Team Preview:
Written By: Matt Harris

In life, there are two certainties: death and taxes.

Let’s add a third: West Side football being a state title contender.

As Tyson Moser begins his 10th season as head coach in Dayton, it should be noted that not one of his teams have had a losing record. The coach sports a 75-21 overall record with two state titles, two runner-up finishes, and three third-place trophies. Indeed, West Side is a 2A football power.

“We just live in an area that has good strong families and those families produce good, coachable kids,” said Moser when asked how West Side has consistently found success. “We’ve also maintained a consistent coaching staff that includes the last two previous head coaches.”

West Side should expect to find themselves in the conversation once again this season. After taking home the third-place trophy with a young squad last season, the Pirates bring back a ton of experience and hope to find themselves atop the pedestal come November.

Senior Stockton Brown is back at quarterback this season and will have plenty of weapons to work with. He will have Conference Player of the Year and First Team All-State selection Jake Moser at his side from the running back position. Moser will be joined by fellow First Team All-State selection Enoch Ward in the backfield. Ward earned All-State accolades at wide receiver last season and will see time both positions. Senior Cyrus Rindlisbacker and junior Jaxon Moser will also play big roles in the Pirates’ deep stable of running backs.

Dillon Robinson and Ryan Beckstead, a senior/junior duo, will line up at wide receiver for the Pirates once again this season. They’ll be joined by senior tight end Riley Smith, who should help compliment the West Side passing game.

“We should have a pretty balanced attack this year,” said Moser. West Side has traditionally been a run-heavy team, but has been able to open up the playbook in recent seasons with the development of their quarterbacks.

The Pirates return a ton of experience on the offensive line, which should cause problems for a lot of opposing defenses. Senior First Team All-State selection Jack Moser will lead the way on the line and will work with fellow seniors Ryan Larsen and Brigham Cook, along with juniors Hunter Abbott, Armondo Montano, and Isaac Frankman.

Moser added that Cook could burst onto the scene this season for West Side.

“Brigham has been injured the last two seasons, but he will be a big impact player for us,” he said.

The Pirates have two goals for their offense this season: score more points and convert on more drives. They averaged 25.5 points per game last season, but that number could potentially have been higher had they been able to complete offensive drives.

Much like the offense, West Side returns plenty of experience on the defensive side of things. The entire secondary and linebacking corps are back for the Pirates this season, which should create headaches for opposing offensive coordinators.

Jake Moser, a First Team All-State selection at linebacker, will lead the way with that group and will be joined by Jaxon Moser and Enoch Ward. The secondary features the return of First Team All-State selection Dillon Robinson, who will anchor the defensive backfield along with Rindlisbacker and Beckstead.

The line should be a stable force as well, with senior Brock Gittins wreaking havoc alongside Montano, Abbott, Smith, Frankman, and Jack Moser.

West Side gave up an average of 14.9 points per game last season but feels that they can lower that number this year, especially if they can accomplish their goal of forcing more turnovers.

Moser says there is a lot of potential on this year’s squad.

“This group of seniors has been playing on the varsity team since they were sophomores. It’s fun to have a group with that much experience and it has really increased the learning all around,” he said, adding that they have to stay healthy in order to truly have a chance at achieving their potential.

The Pirates will be tested right away to open the 2018 season when they hit the road to face the Firth Cougars in what has become an annual Week 1 matchup. Firth is coming off of a state runner-up season a year ago.

“The Firth game in Week 1 is always a good one for us,” Moser said. “They are always very tough and it’s like getting thrown into the fire right off the bat.”

West Side will then host their next two contests as they face the Rich Rebels of Randolph, Utah on Aug. 31 and then Marsh Valley on Sept. 7. A trip northward to District 6 awaits West Side in Week 4 when they face Ririe on Sept. 14.

Another two game homestand will finish off the month of September when they host fellow 2A power Aberdeen on Sept. 21 and then Malad on Sept. 28. Following a bye week to open up October, the Pirates will conclude the regular season with games at Bear Lake on Oct. 12 and Soda Springs on Oct. 18.