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Murtaugh High School
School Info
Conference: Sawtooth Conference West Division
Classification: 1A D2
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Head Coach: Todd Jensen
Years as Head Coach: 1st Season
Previous Experience: 1 Year HC at Rimrock
4 Years Assistant at North Fremont
2 Years HC at Sugar-Salem
4 Years Assistant at Sugar-Salem
2 Years Assistant at Marsh Valley
Record Last Year: 0-8
State Titles: 1982 and 1994
Assistant Coaches:
Eli Andersen
Returning Players:
Austin Smith, WR, 12
Gio Zavala, WR, 11
Graden Dimond, QB, 11
Key Players lost from last year:
Tai Setoki, Line
Adrian Gil, RB
Split the co-op from Hansen
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Incoming impact players:
Tyler Chatelain, Line, 11
Nathan Thomas, Line, 11
Vincent Gomez, FB, 10
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Team Preview:
Written by: Sven Alskog
When a team goes through a 26-game losing streak it is difficult to find a lot of positives. For the Murtaugh Red Devils, the challenging period has brought in three head coaches in as many years, including a new one entering 2017 in Todd Jensen.
Jensen is no stranger to success, having won a state title at 3A Sugar-Salem as an assistant, along with other previous highlights on the resume which include four basketball state championships and three track titles.
You could say the new coach has his work cut out for him after an 0-8 mark in Robert Kohler's lone season.
Offensively the Red Devils put up just 76 total points on the year, averaging less than 10 per game. The other end of the football was not better either, giving up 475 total points, an average of over 59 per game.
To try to get some points on the board Jensen will turn to junior quarterback Graden Diamound and receivers Austin Smith and Gio Zavala.
The trio will need to bring some explosive plays to an offense that has seen running back Adrian Gil depart.
"[We're] fast and aggressive," said Jensen. "We'll attack when teams are not ready [and] catch the defense off guard."
Tyler Chatelain and Nathan Thomas should have key roles on each line as Murtaugh looks to establish some strength in the trenches.
The defensive concept is to be as aggressive as possible.
"High risk, high reward. Very aggressive and always full speed," added Jensen.
In order to get on the win column this year the Red Devils will have to build up teamwork and a belief system in the new schemes.
But Jensen knows what the most exciting part of this new challenge is for him.
"Watching the athletes improve and bringing pride back to Murtaugh."
Game number one in which the Red Devils will look to do that will come on September 1 at Dietrich. A big rivalry battle with former co-op partner Hansen takes place at home on September 22. This is the first year of the split from that co-op.
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