Outlaws gear up for the gridiron

Although the Outlaws will be a young varsity team this season, returning veteran coach Bob Macauley is excited about their performance so far and glad to be back as head coach.

Macauley told The Nugget that when a season begins he always looks at two things: First, he looks at his seniors, who this year Macauley says are tremendous and have not only ability and character but a great work ethic.

Second, Macauley looks at his offensive line, which he says consists of the five most important people on the field. Starting this year at tackle will be sophomore Bryce Alderman at 6-feet-2-inches and 235 pounds. Next to him will be senior guard Max Stovall at 5-feet-11-inches and 212 pounds. Junior Randon Beech will start at center (5-feet-9-inches, 180 pounds) and junior Hayden Wester will play at guard (5-feet-9-inches, 165 pounds).

Rounding out the offensive line will be senior Hayden Hudson at 6-feet-2-inches and 230 pounds.

Drew VanDiver (six feet, 215 pounds) will also be considered a starter, and Macauley will count on him for big contributions on the offensive line. Other players who will see time on the line will be juniors Nate Zavala and Chandler Zenich and sophomores Sam Summers and Steven Nemer.

Randy Ketchum (6-feet-3-inches, 220 pounds) will return at tight end, along with Nathan Utley (6-feet-1-inch, 185 pounds).

Junior Eric Carlson (6-feet-2-inches, 185 pounds), along with sophomore Shane Groth (six feet, 180 pounds) will run the offense from the quarterback position.

At fullback will be senior Drew Johnston and junior John Green. Junior Jared Nelson and senior Cam Valdez will start at tailback. Daniel Wiegand, Chase Klient and Marteen Jiminez will start at wide receiver.

Other receivers that will see time on the field are juniors Jordan Rudinsky and Zech Mickel, and sophomore Connor Morgan.

Macauley said, "We're starting a lot of players with first-year varsity experience so we're probably going to see some young mistakes early in the season. But, these guys are skilled and athletic and I'm excited about how far they've come in the last two weeks."

Macauley told The Nugget he has a very good crew starting on defense including Bryce Alderman, Hayden Hudson, Drew Johnston and Drew VanDiver. Nate Zavala, Chandler Zenich and Brandon Goodwin will also see time on defense.

Randy Ketchum, Jalen Miller and senior Nick Saba will play at outside linebacker. Inside linebackers will be seniors Rodney Warner and Max Stovall, juniors Jared Nelson and John Green, and sophomore Shane Groth.

"I'm real excited about our linebackers," said Macauley. "They're playing fast and aggressive and I like where they're at this early in the season."

Starting at corner will be junior Marcus Arends and Brandon Morgan.

Chase Klient will start at safety and Charles Novotny and Justin Duvenick will also see significant playing time at this position.

Macauley noted that sophomore Connor Morgan is a player who is really coming to the forefront, and sophomore Ryan Yancey and Jaxon Stark are both showing lots of potential.

"I'm very happy with the progress the defense has made but we really won't know what we have until we get through a game and actually play another team," he said.

Macauley added, "Overall, the entire team is practicing at a high level. If that continues we have the potential to be a very good team."

The Outlaws will kick off their first game of the season at Sweet Home on Friday, September 4.