Team Preview:
Written by: Chris Langrill
The Mountain View football team reached its first state championship game in school history last season.
Whether they make it back to the title game again might depend on your outlook in life.
If you're a glass-is-half-empty kind of person, you'll point to the loss of quarterback Garrett Collingham, who is now a member of the Boise State Broncos. On the defensive side of the ball, the Mavericks will be without two first-team, all-state players in Demetrius Romero and Michael Albarran (also the defensive player of the year in the Southern Idaho Conference).
But if you like to think the glass is half full you might point to the plethora of talent that returns on offense at the skill positions. First and foremost among those players is Trey Bell, who was named first-team, all-conference as a junior wide receiver and returner.
This year, Bell's role will be expanded even further, and he'll line up as a running back.
“We want him to touch the ball as much as possible,” coach Judd Benedick said. “He'll be our main running back, but we'll move him out to wide receiver when we want to throw the ball, as well.”
But Benedick will have other options, too. Receivers Joe Farris (senior) and Keenan Patwell (junior) and tight end Andrew Scheibout (senior) all return after starting last season.
“Hopefully, it means we won't be too predictable because we have a number of guys that can make plays,” Benedick said.
Two players will see playing time at the quarterback position heading into the season: junior Tucker Rovig and senior Tate Richter.
“We plan on going into the season using both of them and seeing how it shakes out,” Benedick said. “There's no clear separation between the two, and we figure we'll need both of them at some point.”
On the defensive side of the ball, look for Jared Gibson to improve upon his stellar junior season, when he was named a first-team, all-conference player.
“He's back at the same position (linebacker), and he should have a tremendous year as a leader and a player,” Benedick said. “He's become really vocal. Last year, he was kind of quiet. But this year, he realizes that he's one of the few seniors on defense, and he's proven himself.”
Benedick said one of his team's focuses this season is a fast start. Last year, the Mavericks started 1-2 before winning nine games in a row.
“We'd like to start better and not have to dig ourselves out of a hole,” Benedick said.
But the schedule-makers didn't make a fast start a given this season. Mountain View faces Rocky Mountain in Week 2 and Capital in Week 3. The Mavericks two early-season losses last year? You guessed it: Rocky Mountain and Capital.
But those two games are just part of the challenge for Benedick. And he relishes the challenges each season brings.
“That's one of the fun things as a coach,” he said. “You get a new group every year, and you try to mold it and shape it. That's what we're supposed to do as coaches: Figure all that out and put an effective product on the field.”
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