Team Preview:
Written By: Matt Harris

Last year, North Fremont’s senior night festivities were short. Very short.

The entire ceremony lasted about 15 seconds as the Huskies honored their lone senior on the roster, Sawyer Dye. Unfortunately for Dye, he wasn’t able to suit up for his final game because of a torn ACL suffered earlier that summer.

While Dye has moved on to life after high school graduation, all of his teammates are back in the fold in 2018.

“We have everyone back this year,” said head coach Ben Lenz. “A really solid senior class this year with a few underclassmen that bring a lot of experience from last year.”

Lenz added that his team has about 30 kids in uniform this season, which is more than they’ve had in the last few years. That’s certainly a good thing for North Fremont, which ranks as the smallest school enrollment-wise playing football in the 2A classification. Health, as always, will play an important role in what the Huskies can achieve.

With experience being on the Huskies side in 2018, Lenz believes that this should help his team with execution within their Option offense.

“We are continuing with our option game with several players that can take their share of carries,” he said. “Our front line is experienced and we have skilled kids with good speed.”

Leading the charge will be senior quarterback Garrett Hawkes, who was named Co-Conference Player of the Year last year. He will have plenty of options to work with within the offense, including senior running backs Chris Hansen, Bridger Lenz, Blake Oberhansley, and Briceton Fisher. Junior Riggen Cordingley, a First Team All-Conference selection at running back, and sophomore Luke Hill round out the Huskies deep stable of backs. Senior Peyton Litton returns and can be a threat when North Fremont looks to go to the air.

Up front, seniors Rafael Rivas and Drew Hill will anchor the experienced offensive line and will be joined by juniors Hayeden Hood, Jordan Hess, Tyler Shuldberg, and Bracken Dye. Sophomore Keifer Shaw will see time at the position as well, with junior Paul Wynn lining up at tight end.

Lenz says his crew wants to improve on the efficiency of their offense, especially on third down.

“We need to convert on third down better and convert in the red zone,” he said. North Fremont averaged 27.4 points per game last season.

Many players from the offense will play key roles on defense for the Huskies. The defensive line feature Rivas, Hill, Hood, Wynn, Shuldberg, Dye, Litton, Oberhansley, and Shaw. The linebacking corps will be led by Hess and Cordingley, while the secondary will be anchored by Hawkes, Hansen, Lenz, Fisher, and Hill.

North Fremont’s experience on defense and overall team speed will aid them greatly in their continued progress over the course of the season. Coach Lenz said he hopes that improvement includes gains in their ability to cover the pass as well.

The Huskies kick off the 2018 season on the road when they face the Filer Wildcats on Aug. 24. They then return home for a contest against Teton on Aug. 31, a game that has developed into a fun series according to Lenz. North Fremont will then hit the road on Sept. 7 when they face 2A power Aberdeen.

“Aberdeen is always a great football team and each year I look forward to that battle with them,” Lenz said. “Teton, too, is always a battle and a fun game to play. We’ve played each other for a lot of years now and I like the rivalry that exists between us.”

The Huskies round out their non-conference schedule on Sept. 14 when they face Soda Springs in Ashton. Nuclear Conference play then begins on Sept. 21 with a contest at Salmon, a game that Lenz wants his team to be ready for.

“We are hoping to come ready to play them after they put a whooping on us last year,” he said. Salmon crushed North Fremont 46-6 in Ashton last season. That game also saw quarterback Garrett Hawkes’ season come to an end after breaking his ankle on the first play from scrimmage.

Following a bye week on Sept. 28, North Fremont will host two of their final three regular season games, beginning on Oct. 5 when they play West Jefferson. A trip southward to face Firth awaits the Huskies on Oct. 12, followed by senior night in Ashton when they face Ririe on Oct. 19.

If the Huskies can stay healthy and have more conversions on third down this season, North Fremont could certainly be in the hunt again for a Nuclear Conference title.