It didn’t take long for coach Chris Howell to build a winning tradition at Ridgeline.
The tradition might only be a year old, but the community of Millville will expect the 2017 edition of the Riverhawks to build on their initial campaign, which featured a state tournament victory in addition to a playoff berth.
Gone now are region road games at Park City and Ben Lomond, replaced by soon-to-be Cache Valley rivals Logan and Sky View. The history and prestige of the region has elevated, but that doesn’t concern Howell.
“There was a really strong sense of community in these towns already, and that’s why some of these rivalries were already in place,” Howell said. “Those games get boosted up a notch as a result. Every program in our region is going to be solid. There are no cupcakes in our schedule. It’s going to be brutal, but at the same time the environment is just going to be unbelievable.”
Ridgeline Riverhawks <br>Coach • Christopher Howell <br>Last season • 8-4, 5-2 in Class 3AA North <br>2016 playoffs • Def. Snow Canyon 26-0, lost to Desert Hills 49-24 (Class 3AA quarterfinals) <br>2017 schedule <br>Aug. 18 • at Spanish Fork, 7 p.m. <br>Aug. 25 • at Snow Canyon, 7 p.m. <br>Sept. 8 • at Copper Hills, 7 p.m. <br>Sept. 15 • Mountain Crest, 7 p.m. <br>Sept. 22 • at Logan, 7 p.m. <br>Sept. 29 • Green Canyon, 7 p.m. <br>Oct. 6 • Bear River, 7 p.m. <br>Oct. 13 • at Sky View, 7 p.m. <br>Oct. 18 • at Park City, 7 p.m.
Behind center • Competition abounds in the offensive backfield. Brady Stuart and Breck Jackson will be in a heated competition for the starting quarterback spot, while Skyler Averett and Hayden Williams will compete for the most reps at tailback. Howell hopes to have the quarterback slot filled with a primary starter after fall camp, but the running back situation could shift as both players bring something different to the table.
Ball hawks • Sam Weda, a 6-foot-3 senior, returns after finishing as the team’s third leading receiver last season. He will be the primary ballhawk on both offense and defense. Fellow senior Jacob Morra also will look to catch a lot of balls from his slot position on offense, and Howell wouldn’t be surprised if he got his hands on a few balls from his outside linebacker spot as well.
In the trenches • Due to a smattering of injuries along the offensive front last season, the front five will be the position group with the most returning experience. Senior Brodie Hunsaker and juniors Tayden Fenton, Ollie Taylor and Trevor Hobbs all received substantial varsity playing time last season, and all will be valuable two-way players this season. Thanks to a three-man front on defense, Howell can rotate several players, including guys like senior Steven Bringhurst and junior Conner Dahlke.
Hit men • Unlike the lines, the defensive backfield is where Ridgeline will have to replace the most departed talent. With defenders like Levani Damuni, Matt Larson and Cody Olsen now gone, the Riverhawks will have to reload with unproven seniors and underclassmen. Despite their lack of size, Howell said the strength of players like Jacob Mora, Paden Greene and Cameron Wadman is enough for opposing players to fear crossing the middle of the field.
Key returners • Kody Pope, Sr. (RB/LB); Sam Weda, Sr. (WR/DB); Brady Stuart, Jr. (QB/DB)
Key losses • Payton Thomas, QB/SS (1767 yards passing, 15 TD; 495 yards rushing, 8 TD; 38 tackles); Cody Olsen, RB/FS (817 yards rushing, 7 TD; 413 yards receiving, 3 TD; 25 tackles); Levani Damuni, RB/LB (732 yards rushing, 10 TD; 302 yards receiving, 2 TD; 63 tackles, 10 sacks, 1 INT); Matt Larson, LB (72 tackles, 1 INT, 1 sack)
The next wave • Breck Jackson, Jr. (QB/FS); Micah White, Jr. (RB/SS); David Mora, Jr. (WR/FS); Cameron Dahle, So. (TE/LB/FB)