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High school football: Big boys atop preseason rankings
High school football: Big boys atop preseason rankings
By James Edward
Deseret News
Published: Thursday, July 29, 2010 1:10 a.m. MDT
A year ago at this time, the buzz in high school football was all about realignment — and understandably so, with 20 schools changing classifications.
When it was all said and done, the traditional big boys were still standing. In 2010, don't expect much to change at the top again.
In the 2010 Deseret News' annual coaches preseason rankings, four of last year's five state champions — Bingham, Timpview, Juan Diego and Rich — were all pegged to repeat, with new blood expected to rise up in the 2A ranks with South Summit.
Many coaches have a habit of simply pencilling in last year's champ as the preseason No. 1, so having four teams predicted to repeat isn't necessarily surprising. Realistically, though, it's hard to argue with the coaches' championship predictions.
In 5A, Bingham may be the most loaded returning state champion ever. With nine returning starters on each side of the ball, including all-state running back Harvey Langi and three defensive players who've already committed to BYU, the Miners received all 26 first-place votes, and anything less than an undefeated season would be shocking.
As for four-time reigning 4A state champion Timpview, it received 20 of the 21 first-place votes, and even though it graduated some stars, it still returns six offensive starters and five defensive starters this year. A fifth straight state title is a very realistic possibility.
Juan Diego only returns five starters from last year's 3A title team, but coach John Colosimo's track record is a good indicator that the Soaring Eagle will be in the hunt again.
In 2A, South Summit returns 11 starters from a team that narrowly lost in the state championship game, whereas Rich returns six starters from a team that went undefeated in 1A last year.
Despite promising hopes for numerous repeats, nothing will come easy.
Even though Bingham will breeze through Region 3 as usual, it faces a tough preseason schedule including a game at Rio Tinto Stadium against Kahuku, Hawaii. Once the state tournament rolls around, last year's 5A runner-up Davis and Bingham's arch-nemesis Alta figure to be in the hunt yet again.
It's worth noting that in 2010 the Region 3 champion (Bingham's region) and the Region 4 champion (Alta's region) will be on opposite sides of the bracket.
The No. 1 challenger in 4A is Mountain Crest, which has lost to the T-Birds in the semifinals four straight years. Now that BYU-bound quarterback Alex Kuresa is finally a senior, though, this may finally be the year the Mustangs break through.
In Class 3A, if the football gods have any decency, they'll give Hurricane another shot at Juan Diego after losing last year's title game on a Hail Mary play. With nine total returning starters, Hurricane received five first-place votes compared to Juan Diego's 11.
The battle in Class 2A should be a two-team race all year. South Summit may have received the preseason nod at No. 1 with six first-place votes, but last year's champ San Juan received four first-place votes. With seven returning starters, the Broncos may have the mental edge after shutting out South Summit in last year's title game.
As for the state's smallest classification, this year's state title isn't a forgone conclusion. Rich was vastly superior than anyone else in 1A last year, but in 2010 both Duchesne and Monticello could give the Rebels troubles.
2010 preseason high school football rankings
Each year, the Deseret News asks every football coach in the state to vote for the top five teams in their classification. The votes are tallied, and five points are assigned for a first-place vote, four for a second-place vote, etc. The following are the results of those votes (first-place votes indicated in parenthesis):
Class 5A
Team. . . . .Points. . .'09 Record
1. Bingham (26) 130 13-1
2. Alta 96 10-3
3. Davis 63 10-3
4. Lone Peak 33 9-3
5. Pleasant Grove 14 8-3
Others receiving multiple votes: Cottonwood, Brighton, Hunter, Fremont, Northridge, Riverton, Syracuse.
Class 4A
Team. . . . .Points. . .'09 Record
1. Timpview (20) 104 11-2
2. Mountain Crest (3) 73 10-2
3. Highland (1) 33 8-4
4. Springville 28 11-2
5. Bountiful 21 9-2
Others receiving multiple votes: Spanish Fork, Sky View, Bonneville, Pine View, Woods Cross, Logan.
Class 3A
Team. . . . .Points. . .'09 Record
1. Juan Diego (11) 71 13-1
2. Hurricane (5) 65 11-3
3. Wasatch 29 10-3
4. Morgan 21 8-4
5. Delta 15 7-5
Others receiving multiple votes: Cedar, Park City, Desert Hills, Bear River.
Class 2A
Team. . . . .Points. . .'09 Record
1. South Summit (6) 46 10-2
2. San Juan (4) 44 11-1
3. Millard 26 8-3
4. Grand 14 7-5
5. South Sevier 12 9-2
Others receiving multiple votes: North Summit.
Class 1A
Team. . . . .Points. . .'09 Record
1. Rich (3) 25 11-0
2. Duchesne (3) 24 10-3
3. Monticello 20 4-5
4. Altamont 11 6-5
5. Milford 5 5-6
Others receiving multiple votes: None.
e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
By James Edward
Deseret News
Published: Thursday, July 29, 2010 1:10 a.m. MDT
A year ago at this time, the buzz in high school football was all about realignment — and understandably so, with 20 schools changing classifications.
When it was all said and done, the traditional big boys were still standing. In 2010, don't expect much to change at the top again.
In the 2010 Deseret News' annual coaches preseason rankings, four of last year's five state champions — Bingham, Timpview, Juan Diego and Rich — were all pegged to repeat, with new blood expected to rise up in the 2A ranks with South Summit.
Many coaches have a habit of simply pencilling in last year's champ as the preseason No. 1, so having four teams predicted to repeat isn't necessarily surprising. Realistically, though, it's hard to argue with the coaches' championship predictions.
In 5A, Bingham may be the most loaded returning state champion ever. With nine returning starters on each side of the ball, including all-state running back Harvey Langi and three defensive players who've already committed to BYU, the Miners received all 26 first-place votes, and anything less than an undefeated season would be shocking.
As for four-time reigning 4A state champion Timpview, it received 20 of the 21 first-place votes, and even though it graduated some stars, it still returns six offensive starters and five defensive starters this year. A fifth straight state title is a very realistic possibility.
Juan Diego only returns five starters from last year's 3A title team, but coach John Colosimo's track record is a good indicator that the Soaring Eagle will be in the hunt again.
In 2A, South Summit returns 11 starters from a team that narrowly lost in the state championship game, whereas Rich returns six starters from a team that went undefeated in 1A last year.
Despite promising hopes for numerous repeats, nothing will come easy.
Even though Bingham will breeze through Region 3 as usual, it faces a tough preseason schedule including a game at Rio Tinto Stadium against Kahuku, Hawaii. Once the state tournament rolls around, last year's 5A runner-up Davis and Bingham's arch-nemesis Alta figure to be in the hunt yet again.
It's worth noting that in 2010 the Region 3 champion (Bingham's region) and the Region 4 champion (Alta's region) will be on opposite sides of the bracket.
The No. 1 challenger in 4A is Mountain Crest, which has lost to the T-Birds in the semifinals four straight years. Now that BYU-bound quarterback Alex Kuresa is finally a senior, though, this may finally be the year the Mustangs break through.
In Class 3A, if the football gods have any decency, they'll give Hurricane another shot at Juan Diego after losing last year's title game on a Hail Mary play. With nine total returning starters, Hurricane received five first-place votes compared to Juan Diego's 11.
The battle in Class 2A should be a two-team race all year. South Summit may have received the preseason nod at No. 1 with six first-place votes, but last year's champ San Juan received four first-place votes. With seven returning starters, the Broncos may have the mental edge after shutting out South Summit in last year's title game.
As for the state's smallest classification, this year's state title isn't a forgone conclusion. Rich was vastly superior than anyone else in 1A last year, but in 2010 both Duchesne and Monticello could give the Rebels troubles.
2010 preseason high school football rankings
Each year, the Deseret News asks every football coach in the state to vote for the top five teams in their classification. The votes are tallied, and five points are assigned for a first-place vote, four for a second-place vote, etc. The following are the results of those votes (first-place votes indicated in parenthesis):
Class 5A
Team. . . . .Points. . .'09 Record
1. Bingham (26) 130 13-1
2. Alta 96 10-3
3. Davis 63 10-3
4. Lone Peak 33 9-3
5. Pleasant Grove 14 8-3
Others receiving multiple votes: Cottonwood, Brighton, Hunter, Fremont, Northridge, Riverton, Syracuse.
Class 4A
Team. . . . .Points. . .'09 Record
1. Timpview (20) 104 11-2
2. Mountain Crest (3) 73 10-2
3. Highland (1) 33 8-4
4. Springville 28 11-2
5. Bountiful 21 9-2
Others receiving multiple votes: Spanish Fork, Sky View, Bonneville, Pine View, Woods Cross, Logan.
Class 3A
Team. . . . .Points. . .'09 Record
1. Juan Diego (11) 71 13-1
2. Hurricane (5) 65 11-3
3. Wasatch 29 10-3
4. Morgan 21 8-4
5. Delta 15 7-5
Others receiving multiple votes: Cedar, Park City, Desert Hills, Bear River.
Class 2A
Team. . . . .Points. . .'09 Record
1. South Summit (6) 46 10-2
2. San Juan (4) 44 11-1
3. Millard 26 8-3
4. Grand 14 7-5
5. South Sevier 12 9-2
Others receiving multiple votes: North Summit.
Class 1A
Team. . . . .Points. . .'09 Record
1. Rich (3) 25 11-0
2. Duchesne (3) 24 10-3
3. Monticello 20 4-5
4. Altamont 11 6-5
5. Milford 5 5-6
Others receiving multiple votes: None.
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High school football: Big boys atop preseason rankings
High school football: Big boys atop preseason rankings
By James Edward
Deseret News
Published: Thursday, July 29, 2010 1:10 a.m. MDT
A year ago at this time, the buzz in high school football was all about realignment — and understandably so, with 20 schools changing classifications.
When it was all said and done, the traditional big boys were still standing. In 2010, don't expect much to change at the top again.
In the 2010 Deseret News' annual coaches preseason rankings, four of last year's five state champions — Bingham, Timpview, Juan Diego and Rich — were all pegged to repeat, with new blood expected to rise up in the 2A ranks with South Summit.
Many coaches have a habit of simply pencilling in last year's champ as the preseason No. 1, so having four teams predicted to repeat isn't necessarily surprising. Realistically, though, it's hard to argue with the coaches' championship predictions.
In 5A, Bingham may be the most loaded returning state champion ever. With nine returning starters on each side of the ball, including all-state running back Harvey Langi and three defensive players who've already committed to BYU, the Miners received all 26 first-place votes, and anything less than an undefeated season would be shocking.
As for four-time reigning 4A state champion Timpview, it received 20 of the 21 first-place votes, and even though it graduated some stars, it still returns six offensive starters and five defensive starters this year. A fifth straight state title is a very realistic possibility.
Juan Diego only returns five starters from last year's 3A title team, but coach John Colosimo's track record is a good indicator that the Soaring Eagle will be in the hunt again.
In 2A, South Summit returns 11 starters from a team that narrowly lost in the state championship game, whereas Rich returns six starters from a team that went undefeated in 1A last year.
Despite promising hopes for numerous repeats, nothing will come easy.
Even though Bingham will breeze through Region 3 as usual, it faces a tough preseason schedule including a game at Rio Tinto Stadium against Kahuku, Hawaii. Once the state tournament rolls around, last year's 5A runner-up Davis and Bingham's arch-nemesis Alta figure to be in the hunt yet again.
It's worth noting that in 2010 the Region 3 champion (Bingham's region) and the Region 4 champion (Alta's region) will be on opposite sides of the bracket.
The No. 1 challenger in 4A is Mountain Crest, which has lost to the T-Birds in the semifinals four straight years. Now that BYU-bound quarterback Alex Kuresa is finally a senior, though, this may finally be the year the Mustangs break through.
In Class 3A, if the football gods have any decency, they'll give Hurricane another shot at Juan Diego after losing last year's title game on a Hail Mary play. With nine total returning starters, Hurricane received five first-place votes compared to Juan Diego's 11.
The battle in Class 2A should be a two-team race all year. South Summit may have received the preseason nod at No. 1 with six first-place votes, but last year's champ San Juan received four first-place votes. With seven returning starters, the Broncos may have the mental edge after shutting out South Summit in last year's title game.
As for the state's smallest classification, this year's state title isn't a forgone conclusion. Rich was vastly superior than anyone else in 1A last year, but in 2010 both Duchesne and Monticello could give the Rebels troubles.
2010 preseason high school football rankings
Each year, the Deseret News asks every football coach in the state to vote for the top five teams in their classification. The votes are tallied, and five points are assigned for a first-place vote, four for a second-place vote, etc. The following are the results of those votes (first-place votes indicated in parenthesis):
Class 5A
Team. . . . .Points. . .'09 Record
1. Bingham (26) 130 13-1
2. Alta 96 10-3
3. Davis 63 10-3
4. Lone Peak 33 9-3
5. Pleasant Grove 14 8-3
Others receiving multiple votes: Cottonwood, Brighton, Hunter, Fremont, Northridge, Riverton, Syracuse.
Class 4A
Team. . . . .Points. . .'09 Record
1. Timpview (20) 104 11-2
2. Mountain Crest (3) 73 10-2
3. Highland (1) 33 8-4
4. Springville 28 11-2
5. Bountiful 21 9-2
Others receiving multiple votes: Spanish Fork, Sky View, Bonneville, Pine View, Woods Cross, Logan.
Class 3A
Team. . . . .Points. . .'09 Record
1. Juan Diego (11) 71 13-1
2. Hurricane (5) 65 11-3
3. Wasatch 29 10-3
4. Morgan 21 8-4
5. Delta 15 7-5
Others receiving multiple votes: Cedar, Park City, Desert Hills, Bear River.
Class 2A
Team. . . . .Points. . .'09 Record
1. South Summit (6) 46 10-2
2. San Juan (4) 44 11-1
3. Millard 26 8-3
4. Grand 14 7-5
5. South Sevier 12 9-2
Others receiving multiple votes: North Summit.
Class 1A
Team. . . . .Points. . .'09 Record
1. Rich (3) 25 11-0
2. Duchesne (3) 24 10-3
3. Monticello 20 4-5
4. Altamont 11 6-5
5. Milford 5 5-6
Others receiving multiple votes: None.
e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
By James Edward
Deseret News
Published: Thursday, July 29, 2010 1:10 a.m. MDT
A year ago at this time, the buzz in high school football was all about realignment — and understandably so, with 20 schools changing classifications.
When it was all said and done, the traditional big boys were still standing. In 2010, don't expect much to change at the top again.
In the 2010 Deseret News' annual coaches preseason rankings, four of last year's five state champions — Bingham, Timpview, Juan Diego and Rich — were all pegged to repeat, with new blood expected to rise up in the 2A ranks with South Summit.
Many coaches have a habit of simply pencilling in last year's champ as the preseason No. 1, so having four teams predicted to repeat isn't necessarily surprising. Realistically, though, it's hard to argue with the coaches' championship predictions.
In 5A, Bingham may be the most loaded returning state champion ever. With nine returning starters on each side of the ball, including all-state running back Harvey Langi and three defensive players who've already committed to BYU, the Miners received all 26 first-place votes, and anything less than an undefeated season would be shocking.
As for four-time reigning 4A state champion Timpview, it received 20 of the 21 first-place votes, and even though it graduated some stars, it still returns six offensive starters and five defensive starters this year. A fifth straight state title is a very realistic possibility.
Juan Diego only returns five starters from last year's 3A title team, but coach John Colosimo's track record is a good indicator that the Soaring Eagle will be in the hunt again.
In 2A, South Summit returns 11 starters from a team that narrowly lost in the state championship game, whereas Rich returns six starters from a team that went undefeated in 1A last year.
Despite promising hopes for numerous repeats, nothing will come easy.
Even though Bingham will breeze through Region 3 as usual, it faces a tough preseason schedule including a game at Rio Tinto Stadium against Kahuku, Hawaii. Once the state tournament rolls around, last year's 5A runner-up Davis and Bingham's arch-nemesis Alta figure to be in the hunt yet again.
It's worth noting that in 2010 the Region 3 champion (Bingham's region) and the Region 4 champion (Alta's region) will be on opposite sides of the bracket.
The No. 1 challenger in 4A is Mountain Crest, which has lost to the T-Birds in the semifinals four straight years. Now that BYU-bound quarterback Alex Kuresa is finally a senior, though, this may finally be the year the Mustangs break through.
In Class 3A, if the football gods have any decency, they'll give Hurricane another shot at Juan Diego after losing last year's title game on a Hail Mary play. With nine total returning starters, Hurricane received five first-place votes compared to Juan Diego's 11.
The battle in Class 2A should be a two-team race all year. South Summit may have received the preseason nod at No. 1 with six first-place votes, but last year's champ San Juan received four first-place votes. With seven returning starters, the Broncos may have the mental edge after shutting out South Summit in last year's title game.
As for the state's smallest classification, this year's state title isn't a forgone conclusion. Rich was vastly superior than anyone else in 1A last year, but in 2010 both Duchesne and Monticello could give the Rebels troubles.
2010 preseason high school football rankings
Each year, the Deseret News asks every football coach in the state to vote for the top five teams in their classification. The votes are tallied, and five points are assigned for a first-place vote, four for a second-place vote, etc. The following are the results of those votes (first-place votes indicated in parenthesis):
Class 5A
Team. . . . .Points. . .'09 Record
1. Bingham (26) 130 13-1
2. Alta 96 10-3
3. Davis 63 10-3
4. Lone Peak 33 9-3
5. Pleasant Grove 14 8-3
Others receiving multiple votes: Cottonwood, Brighton, Hunter, Fremont, Northridge, Riverton, Syracuse.
Class 4A
Team. . . . .Points. . .'09 Record
1. Timpview (20) 104 11-2
2. Mountain Crest (3) 73 10-2
3. Highland (1) 33 8-4
4. Springville 28 11-2
5. Bountiful 21 9-2
Others receiving multiple votes: Spanish Fork, Sky View, Bonneville, Pine View, Woods Cross, Logan.
Class 3A
Team. . . . .Points. . .'09 Record
1. Juan Diego (11) 71 13-1
2. Hurricane (5) 65 11-3
3. Wasatch 29 10-3
4. Morgan 21 8-4
5. Delta 15 7-5
Others receiving multiple votes: Cedar, Park City, Desert Hills, Bear River.
Class 2A
Team. . . . .Points. . .'09 Record
1. South Summit (6) 46 10-2
2. San Juan (4) 44 11-1
3. Millard 26 8-3
4. Grand 14 7-5
5. South Sevier 12 9-2
Others receiving multiple votes: North Summit.
Class 1A
Team. . . . .Points. . .'09 Record
1. Rich (3) 25 11-0
2. Duchesne (3) 24 10-3
3. Monticello 20 4-5
4. Altamont 11 6-5
5. Milford 5 5-6
Others receiving multiple votes: None.
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Alta lineman commits to Utah State
By Jay Drew and Lya Wodraska
Alta High offfensive lineman Austin Albrecht has committed to play football for Utah State.
The 6-foot-2, 265-pound lineman who will be a senior at Alta this fall is a two-year starter for the Hawks.
He received an offer from USU coach Gary Andersen a few weeks ago, and made the commitment earlier this week, according to members of the Alta coaching staff.
Albrech was also receiving interest from Utah and BYU, but USU was the first school to offer a scholarship.
Two other instate players from the class of 2011, Bingham's Jordan Hicks and Bridger Peck, have also committed to USU.
By Jay Drew and Lya Wodraska
Salt Lake Tribune
Alta High offfensive lineman Austin Albrecht has committed to play football for Utah State.
The 6-foot-2, 265-pound lineman who will be a senior at Alta this fall is a two-year starter for the Hawks.
He received an offer from USU coach Gary Andersen a few weeks ago, and made the commitment earlier this week, according to members of the Alta coaching staff.
Albrech was also receiving interest from Utah and BYU, but USU was the first school to offer a scholarship.
Two other instate players from the class of 2011, Bingham's Jordan Hicks and Bridger Peck, have also committed to USU.
 
Putting in work: Summer conditioning a big key for high school football teams
Putting in work: Summer conditioning a big key for high school football teams
Published: Tuesday, July 20, 2010 10:28 p.m. MDT
Nelson Johansen gave up sleeping in all summer long in hopes of helping his high school football team.
One of Skyline's team captains, he said the players and coaches decided they needed to handle the summer differently if they were going to continue to compete with the state's best teams.
"The commitment level is a whole new level," said Johansen. "We are working out twice as hard in these summer workouts as we did last year."
And, as his co-captain Michael Pell points out, they are committed in greater number.
"On these Tuesday/Thursday conditioning days, we might get 10 or 15 kids here (in the past)," he said, looking out at the group that numbered nearly 50. "I think it's a big part of why we didn't go as far in the playoffs."
Demands for high school athletes have changed. Whether it's cross country, soccer, basketball, football or cheerleading, summer is no longer lazy.
For example, a visit to Hillcrest High on a weekday in July was revealing. The school's office might be closed, but many of the student-athletes are on campus. Girls practicing soccer in the back, cheerleaders running stairs, football players lifting weights and the cross country team meeting to do mile repeats.
And the Huskies are not an anomaly. Most high school programs now have either off-season conditioning programs or club and AAU programs that give modern prep athletes a competitive edge.
Riverton football coach Mike Miller is in his 27th year and said nearly every aspect of the experience has changed in his nearly three decades on the job.
"When I first started, there were no camps," he said. "We might open up the weight room in the summer, kids just showed up. No training or instruction really took place. You just reported to football the first day. That's when football started. You showed up in August and tried out."
Most coaches nowadays know their players long before the first day of the official season, which is set by the Utah High School Activities Association.
In most cases, coaches are at least offering them suggested off-season workouts or club competition programs that will help them compete once the prep season starts.
While it makes being a high school athlete more demanding, there are upsides to year-round conditioning and activity.
"The prep before pads is good," said Miller. "Research has shown it reduces injuries. The game has changed. The speed and strength of the athletes has increased tremendously, training has improved, nutrition — everything about it has gotten better."
Skyline coach Roger Dupaix is celebrating his 40th year as a prep football coach, with 25 of those guiding the Eagles' program. He said despite the increased commitment to train in the off-season, he still encourages his players to be multiple-sport athletes.
"I hate to see them focus on football 12 months of the year," he said. "They should be able to experience other things, enjoy other sports, if they want. If they just focus on one sport, yeah, they're going to get better. But boy, they just miss out. They get things, learn things from those other sports and teams."
Miller feels the same way.
"Even the kids need a little break," Miller said. He sees the choice to specialize being good for so few players because most will not earn Division I scholarships in those sports.
He points out Tony Dungy, the former Indianapolis Colts coach and NFL player. He played both basketball and football in high school, but his football skills earned him a college scholarship and a chance to make a living playing football.
"Basketball was actually his favorite," said Miller. "What if he'd isolated himself to one sport? I hear a lot of times from kids that they wish they'd played football."
He said for the majority of prep athletes, playing multiple sports enhances the high school experience.
"I also think that if they do multiple sports, they get to be better athletes," he said.
Olympus basketball coach Matt Barnes said his players have a camp in June and play in some summer tournaments, but he gives them as much time off as possible.
"This year I have a lot of football kids," he said, acknowledging that he, too, likes athletes who play multiple sports. "You have three or four years to play high school sports. Play as much as you can. (Ex-Ute basketball player) Marc Jackson was our point guard, but also our starting quarterback."
Even in Spanish Fork, where summer softball and baseball are king, high school coaches for other sports are offering those athletes the chance to get together, even in a low-key setting.
"We're not an elite team," Dons girls soccer head coach Dennis Gillie said, acknowledging many of his players spend the summer in AAU softball programs. "My perspective is, I just want them to have touches on the ball and have fun. We just get together a couple times a week and we have a little instruction ... and then they scrimmage."
They don't do specific workouts, although Gillie offers them suggestions for what they should be doing on their own.
The increased demands on players are often driven by the expectations of parents and the requirements of college programs. High school coaches have seen their responsibilities multiply, but not their compensation.
"Football coaches, we're competitive," Miller said. "We do more without being compensated to help the kids, to help the program. Summer, to me, is just a preseason to the prep season. You've got to do these things to stay competitive."
e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

By Amy Donaldson

Deseret News

Published: Tuesday, July 20, 2010 10:28 p.m. MDT
Nelson Johansen gave up sleeping in all summer long in hopes of helping his high school football team.
One of Skyline's team captains, he said the players and coaches decided they needed to handle the summer differently if they were going to continue to compete with the state's best teams.
"The commitment level is a whole new level," said Johansen. "We are working out twice as hard in these summer workouts as we did last year."
And, as his co-captain Michael Pell points out, they are committed in greater number.
"On these Tuesday/Thursday conditioning days, we might get 10 or 15 kids here (in the past)," he said, looking out at the group that numbered nearly 50. "I think it's a big part of why we didn't go as far in the playoffs."
Demands for high school athletes have changed. Whether it's cross country, soccer, basketball, football or cheerleading, summer is no longer lazy.
For example, a visit to Hillcrest High on a weekday in July was revealing. The school's office might be closed, but many of the student-athletes are on campus. Girls practicing soccer in the back, cheerleaders running stairs, football players lifting weights and the cross country team meeting to do mile repeats.
And the Huskies are not an anomaly. Most high school programs now have either off-season conditioning programs or club and AAU programs that give modern prep athletes a competitive edge.
Riverton football coach Mike Miller is in his 27th year and said nearly every aspect of the experience has changed in his nearly three decades on the job.
"When I first started, there were no camps," he said. "We might open up the weight room in the summer, kids just showed up. No training or instruction really took place. You just reported to football the first day. That's when football started. You showed up in August and tried out."
Most coaches nowadays know their players long before the first day of the official season, which is set by the Utah High School Activities Association.
In most cases, coaches are at least offering them suggested off-season workouts or club competition programs that will help them compete once the prep season starts.
While it makes being a high school athlete more demanding, there are upsides to year-round conditioning and activity.
"The prep before pads is good," said Miller. "Research has shown it reduces injuries. The game has changed. The speed and strength of the athletes has increased tremendously, training has improved, nutrition — everything about it has gotten better."
Skyline coach Roger Dupaix is celebrating his 40th year as a prep football coach, with 25 of those guiding the Eagles' program. He said despite the increased commitment to train in the off-season, he still encourages his players to be multiple-sport athletes.
"I hate to see them focus on football 12 months of the year," he said. "They should be able to experience other things, enjoy other sports, if they want. If they just focus on one sport, yeah, they're going to get better. But boy, they just miss out. They get things, learn things from those other sports and teams."
Miller feels the same way.
"Even the kids need a little break," Miller said. He sees the choice to specialize being good for so few players because most will not earn Division I scholarships in those sports.
He points out Tony Dungy, the former Indianapolis Colts coach and NFL player. He played both basketball and football in high school, but his football skills earned him a college scholarship and a chance to make a living playing football.
"Basketball was actually his favorite," said Miller. "What if he'd isolated himself to one sport? I hear a lot of times from kids that they wish they'd played football."
He said for the majority of prep athletes, playing multiple sports enhances the high school experience.
"I also think that if they do multiple sports, they get to be better athletes," he said.
Olympus basketball coach Matt Barnes said his players have a camp in June and play in some summer tournaments, but he gives them as much time off as possible.
"This year I have a lot of football kids," he said, acknowledging that he, too, likes athletes who play multiple sports. "You have three or four years to play high school sports. Play as much as you can. (Ex-Ute basketball player) Marc Jackson was our point guard, but also our starting quarterback."
Even in Spanish Fork, where summer softball and baseball are king, high school coaches for other sports are offering those athletes the chance to get together, even in a low-key setting.
"We're not an elite team," Dons girls soccer head coach Dennis Gillie said, acknowledging many of his players spend the summer in AAU softball programs. "My perspective is, I just want them to have touches on the ball and have fun. We just get together a couple times a week and we have a little instruction ... and then they scrimmage."
They don't do specific workouts, although Gillie offers them suggestions for what they should be doing on their own.
The increased demands on players are often driven by the expectations of parents and the requirements of college programs. High school coaches have seen their responsibilities multiply, but not their compensation.
"Football coaches, we're competitive," Miller said. "We do more without being compensated to help the kids, to help the program. Summer, to me, is just a preseason to the prep season. You've got to do these things to stay competitive."
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