at one tackle position and Madsen at the other in the Bears' 3-5 alignment.

Linebackers — Senior Bryken Jensen (5-11, 160) is experienced in the linebacking corps, having started for both his sophomore and junior seasons. Tapia, at his current arc of progress, is also expected to patrol the middle with Jensen. On the edge, it'll be Showell and ball-hawk Tate Porter (5-11, 150) with the responsibility of containing outside rushing attempts.

Defensive backs — It's also entirely possible that Showell will have more safety-like responsibilities in Bear River's scheme, while Sorensen is expected to be more of a free safety in the secondary. At cornerback, look for Olsen and junior Judd Miller (5-11, 170) to check opposing receivers.

Key Players

Zack Showell, QB/WR/S — Between seasons, Showell (6-1, 207) bulked up and put on 40 pounds ("His dad's a bodybuilder; he's been feeding the muscles," Wise said) and can be used in a variety of offensive positions.

Josh Madsen, DT/OG — Madsen is quick and strong and has a very good first step, which makes him difficult to handle for opposing offensive linemen.

Riley Summers, WR — A senior returning starter, Summers (5-11, 150) caught 15 balls in 2015.

Key Losses

Triston Merritt, QB/CB — Though Bear River has returning quarterback experience in Canfield, Merritt was the team leader in completions last year.

Nic Rasmussen, LB/OG — Rasmussen made 22 solo stops in '15, but was almost always in on the tackles from his middle linebacker position, as his 72 assisted tackles proved.

Kelton Williams, RB/LB — Also a thorn in the side of opponents from linebacker, Williams registered seven sacks a year ago.

Name To Know: Gunner Sorensen (6-2, 180) was the team's leader in receptions last year, with 38 for 440 yards, and could move to an outside target after playing at tight end.

2016 Schedule

Aug. 19 — Morgan, 7 p.m. (Lost, 14-12, in 2015)

Aug. 26 — Cottonwood, 7 p.m.

Sept. 2 — Box Elder, 7 p.m. (Lost 42-6)

Sept. 9 — at Ridgeline, 7 p.m.

Sept. 16 — Park City, 7 p.m. (Lost 28-6)

Sept. 23 — Ben Lomond, 7 p.m. (Won 29-25)

Sept. 30 — at Logan, 7 p.m. (Lost 38-13)

Oct. 7 — Tooele, 7 p.m. (Lost 22-7)

Oct. 13 — at Judge Memorial, 7 p.m. (Won 19-13)

Oct. 19 — at Stansbury, 7 p.m. (Lost 34-12)

Verdict: A schedule that has the Bears playing at home for five of their first six games might be a real momentum-builder, but making the playoffs could still be tough.

Projected finish in region: Seventh